My mother passed away after being afflicted with a disease in her joints, so she did not pray during the period of illness.
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Question: My mother passed away after being afflicted with a disease in her joints, so she did not pray during the period of illness. Likewise, she fasted for some days of Ramadan for several years due to a valid legal excuse, but she did not make up the fasts out of ignorance of the ruling that making up the fast is obligatory. As for the prayer, we, her children, prayed on her behalf for five years until we learned that this does not benefit her, and that prayer is not made up on behalf of anyone. So we stopped doing that and turned to reciting the Qur'an and dedicating its reward to her, and to giving charity on her behalf. But as for the fasting, is it permissible for us to fast on her behalf, or should we pay expiation? Or what should we do?
Answer: As for leaving off the prayer for the sick person, this is a matter that is not permissible for the sick person to leave off the prayer, no matter how severe the illness becomes, as long as his mind is sound. Rather, he prays according to his condition and according to what he is able to do;As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7288 ؛And by His saying, Exalted is He: [Al-Taghabun: 16] ;And by His saying, Exalted is He: [Al-Baqarah: 286] .
So the sick person prays according to his condition, standing or sitting, or on his side, and he indicates with his head for the bowing and prostration, and he performs the ablution if he is able to perform the ablution, or he performs dry ablution if he is unable to perform the ablution. As for leaving off the prayer on the pretext of illness, this is a matter
that is serious, and it is not permissible to leave off the prayer in any case. So your mother erred in leaving off the prayer, but perhaps she is excused due to ignorance, even though it is obligatory that she ask the people of knowledge, or that her guardian, or those around her, ask the people of knowledge. As for being lenient in the matter and a person resorting to acting on his own opinion and the sayings of the ignorant, this is a very serious matter.
And as you mentioned, prayer is not made up; because it is a physical act in which representation does not enter, and your mother's matter is left to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
As for the fasting, he feeds one poor person for every day. This is specific; feeding is specific. He feeds one poor person for every day, for each poor person half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the food customary in the country.
And if you make up the fasts on her behalf along with the feeding, there is nothing wrong with that, and we hope that it will benefit her, if Allah wills.
Question: What is the amount of the sa' in kilograms, if we estimate it approximately?
Answer: Approximately, the sa' is three kilograms, meaning each poor person is given one and a half kilograms, meaning approximately, of the middle food of the country.
Answer: As for leaving off the prayer for the sick person, this is a matter that is not permissible for the sick person to leave off the prayer, no matter how severe the illness becomes, as long as his mind is sound. Rather, he prays according to his condition and according to what he is able to do;As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه استطعتمSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاSo the sick person prays according to his condition, standing or sitting, or on his side, and he indicates with his head for the bowing and prostration, and he performs the ablution if he is able to perform the ablution, or he performs dry ablution if he is unable to perform the ablution. As for leaving off the prayer on the pretext of illness, this is a matter
that is serious, and it is not permissible to leave off the prayer in any case. So your mother erred in leaving off the prayer, but perhaps she is excused due to ignorance, even though it is obligatory that she ask the people of knowledge, or that her guardian, or those around her, ask the people of knowledge. As for being lenient in the matter and a person resorting to acting on his own opinion and the sayings of the ignorant, this is a very serious matter.
And as you mentioned, prayer is not made up; because it is a physical act in which representation does not enter, and your mother's matter is left to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
As for the fasting, he feeds one poor person for every day. This is specific; feeding is specific. He feeds one poor person for every day, for each poor person half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the food customary in the country.
And if you make up the fasts on her behalf along with the feeding, there is nothing wrong with that, and we hope that it will benefit her, if Allah wills.
Question: What is the amount of the sa' in kilograms, if we estimate it approximately?
Answer: Approximately, the sa' is three kilograms, meaning each poor person is given one and a half kilograms, meaning approximately, of the middle food of the country.