The ruling on one who abandons prayer because she suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder
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The questioner:
The questioner, the sister F-S-A-M, has a question in which she says: One of my sisters, Honorable Shaykh, has been afflicted with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder in religion, in prayer, and in ritual purity, despite the fact that she was previously committed to her religion. This obsessive-compulsive disorder, Honorable Shaykh, intensified for her until she abandoned prayer for long periods. And this obsessive-compulsive disorder is still with her. Knowing that she has resorted to all means, from the Shari'ah ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation) and seeking refuge in Allah from Satan, and she has used psychiatric medications, but she is still suffering. So does she have a sin for abandoning prayer in our current time? She abandoned prayer in college. Do we have to force her to pray? Because when we order her to pray, she prays a valid prayer, but she says it is not valid, and I did not intend in my heart
The Shaykh:
When obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes severe, it becomes a psychological illness, and it is from Satan. It may also have a nervous cause, which doctors know. So she must seek treatment: treatment through medicine, and treatment through the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and ruqyah. Do not despair of healing, do not despair of healing, for healing is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And do not abandon prayer; it is not permissible for her to abandon prayer, and it is not permissible for you to remain silent about it. Rather, it is obligatory for you to order her to pray. Whenever the time for prayer comes, remind her of it and order her to pray. Yes.
The questioner:
She says: Honorable Shaykh, may we follow her in her prayer and pray with her without recitation and takbir (saying Allahu akbar)? And if we force her and the prayer is complete, is it sufficient even though she says it is not from her heart? And do we continue to force her, or what do we do?
The Shaykh:
Yes, continue to compel her to pray. As for her saying that she prays without the presence of her heart, this is from the obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it does not harm her, and her prayer is valid, if Allah wills.
The questioner:
The hardest thing for her is the takbir al-ihram (the opening takbir), so is it dropped from her given the situation described?
The Shaykh:
The prayer is not established except with the takbir al-ihram. She says the takbir al-ihram and leaves the obsessive-compulsive disorder. Yes.
The questioner, the sister F-S-A-M, has a question in which she says: One of my sisters, Honorable Shaykh, has been afflicted with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder in religion, in prayer, and in ritual purity, despite the fact that she was previously committed to her religion. This obsessive-compulsive disorder, Honorable Shaykh, intensified for her until she abandoned prayer for long periods. And this obsessive-compulsive disorder is still with her. Knowing that she has resorted to all means, from the Shari'ah ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation) and seeking refuge in Allah from Satan, and she has used psychiatric medications, but she is still suffering. So does she have a sin for abandoning prayer in our current time? She abandoned prayer in college. Do we have to force her to pray? Because when we order her to pray, she prays a valid prayer, but she says it is not valid, and I did not intend in my heart
The Shaykh:
When obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes severe, it becomes a psychological illness, and it is from Satan. It may also have a nervous cause, which doctors know. So she must seek treatment: treatment through medicine, and treatment through the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and ruqyah. Do not despair of healing, do not despair of healing, for healing is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And do not abandon prayer; it is not permissible for her to abandon prayer, and it is not permissible for you to remain silent about it. Rather, it is obligatory for you to order her to pray. Whenever the time for prayer comes, remind her of it and order her to pray. Yes.
The questioner:
She says: Honorable Shaykh, may we follow her in her prayer and pray with her without recitation and takbir (saying Allahu akbar)? And if we force her and the prayer is complete, is it sufficient even though she says it is not from her heart? And do we continue to force her, or what do we do?
The Shaykh:
Yes, continue to compel her to pray. As for her saying that she prays without the presence of her heart, this is from the obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it does not harm her, and her prayer is valid, if Allah wills.
The questioner:
The hardest thing for her is the takbir al-ihram (the opening takbir), so is it dropped from her given the situation described?
The Shaykh:
The prayer is not established except with the takbir al-ihram. She says the takbir al-ihram and leaves the obsessive-compulsive disorder. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 6162- حكم من تركت الصلاة لأنها تعاني من شدة الوسواس - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.