the prescribed shares to those entitled to them; whatever remains goes to the nearest male relative.” (1) Since he mentioned priority in inheritance, the guardian is therefore the heir.

It has also been said that the guardian means any relative whatsoever. The more correct view is that he is the heir. Even according to the view that he means a relative, it may be said: the closest people to him and those most entitled concerning him are his heirs; accordingly, it is the heir who should fast.

Question: If we hold, according to the stronger opinion, that fasting includes that which is obligatory by the original prescription of the Sacred Law and that which is obligatory by a vow, must it be confined to a single heir, since the fast is an obligation incumbent upon one person?

Answer: That is not necessary, because the Prophet’s saying, “His guardian should fast on his behalf,” uses a singular noun in possessive construction, which conveys generality and thus includes every guardian who is an heir. Thus, if a man had fifteen sons and each of them wished to fast two days on behalf of the thirty days, that would suffice. Likewise, if there were thirty heirs and each of them fasted one day, that would suffice, because they would have fasted thirty days. There is no difference between their fasting them on a single day and one fasting while another fasts on the following day, until they complete thirty days.

As for the expiation for zihar and similar cases, the heirs cannot divide the fasting among themselves, because consecutive fasting is stipulated, and because none of them would have fasted two consecutive months.