A sick man in a hospital bed who cannot pray, perform wudu, or face the qiblah: how should he act, and is it permissible for him to combine the two prayers?
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The questioner : The questioner says: Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. After that: Your Eminence, a man is in the hospital, and his bed is facing away from the qiblah. He is unable to remain in a state of ritual purity at all times. Does he pray in this condition? And does he combine the prayers?
The Shaykh : Yes, a sick man is in his bed in the hospital, unable to perform wudu or face the qiblah. Does he delay the prayer until he recovers from his illness, or does he pray with tayammum even if his face is turned away from the qiblah?
The answer to this is that we say: Allah said in His Book:[Al-Baqarah 2:286], and He said in His Book: [At-Taghabun 64:16], and He said in His Book: [Al-Baqarah 2:185], and He said in His Book: [Al-Hajj 22:78], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 7288.
We ask about this man: is he able to perform wudu with water himself, or by hiring someone to perform wudu for him? If he says no, we say: perform tayammum. If he says: I am also unable to perform tayammum, because I have nothing with which to perform it, we say: pray without tayammum. Based on what? Based on these verses and the hadithSunan Abi Dawud 4643Sahih in chain (Al-Albani).
What remains for us is facing the qiblah. Facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer, due to the saying of the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:150]. Facing the qiblah is not dropped except in specific places, which we will now enumerate:
First: the inability to face the qiblah, such as a patient who is facing away from the qiblah and is unable to turn toward the qiblah, neither by himself nor by another. In this case, he faces wherever he is.
Second: fear. If a person is afraid of an enemy who has caught up with him while he is fleeing from it, and his direction is away from the qiblah, and if he turned toward the qiblah the enemy would confront him, then in this situation he prays away from the qiblah.
Third: voluntary prayer while traveling. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray voluntary prayers on his mount, facing whatever direction it took him.
These are three places where facing the qiblah is dropped.
As for one who is unaware of the qiblah, such as if he is in the desert and the sky is cloudy and he does not know where the direction of the qiblah is, and he prays according to his best effort, then his prayer is valid even if he misses the qiblah, because he feared Allah as much as he was able.
In summary, the answer regarding this sick man is that we tell him: pray with water. If you are unable, then with earth. If you are unable, then nothing is required of you. Pray wherever you are. Face what? Face the qiblah. If you are unable to do that, pray wherever you wish, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. This is the rule.
But what remains for us regarding the sick man is how he bows and prostrates? We say: he prays standing and bows and prostrates. If he is unable, he prays sitting and indicates bowing, and prostrates on the ground if he is able. If he is unable, he indicates. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Imran ibn Husayn:Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani).
Here I point out an issue in which many sick people err. The sick person’s clothes and body are contaminated with ritual impurity. He is unable to pray, so he delays the prayer until he recovers. We say: this is forbidden. Pray wherever you are and in whatever condition you are, in the manner that you are able. As for delaying the prayer, that is not permissible. A person may delay the prayer thinking he will recover, but then he dies. Yes.
The questioner : And the obligatory prayer is also performed while traveling away from the qiblah... in the airplane, in the bus?
The Shaykh : No, no, it is performed facing the qiblah, and that is necessary.
The Shaykh : Yes, a sick man is in his bed in the hospital, unable to perform wudu or face the qiblah. Does he delay the prayer until he recovers from his illness, or does he pray with tayammum even if his face is turned away from the qiblah?
The answer to this is that we say: Allah said in His Book:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعهاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فاتقوا الله ما استطعتمAllah intends for you ease
يريد الله بكم اليسرand has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty
وما جعل عليكم في الدين من حرجAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فاتوا منه ما استطعتمWe ask about this man: is he able to perform wudu with water himself, or by hiring someone to perform wudu for him? If he says no, we say: perform tayammum. If he says: I am also unable to perform tayammum, because I have nothing with which to perform it, we say: pray without tayammum. Based on what? Based on these verses and the hadith
Fear Allah as much as possible
اتقوا الله ما استطعتمWhat remains for us is facing the qiblah. Facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer, due to the saying of the Exalted:
And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it
ومن حيث خرجت فول وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيث ما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطرهFirst: the inability to face the qiblah, such as a patient who is facing away from the qiblah and is unable to turn toward the qiblah, neither by himself nor by another. In this case, he faces wherever he is.
Second: fear. If a person is afraid of an enemy who has caught up with him while he is fleeing from it, and his direction is away from the qiblah, and if he turned toward the qiblah the enemy would confront him, then in this situation he prays away from the qiblah.
Third: voluntary prayer while traveling. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray voluntary prayers on his mount, facing whatever direction it took him.
These are three places where facing the qiblah is dropped.
As for one who is unaware of the qiblah, such as if he is in the desert and the sky is cloudy and he does not know where the direction of the qiblah is, and he prays according to his best effort, then his prayer is valid even if he misses the qiblah, because he feared Allah as much as he was able.
In summary, the answer regarding this sick man is that we tell him: pray with water. If you are unable, then with earth. If you are unable, then nothing is required of you. Pray wherever you are. Face what? Face the qiblah. If you are unable to do that, pray wherever you wish, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. This is the rule.
But what remains for us regarding the sick man is how he bows and prostrates? We say: he prays standing and bows and prostrates. If he is unable, he prays sitting and indicates bowing, and prostrates on the ground if he is able. If he is unable, he indicates. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Imran ibn Husayn:
offer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائما، فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا، فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبHere I point out an issue in which many sick people err. The sick person’s clothes and body are contaminated with ritual impurity. He is unable to pray, so he delays the prayer until he recovers. We say: this is forbidden. Pray wherever you are and in whatever condition you are, in the manner that you are able. As for delaying the prayer, that is not permissible. A person may delay the prayer thinking he will recover, but then he dies. Yes.
The questioner : And the obligatory prayer is also performed while traveling away from the qiblah... in the airplane, in the bus?
The Shaykh : No, no, it is performed facing the qiblah, and that is necessary.