What is prescribed for the children of a sick person to do
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Fatwa number ( 14647 )
Q: We have an elderly father who has been afflicted by Allah with a stroke in the brain for a year and a half. He is bedridden, unable to speak or move except to look at us with his eyes. We do not know if he recognizes us or not. He has remained in the hospital for the entire duration. We have hired a nurse to care for him, and we are with him constantly, tending to him and turning him to one side every two hours. By the grace of Allah, his outward appearance is radiant with light and brings joy, praise be to Allah. Our father, may Allah the Exalted heal him, was a righteous and devout man throughout his life. He used to recite the Qur'an and knew nothing of the forbidden things; everyone knew this. He taught us our religious affairs, praise be to Allah, until he became more precious to us than our own selves
and our children and everything in this life. We have done everything possible for his treatment, but to no avail. There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent. The questions are: 1. What are the verses and hadiths indicating the trial of a believer like this person, who was weak, upright, and righteous throughout his life, and who has been cut off from all worship during his illness? 2. What should we do to offer him what we can in his life, such as prayers, supplications, and recitation of the Qur'an? And what work can we do for him and for our mother who passed away thirty years ago? We hope the answer will be convincing and beneficial. May Allah reward you with the best reward. 3. We applied for a Muslim nurse, but a non-Muslim nurse was sent to us. We tried to send him back, but we saw his kindness and his exceptional care for our father, so we kept him with us while we try to guide him to Islam. Is it permissible to keep him, and what are the recommendations regarding this matter? 4. In the blessed month of Ramadan last year, we asked several shaykhs: what should we do regarding our father? We did not receive the true and correct fatwa, so we fed a poor person for each day, and distributed rice and dates to the poor, approximately one kilogram of rice and a little dates, for each day to several scattered poor people. What was it obligatory for us to do? Knowing that our father does not perform
any act of worship, because he is unable to do so and cannot distinguish, and he only looks at us. We are afraid that he recognizes us or knows his condition and is not pleased or convinced by what he is in. Allah knows best. As for the doctors, they say that he has lost consciousness. Also, we left his beard as it was, we did not shorten any of it. Should we trim it or leave it as it was? 5. When we remember his condition while we are in prayer, or sleeping, or at home, or at work, or anywhere, we blame ourselves and say: what are we doing? What is this calamity that struck our father and struck us? What happened? Did our many sins strike our father, or are these his sins? But we know, and people know, that he was a righteous man throughout his life. We ask you, may Allah reward you, to clarify these matters. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
A: First: Allah, Glorious is His Majesty, tests people in this life and tries them with evil and good, with sickness and health, with hardship and ease; to reveal the patience of those who are patient among them and the gratitude of those who are grateful among them, then He will reward them on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Anbya 21:35] ,
and Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:155] the two verses. It is obligatory for the Muslim in this life to be patient and seek reward when afflicted with what he dislikes, and to praise and thank Allah when afflicted with what pleases him, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . Second: It is prescribed for you to supplicate for your father for health, forgiveness, and a good ending, and that his reward and wage be magnified by the sickness he has suffered, and to give charity on his behalf with what you are able, and to maintain the ties of kinship with his relatives that are not maintained except through him. Likewise, you do this for your deceased mother, and you carry out any legal bequest he had. You must be patient in nursing your father and seek reward from Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He. Third: As long as your father has lost consciousness and does not perceive anything with his mind, then nothing of the physical acts of worship is obligatory upon him, neither fasting nor prayer; because
accountability is tied to intellect, and if it is lost, accountability is lifted. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to heal your father, to cure him, and to inspire you with patience and seeking reward in nursing him, and to magnify your reward. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his companions.
Q: We have an elderly father who has been afflicted by Allah with a stroke in the brain for a year and a half. He is bedridden, unable to speak or move except to look at us with his eyes. We do not know if he recognizes us or not. He has remained in the hospital for the entire duration. We have hired a nurse to care for him, and we are with him constantly, tending to him and turning him to one side every two hours. By the grace of Allah, his outward appearance is radiant with light and brings joy, praise be to Allah. Our father, may Allah the Exalted heal him, was a righteous and devout man throughout his life. He used to recite the Qur'an and knew nothing of the forbidden things; everyone knew this. He taught us our religious affairs, praise be to Allah, until he became more precious to us than our own selves
and our children and everything in this life. We have done everything possible for his treatment, but to no avail. There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent. The questions are: 1. What are the verses and hadiths indicating the trial of a believer like this person, who was weak, upright, and righteous throughout his life, and who has been cut off from all worship during his illness? 2. What should we do to offer him what we can in his life, such as prayers, supplications, and recitation of the Qur'an? And what work can we do for him and for our mother who passed away thirty years ago? We hope the answer will be convincing and beneficial. May Allah reward you with the best reward. 3. We applied for a Muslim nurse, but a non-Muslim nurse was sent to us. We tried to send him back, but we saw his kindness and his exceptional care for our father, so we kept him with us while we try to guide him to Islam. Is it permissible to keep him, and what are the recommendations regarding this matter? 4. In the blessed month of Ramadan last year, we asked several shaykhs: what should we do regarding our father? We did not receive the true and correct fatwa, so we fed a poor person for each day, and distributed rice and dates to the poor, approximately one kilogram of rice and a little dates, for each day to several scattered poor people. What was it obligatory for us to do? Knowing that our father does not perform
any act of worship, because he is unable to do so and cannot distinguish, and he only looks at us. We are afraid that he recognizes us or knows his condition and is not pleased or convinced by what he is in. Allah knows best. As for the doctors, they say that he has lost consciousness. Also, we left his beard as it was, we did not shorten any of it. Should we trim it or leave it as it was? 5. When we remember his condition while we are in prayer, or sleeping, or at home, or at work, or anywhere, we blame ourselves and say: what are we doing? What is this calamity that struck our father and struck us? What happened? Did our many sins strike our father, or are these his sins? But we know, and people know, that he was a righteous man throughout his life. We ask you, may Allah reward you, to clarify these matters. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
A: First: Allah, Glorious is His Majesty, tests people in this life and tries them with evil and good, with sickness and health, with hardship and ease; to reveal the patience of those who are patient among them and the gratitude of those who are grateful among them, then He will reward them on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the Exalted said:
And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.
وَنَبْلُوكُمْ بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَand Allah the Exalted said:
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَمْوَالِ وَالأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَWonderful is the affair of the believer, for his entire affair is good for him. If he is struck by hardship, he is patient, and it is good for him. And if he is struck by ease, he is grateful, and it is good for him. And that is not the case except for the believer
عجبًا لأمر المؤمن، إن أمره كله له خير، إن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرًا له وإن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرًا له، وليس ذلك إلا للمؤمنaccountability is tied to intellect, and if it is lost, accountability is lifted. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to heal your father, to cure him, and to inspire you with patience and seeking reward in nursing him, and to magnify your reward. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.