Qadha prayers of parents is obligatory on the eldest son

1399. If a father did not offer some of his obligatory prayers or fasts, after his death, it is obligatory upon his eldest son, to perform its Qadha. If the son cannot do so, he may hire someone to perform them. Even if father was not able to give Qadha, moreover, as per precautionary measures, even if the father left it as a deliberate act of transgression, it is obligatory upon the son to give its Qadha or hire someone.

In case of mother also, as per obligatory precaution, one should act according to the above mentioned rule. Moreover, if they have not made any will regarding the Qadha prayers, and the son does not have money to hire someone, as per obligatory precaution, the eldest son should offer the Qadha prayers and fasts, and if there is no son then it will be the responsibility of the eldest daughter to perform the acts.

1400. If the eldest son doubts whether or not his parents had any Qadha on them, he is under no obligation.

1401. If the eldest son knows that his parents had a certain number of Qadha prayers on them, but he is in doubt whether they offered them or not, he should offer them, as an obligatory precaution.

1402. If it is not known as to who is the eldest son of a person, it is not obligatory on anyone of the sons to offer their parents’ Qadha prayers. However, as per recommended precaution, they should divide his Qadha between them, or should draw lots for offering them.

1403. If a dying person makes a will that someone should be hired to offer his Qadha prayers, and if the hired person performs them correctly, the eldest son will be free from his obligation.

1404. If the eldest son wishes to offer the Qadha prayers of his parents, he will follow the rules which apply to him. For example, he should offer the Qadha prayers of his mother for Fajr, Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers loudly.

1405. If a person has to offer his own Qadha prayers, and he also wishes to offer the Qadha prayers of his parents, whichever he offers first will be in order.

1406. If the eldest son was minor, or insane at the time of his parent’s death, it will be obligatory upon him to offer Qadha of prayers and fasts of his parents’ when he attains puberty or becomes sane. If the eldest son dies before he attains puberty or

becomes sane, as per recommended precaution, it will become obligatory on the second son to offer the Qadha, and observing this precaution is highly recommended.

1407. If the eldest son of a person dies before offering the Qadha prayers of his parents, if there was enough gap between the death of the parents and the death of the eldest son, that it was possible for him to offer the Qadha of his parents, then it will not be obligatory on the second son. But if the gap between the death of the parents and the eldest son was little, then as per recommended precaution, it is highly recommended that the second son should offer the Qadha of his parents.