Her father died without making up for his missed days of fasting

10-8-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

A few days ago, I saw in a dream that the Day of Judgment had come and my family members including me were sitting inside our house. Each one of us started saying that the Day of Judgment had come and we started stating our sins or debts. However, my father was saying, “I missed two days of Ramadhaan.” I was saying, “I made a vow, but did not fulfill it.”
When I woke up, I asked my mother if my father had to make up for any days of fasting. Surprisingly, she confirmed my dream saying that he did not fast two days in Ramadhaan, as he was very sick before his death.
I want to know how I should repay the debt of my father. I also said in my dream that I made a vow and did not fulfill it. Honestly, I do not remember this vow; so how could I fulfill it?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

What you saw was good, and things will turn out well by the permission of Allaah The Almighty, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The good dream of a righteous man is one of forty-six parts of prophethood.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

However, you should know that such visions do not establish rulings of the Sharee‘ah or impose religious duties upon any one. In other words, visions are no more than glad tidings.

With regard to the two days which your father did not fast due to his illness and failed to make up for, there are two possible cases:

1-  If his illness was incurable, then an expiation becomes obligatory for him as soon as he broke his fasting due to this circumstance. In such a case, you must feed a needy Muslim for each missed day of fasting by giving him a Mudd of food (750 g). However, it would be prudent and safer, in terms of clearing one’s liability, if you gave a needy Muslim half a Saa’ (one and a half kg) for each missed day.

It is also permissible for you to make up for these days on his behalf, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever died and had days of fasting to make up for, then his guardian must fast on his behalf.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

2-   If his disease was curable and there was hope that he would recover, but he died before being able to make up for the missed days of fasting, then he is not demanded to make up for the missed days and you do not have to do anything on his behalf. Nevertheless, if he died after being able to make up for the missed days, then you have to do what we explained in the first case.

As for your vow, if you do not remember that you made a vow at all and the only thing on which you base your opinion is your dream, then you are not asked to do anything, because dreams do not establish any ruling of the Sharee‘ah.

However, if you remember that you have already made a vow but you do not remember what it was about, then the ruling of the ‘impossible vow’ applies to you. In such a case, you have to offer an expiation like that for the broken oath, which is to feed 10 people, or clothe them, or free a slave. If you are unable to do any of the aforementioned expiations, then you have to fast for 3 days, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Expiation of the broken vow is equal to that of the broken oath.” This was narrated by Muslim on the authority of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir .

Allaah Knows best.