Rulings on the Prayer of the Sick Person in the Hospital

Question:
This brother, a Sudanese resident in Jeddah, asks: What are the most prominent rulings regarding the prayer of the sick person? My brother was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgery, and he did not pray any prayer until he left the hospital.

Answer:
This is a great error. It is not permissible for him to abandon the prayer; rather, he must pray it according to his ability. The sick person prays standing, as in the hadith: And in another narration, if he cannot do so, meaning if he cannot stand, he prays on his side, lying on his back with his feet facing the qiblah. Likewise, if he is able to use water, he uses it. If he is unable to use water, he performs tayammum with dust and prays, and he does not abandon the prayer. If he needs to combine the two prayers of Dhuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha, he combines them, either by advancing or delaying, whichever is more convenient for him. As for abandoning the prayer entirely until he leaves the hospital, this is a great error. The cause of this is ignorance of this matter, and the cause is the negligence of the callers, guides, and counselors in this regard. The Minister of Health is the primary person responsible for this, because it is obligatory for her to establish a body of guides and callers to Allah in the hospitals, just as the other ministries have, and praise be to Allah, they have guidance bodies that fulfill their duty. The Ministry of Health is in greater need of this than any other. We ask Allah to grant them success in rectifying this matter and to take it seriously, for the patients are under their responsibility. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, Honorable Shaykh,