Acts of worship a person is unable to perform: is it permissible for him to turn away from them to other acts of worship he is able to perform?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Sometimes, Honorable Shaykh, there are feelings stirred up for certain acts of worship that a person is unable to perform. Is it possible for him to direct that feeling toward other acts of worship he is able to perform, instead of lamenting what he missed?
The Shaykh:
Yes. Allah the Exalted said:[At-Taghabun 64:16] So the person turns away from what he is unable to do to what he is able to do of the acts of worship.
The questioner:
My intention is that that feeling, meaning the desire for worship, not be wasted.
The Shaykh:
He is rewarded for his desire, and he is rewarded for his intention, because if not for the impediment, he would have performed this act of worship. So he is rewarded for his intention, like the sick person who is written the reward of one who stands in night prayer, and the reward of one who strives in the path of Allah, if an excuse prevents him from going out to strive in the path of Allah, he is written the reward of those who strive. He is with those who strive by his intention, his resolve, and his purpose. And if it is his habit to stand in night prayer, but illness keeps him from it, he is written the reward of one who stands in night prayer by his intention. Praise be to Allah.
Sometimes, Honorable Shaykh, there are feelings stirred up for certain acts of worship that a person is unable to perform. Is it possible for him to direct that feeling toward other acts of worship he is able to perform, instead of lamenting what he missed?
The Shaykh:
Yes. Allah the Exalted said:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْThe questioner:
My intention is that that feeling, meaning the desire for worship, not be wasted.
The Shaykh:
He is rewarded for his desire, and he is rewarded for his intention, because if not for the impediment, he would have performed this act of worship. So he is rewarded for his intention, like the sick person who is written the reward of one who stands in night prayer, and the reward of one who strives in the path of Allah, if an excuse prevents him from going out to strive in the path of Allah, he is written the reward of those who strive. He is with those who strive by his intention, his resolve, and his purpose. And if it is his habit to stand in night prayer, but illness keeps him from it, he is written the reward of one who stands in night prayer by his intention. Praise be to Allah.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، عبادات لا يقدر عليها المرء، فهل يجوز أن ينصرف عنها إلى عبادات أخرى يقدر عليها ؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.