Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 1148 a
sahih

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported:

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: My mother has died, and fasts of a month are due from her. Thereupon he said: Don't you see that if debt was due from her, would you not pay it? She said: Yes (I would pay on her behalf). Thereupon he said: The debt of Allah deserves its payment more than (the payment of anyone else).

وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ، الْبَطِينِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، - رضى الله عنهما - أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ أُمِّي مَاتَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا صَوْمُ شَهْرٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَرَأَيْتِ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْهَا دَيْنٌ أَكُنْتِ تَقْضِينَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَدَيْنُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ بِالْقَضَاءِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 13, Hadith 199
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 6, Hadith 2554 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
A vow is an act of worship and piety that should not be devoted to anyone other than Allah. In His glorious Book, Allah Almighty praised His pious servants and promised them the reward. Among their attributes which He mentioned is their fulfillment of vows. He says: {They fulfill their vows.} [Surat al-Insān: 7] In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking him about her mother who had made a vow to fast and died before fulfilling her vow: Is it valid for her to fast on behalf of her mother? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Tell me, if there was a debt due on your mother and you settled it, would it be valid on her behalf?" This is an affirmative question. She replied: 'Yes, it settles on her behalf.' He said: "So, fast on behalf of your mother." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened fasting due upon a woman who died and left a debt, which must be paid because it is a right to human beings, whereas the vow is a right to Allah Almighty. So, the fulfillment of His right, Exalted be He, is more significant and proper than the fulfillment of the right of humans, for Allah is more worthy of fulfillment. It is narrated in some narrations by Al-Bukhāri and in the Two Sahīh Collections that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever dies while some fast is due on him, his guardian should fast on his behalf." Walī (guardian): It refers to one's male relatives such as the fathers and sons. If the guardian does not observe the fast on his behalf, he should feed a poor person in return for each day of the fast. Thereby, the deceased person's duty is fulfilled, as the guardian's discharge of this duty is tantamount to his own discharge of it. This applies if the deceased person was able to fulfill the duty at its time or later but failed to do so. But if he dies before being able to make up for the missed fast - like the case of a person whose illness lingers until he dies - then there is nothing due on him, and his guardians are not required to fast or feed the poor on his behalf. In the Hadīth: It is permissible to fast on behalf of the dead. And in it: It is permissible to fulfill vows on behalf of the dead. And in it: Giving parables and analogical comparisons to make the topic clearer and more profound to those who hear it. And in it: Showing kindness to one's parents by the fulfillment of their vows and debts..
Related hadiths11
Compare isnād across 11 related chains →