Abandoning Prayer in the Hospital

Question:
The questioner says: I am a resident of Riyadh, and I was admitted to the hospital for three days for a surgical operation. I did not pray these obligatory prayers until after I left the hospital, due to my clothes and their lack of purity. What is the ruling in this matter?

Answer:
This is a mistake that is repeated by many ignorant people in the hospital. They abandon prayer for days, and the days may be long, and they do not pray on the pretext that they are unable to purify their clothes, or unable to perform wudu, or something similar, or unable to remove impurity. This is a great error. It is obligatory for them to pray according to their condition. If they are able to wash away impurity or to wear pure clothes, it is obligatory for them to do so. If they are not able, they pray in their clothes, even if there is impurity in them.
Allah the Exalted said: And they do not abandon prayer, or a number of prayers as the questioner mentioned. Likewise, if he is able to perform wudu, he purifies himself with water, and it is obligatory for him to do so. If he is not able, he performs tayammum with earth, wiping his face and his hands, and he prays, and he does not abandon prayer in any circumstance. Even if the time for prayer comes upon him and he fears the time will pass, and he has no means to use water, and he has no earth, he prays even if he has not performed wudu and even if he has not performed tayammum. Allah the Exalted said: So he does not abandon prayer. This is due to the negligence of the sick and their failure to ask the people of knowledge. This is also due to the negligence of the Ministry of Health, where they have not appointed guides to move among the patients in their rooms, answering their questions and difficulties. The matter is very serious. It is obligatory for the Ministry, may Allah guide those in charge of it, to pay attention to this matter, and for there to be guides from the people of jurisprudence who move among the rooms. Even if there is no possibility, if a microphone were distributed to the rooms and one of the shaykhs delivered guidance and advice to the patients, which they would hear while in their rooms, this would be beneficial and useful. Yes. As for the patients abandoning their independent reasoning and their ignorance, this is a great error, and it is the responsibility of everyone. Yes.