The Obligation of Prayer for the Mute Person and How They Pray

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. She says to me that her aunt does not pray, but she does fast. She does not know how to pronounce words correctly, and she is not mute, but if I tell her to say "Alhamdulillah," she does not know how to pronounce it. I have tried many times to teach her, but she does not know. She is of sound mind. I heard from you on the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb* that if a person is unable to understand, they praise Allah and seek His forgiveness to the extent of the prayer, but for her, that seeking of forgiveness and that remembrance is difficult. So how should you guide us? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It is obligatory for her to pray according to her condition. If she is able to recite Surat al-Fatihah, it is obligatory for her to do so. If she does not know it, she must learn it. It is obligatory for you to teach her Surat al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for her to recite from the Qur'an. If she is unable to take in any part of the Qur'an, neither al-Fatihah nor anything else, then she should praise Allah and say the tahlil. If she is unable to do even that, neither the Qur'an nor the remembrance through tasbih, tahlil, and takbir, then she prays according to her condition, even if she does not speak any part of the Qur'an or any remembrance. She prays according to her condition, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Fear Allah as much as you are able." It is not permissible for her to abandon prayer while she is able to perform it according to her capacity. It is not permissible for you to leave her alone; rather, it is obligatory for you to teach her and to inform her that prayer is obligatory upon her according to her ability, even without recitation, and even without remembrance if she is unable to do that. Yes.