“I said to ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak, ‘O Abū ‘Abd al-Rahmān, what about the reported hadith, “Continuing to honor your parents after their death means praying on their behalf along with your own prayers and fasting on their behalf along with your own fasting”?’

“‘Abdullāh said, ‘O Abū Ishāq, from whom is this narrated?’ I told him, ‘This is narrated by Shihāb ibn Khirāsh.’ He said, ‘He is trustworthy.’ I said, ‘From whom?’ He replied, ‘From al-Hajjāj ibn Dīnār.’ He said, ‘He is trustworthy. From whom?’ I said, ‘From the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).’ He said, ‘O Abū Ishāq, between al-Hajjāj and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) lie vast deserts in which riding beasts would perish. But there is no disagreement concerning charity.’”

The matter is just as ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak stated, for this hadith has a disconnected chain of transmission. The imams agree that charity benefits the deceased, as do other acts of worship involving wealth, such as freeing slaves. They differed only concerning bodily acts of worship, such as prayer, fasting, and Quran recitation.

Nevertheless, in the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“If someone dies owing fasts, his next of kin should fast on his behalf.”

Also in the two Sahīh collections, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

“A woman said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother died owing fasts she had vowed to observe.’ He said, ‘Tell me, if your mother had owed a debt and you had paid it, would that have discharged it on her behalf?’ She replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then fast on your mother’s behalf.’”