The Prayer of the Mentally Ill Patient
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The third question of Fatwa No. ( 18860 )
Q 3: My sister is 27 years old, and she has a partial mental deficiency. This is what the doctor told us, and her behavior indicates that she is affected by jinn, and Allah knows best; because she laughs without reason, and her way of eating is repulsive. However, she still distinguishes between good and evil, so she persists in performing the five daily prayers, but she does not recite anything other than al-Fatihah. When we try to teach her, we find it difficult for her to pronounce it, and she forgets a lot. Does she have a sin in performing her prayer this way, without the tashahhud or even a Qur'anic verse
other than al-Fatihah?
A 3: If the matter is as described, there is no blame on your sister for limiting herself to reciting al-Fatihah in prayer and leaving out the rest of the words of the prayer; because she has done what she is able to do, and there is no blame on her for what she left out, nor is she required to do what she cannot do or memorize; because she is excused in this due to her condition as mentioned. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:286] , and He the Exalted said: [At-Taghabun 64:16] , and you must strive to teach her the first and second tashahhud and what is said in ruku' and sujud according to her capacity. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q 3: My sister is 27 years old, and she has a partial mental deficiency. This is what the doctor told us, and her behavior indicates that she is affected by jinn, and Allah knows best; because she laughs without reason, and her way of eating is repulsive. However, she still distinguishes between good and evil, so she persists in performing the five daily prayers, but she does not recite anything other than al-Fatihah. When we try to teach her, we find it difficult for her to pronounce it, and she forgets a lot. Does she have a sin in performing her prayer this way, without the tashahhud or even a Qur'anic verse
other than al-Fatihah?
A 3: If the matter is as described, there is no blame on your sister for limiting herself to reciting al-Fatihah in prayer and leaving out the rest of the words of the prayer; because she has done what she is able to do, and there is no blame on her for what she left out, nor is she required to do what she cannot do or memorize; because she is excused in this due to her condition as mentioned. Allah the Exalted said:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلا وُسْعَهَاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.