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Do some sins nullify the endeavor for livelihood? And do righteous children intercede for their father who was negligent in prayer? What are the best deeds that can be dedicated to the deceased? And is one who dies from a stomach illness during Ramadan considered a martyr, and will the month intercede for him?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Earning a livelihood does not expiate sins. The hadiths "Indeed, there are sins that are not expiated by prayer or fasting... except worries in seeking livelihood," and "Whoever spends the evening exhausted from the work of his hands, spends it forgiven," are both weak.

However, his death from an abdominal disease makes him a martyr in terms of reward in the Hereafter, but he should still be washed and prayed over.

As for his abandonment of prayer, prayer is the pillar of religion. Scholars differed regarding the ruling on one who abandons it out of laziness. Some consider him to be an apostate (major disbelief), while others consider it to be minor disbelief. According to the view that it is not major disbelief, it is hoped that the supplication of his righteous child and the intercession of the believers will benefit him.

As for what can be offered to him, the greatest are supplication (dua), seeking forgiveness (istighfar), giving charity, and performing Hajj and Umrah if feasible.

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

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