My mother was stricken with paralysis and spent two years in the hospital without praying or fasting, so what is required of her?

Question:
My mother was stricken with paralysis and spent two years in the hospital. She did not fast or pray because she was unable to do so. What is required of her? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
As for fasting, she is granted a dispensation to leave it off as long as she is ill, until she is able to make it up afterward, and she must make it up. As for the prayer, it is not permissible for the sick person to leave it off under any circumstances; rather, he prays according to his condition, every prayer in its time. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: and on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "The sick person prays standing; if he cannot, then sitting; if he cannot, then on his side; and in a narration, lying on his back with his feet toward the qiblah." If he is able to perform wudu' and purify himself with water, it is obligatory for him to do so. If he is unable, he performs tayammum, as in His saying: from it. The sick person is like the one who has no water; if he is unable to perform wudu', he performs tayammum with dust and prays. The bottom line is that he does not leave off the prayer, but he prays according to his condition. If he needs to combine the two prayers, he combines them: he combines the Zuhr with the 'Asr in the time of one of them, and he combines the Maghrib with the 'Isha' in the time of one of them, either bringing them forward or delaying them, whichever is easier for him. If he prays sitting, he indicates the ruku' with his head. If he is able to prostrate, he prostrates on the ground. If he is unable, he also indicates the sujud with his head, and his sujud is lower than his ruku' by indication? He indicates with his head for both the ruku' and the sujud. If he is on his side, he faces the qiblah and also indicates with his head for the ruku' and the sujud. This indicates that the prayer is not dropped from the sick person in any state as long as his mind is present. However, if his mind is gone, there is no prayer required of him. So, what the questioner mentioned about her mother leaving off the prayer, if it was while her mind and thought were present, this is not permissible, and it is obligatory for her to make up these prayers she left off. By the way, all sick people are reminded, whether they are in hospitals or in their homes or anywhere else, not to leave off the prayer no matter how severe their illness becomes, but they should pray according to their conditions. Even if there is impurity on his clothes and he is unable to remove it, he prays even in impure clothes. And even if he does not purify himself with water or dust due to his inability to do so and the absence of anyone to bring him dust, and the time for the prayer is about to end, he prays according to his condition, even without wudu' and without tayammum, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: .
The result is that it is not permissible to leave off the prayer as long as the mind and thought are present? Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you.