If a sick person leaves off the prayer for three days, does he make it up, for example, by praying Maghrib with Maghrib, and so on?

Question:
If there is a person who, after a surgical operation, left off the prayer and did not pray for three days, for example, does he pray one time with another, meaning Maghrib with Maghrib and 'Isha' with 'Isha'? Or how do you direct him? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
This is a great error. If a sick person undergoes a surgical operation and lies in bed, he does not leave off the prayer for the duration of his stay in the hospital. Rather, it is obligatory for him to pray every prayer in its time according to his ability, even if it is by gesturing with his head for the bowing and prostration. It is obligatory for the sick person to pray every time in its time; if he is able to perform the ablution, he performs it, and if not, he performs dry ablution with clean earth.
If he is able to stand, bow, and prostrate, it is obligatory for him to do so. Otherwise, he prays lying on his side with his face toward the direction of prayer, or lying on his back with his feet toward the direction of prayer. He prays and indicates the bowing and prostration with his head, and he does not delay the prayer beyond its time. As for what happened, where the aforementioned person left off the prayer for three days, this is an error. However, it is obligatory for him to make it up, and it is obligatory for him to make it up immediately as soon as he is able. He should pray the prayers in one time and arrange them: the five prayers of the first day—Fajr, then Zuhr, then 'Asr, then Maghrib, then 'Isha'—then the second day likewise, then the third day likewise, in one place if it is easy for him. As for separating them and making each obligatory prayer with its counterpart, this is not permissible. This is the talk of the common people; it has no basis. Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you, Shaykh.