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What is the expiation for a man who died at the age of 57, having fasted only a little during the Ramadans of his life, claiming illness, and then actually fell ill in the last years of his life, rendering him unable to fast?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim is obligated to think well of his brother, especially after his death. If the person mentioned broke his fast in Ramadan due to illness, and his illness became connected to a death-preceding illness, and he was unable to make up the fast, then he is excused religiously. He is not required to make up the fast or pay expiation, nor is anyone else obligated to do anything on his behalf. Al-Qurtubi said: "The majority hold that whoever broke his fast in Ramadan due to an ailment and died from that ailment, or traveled and died during that journey, owes nothing." However, if he was able to make up the fast but neglected to do so, then what his guardian should do on his behalf can be found in Fatwa no. 38313.

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

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