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If a man dies and he owes an expiation for an oath (kaffarat yamin), what should his relatives do?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a Muslim dies owing an oath expiation (kaffarat yamin), the heirs must pay it from his estate before its distribution. This expiation is: freeing a slave, or feeding ten poor persons, or clothing them. The least burdensome option (feeding) should be chosen, as the heirs have a right to the inheritance. If the deceased was poor and left no money, his expiation is fasting for three days. It is recommended for his guardian (wali) to fast on his behalf, or to feed a poor person for each day of fasting, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever dies and owes fasts, his guardian should fast on his behalf."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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