Fasting on behalf of the deceased: Is it obligatory or recommended?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The Shaykh: Then, regarding the fasting that comes upon him, does it harm him if it is upon him by way of substitution or obligation?
Answer:
The apparent meaning of the hadith is that it is obligatory. They said: Just as he inherits from him if he had wealth, so he fasts on his behalf if it was for half of it. The apparent meaning of the hadith is that it is obligatory, but what appears from the general evidences is that it is not obligatory upon him; rather, this is a matter of virtue, not an obligation upon him.
The Shaykh: Then, regarding the fasting that comes upon him, does it harm him if it is upon him by way of substitution or obligation?
Answer:
The apparent meaning of the hadith is that it is obligatory. They said: Just as he inherits from him if he had wealth, so he fasts on his behalf if it was for half of it. The apparent meaning of the hadith is that it is obligatory, but what appears from the general evidences is that it is not obligatory upon him; rather, this is a matter of virtue, not an obligation upon him.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تابع كتاب الصيام - 2 — islamhouse.com (36:09)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.