It is not permissible to fast on behalf of a living person
11-5-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu 3alaikum. I have a few questions: 1. I used to perform salah by going through the fatiha,tasbiih etc. in my mind. This continued for 2-3 years. I was ignorant of the ruling that Salah will not be accepted if one would merely go through the statements in one's mind. What should I do? 2. Due to a chronic illness (weak immune system and repetitive flues) I have not fasted during ramadan for a long time. I would, sometimes though, get better and fast for a week or so. I don't know the exact number of days I have missed. . I have also broken a few oaths I've taken. I lost count of them too. How many days should i fast? 3. Should I inform someone I know of my debt to Allaah of missed Siyaam days so that they may pay it for me inshaaAllaah? Will Allaah punish me if nobody fasts those missed days? I believe them to be 90-100 I feel very bad for this. I was extremely ignorant during those days, I would doubt the authenticity of hadiths to the extent that I was not sure if they were a part of Islam or not. Please advise me, Jazaakumullaahu khairan. I pray that Allaah gives you jannatul firdaus.
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.
First of all, we say that we notice from some of your questions that you suffer some sort of obsessive whispers, so our answer to you can be summarized as follows:
1. If you are absolutely sure without the slightest doubt that in your prayers you were only reciting in your mind, then in this case you are obliged to repeat those prayers, and if you do not know their number, then you should repeat a number that you predominantly think would absolve you of the obligation. But if you only suspect that you were reciting in your mind in your prayers, then you are not obliged to repeat them and in principle your prayers are valid, so you should not get carried away with obsessive whispers. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84707.
2. You are obliged to make up for the days which you did not fast. If you do not know their number, then you should try to estimate them and make up a number that you predominantly think would absolve you of the obligation as in principle you did not fast them. The same applies to the oaths which you broke and which you do not know their number. You should try to estimate them. Once you have estimated them, you should feed ten poor people or clothe them or emancipate a slave. If you are not able to do any of these, then you should fast three days for each oath; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 101245 and 22725. However, it is not valid that someone else fasts on your behalf; it is not valid that a person fasts on behalf of another living person. The scholars unanimously agreed that it is not permissible that a person fasts on behalf of another person during his life, and if he fasts on his behalf, then this is not sufficient to absolve him of the obligation. Imaam An-Nawawi 
said in his commentary on Saheeh Muslim: “Al-Qaadhi said: Our scholars unanimously agreed that one does not pray a missed prayer on behalf of the deceased, and that no one is permitted to fast on behalf of another person during his life, but there is a difference of opinion regarding fasting on behalf of a deceased person.” [End of quote] Zakariyyah Al-Ansaari said in Asna Al-Mataalib: “It is not valid that a person fasts on behalf of a living person without any difference of opinion, whether or not he is excused...” [End of quote]
3. You are not obliged to inform anyone about the number of expiations that you are obliged to pay, and you are not permitted to ask people to give you what to pay for it. Begging is dispraised and Allaah did not order you to beg in order to pay the expiation; rather, Allaah ordered you to fast if you are not able to feed ten poor people or clothe them or emancipate a slave. Therefore, if you are temporarily unable to fast, then you should fast whenever you become able to do so, and if you are permanently unable, then you are exempted from fasting and you are not required to do anything. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “If a person is obliged to expiate for an oath, and he does not find anything to feed (ten people) and he is unable to fast, then this is waived from him, as Allaah says (what means): {So fear Allaah as much as you are able.} [Quran 64:16] and: {Allaah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2:286] Moreover, the Prophet 
said: “If you are commanded to do something, then you should perform of it as much as you can.” And he does not have to do anything else because among the rules prescribed in the religion is that obligations are waived by the inability to fulfil them, and one moves to the substitute, if any, and in case there is no substitute, then the person is totally exempted from it… .” [End of quote]
Allaah Knows best.