My elderly mother does not pray because she does not know how. Is it permissible for her to pray while sitting, and how should she do so?
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. I have an elderly mother who cannot read or write, but she can recite Surat al-Fatihah and some of the short surahs, and she remembers Allah. However, she does not pray because she does not know how, and she is unable to stand or bow, as that is difficult for her. I want to teach her the prayer. My question is, Honorable Shaykh: Is it permissible for her to pray while sitting? And how should she do so? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
As long as her mind is present and her thinking is intact, the prayer is obligatory upon her, and she prays according to her condition: standing, sitting, or lying on her side, according to her ability. It is obligatory for you to teach her the prayer; you must teach her the prayer, its pillars, its conditions, and its method. It is obligatory for you to do so, and it is obligatory for her to pray according to her ability. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. I have an elderly mother who cannot read or write, but she can recite Surat al-Fatihah and some of the short surahs, and she remembers Allah. However, she does not pray because she does not know how, and she is unable to stand or bow, as that is difficult for her. I want to teach her the prayer. My question is, Honorable Shaykh: Is it permissible for her to pray while sitting? And how should she do so? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
As long as her mind is present and her thinking is intact, the prayer is obligatory upon her, and she prays according to her condition: standing, sitting, or lying on her side, according to her ability. It is obligatory for you to teach her the prayer; you must teach her the prayer, its pillars, its conditions, and its method. It is obligatory for you to do so, and it is obligatory for her to pray according to her ability. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، لدي أم كبيرة لا تصلي، لأنها لا تعرف كيف، هل يجوز لها أن تصلي وهي جالسة، وكيف يكون ذلك؟ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.