A man who cannot pray standing in the mosque out of fear of people, and the letters of the Qur'an turn black so he cannot read, unlike at home where he prays normally
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
May the peace of Allah, His mercy, and His blessings be upon you, esteemed Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : There is a sick man who, when he goes to the mosque, cannot pray standing. The illness comes upon him, and so on. He cannot pray standing; that is, if it were not for his fear of people, he would sit. And when he reads the Qur'an, the letters turn black, and he cannot read them. But when he goes out and returns home, he prays in a normal manner and reads the Qur'an in a normal manner. Is he permitted to pray at home?
The Shaykh : I mean, when he reads the Qur'an?
The questioner : He is sick.
The Shaykh : I understood, I understood. You said that when he is in the mosque and reads the Qur'an, the letters are black.
The questioner : Yes, he cannot read them.
The Shaykh : I mean, is he reading from the mushaf?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : And is he praying?
The questioner : No, inside the mosque before the prayer.
The Shaykh : Before the prayer.
The questioner : He reads before the prayer, but he cannot.
The Shaykh : The issue of reading before the prayer is a recommended practice (sunnah). If it is facilitated, do it; otherwise, remember Allah with your heart and tongue, or read what you have memorized from the Qur'an without a mushaf. This is not of that importance. But if a man is able to pray the obligatory prayer standing at home, and when he goes to the mosque he cannot stand, whether due to fatigue from walking, or fear of people, or for any other reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on this issue. Some say: He should pray at home standing, and it is not permissible for him to go to the mosque and pray sitting. They reasoned this by saying that standing is a pillar without which the prayer is not valid, and congregational prayer is obligatory, but the prayer is valid without it.
And some scholars say: Rather, he must go to the mosque because he was called to prayer, and congregational prayer is obligatory upon him. So let him go to the prayer. Then, if he is able to pray standing, he does so; and if he is not able, he prays sitting. This is the more correct opinion, due to the saying of the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16]. This man was called to prayer and heard the call. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man: Sunan Abi Dawud 552Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) So let him respond. Then, when he arrives at the mosque, if he is able to stand, he stands; otherwise, he prays sitting. This is the correct opinion, and standing is not a pillar in his case now because he is not able to do it.
The questioner : He is mentally different during the prayer.
The Shaykh : If he is mentally different to the extent that he does not know what he is saying, then this is an excuse. It is an excuse for leaving the congregation. So let him pray at home. Yes.
May the peace of Allah, His mercy, and His blessings be upon you, esteemed Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : There is a sick man who, when he goes to the mosque, cannot pray standing. The illness comes upon him, and so on. He cannot pray standing; that is, if it were not for his fear of people, he would sit. And when he reads the Qur'an, the letters turn black, and he cannot read them. But when he goes out and returns home, he prays in a normal manner and reads the Qur'an in a normal manner. Is he permitted to pray at home?
The Shaykh : I mean, when he reads the Qur'an?
The questioner : He is sick.
The Shaykh : I understood, I understood. You said that when he is in the mosque and reads the Qur'an, the letters are black.
The questioner : Yes, he cannot read them.
The Shaykh : I mean, is he reading from the mushaf?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : And is he praying?
The questioner : No, inside the mosque before the prayer.
The Shaykh : Before the prayer.
The questioner : He reads before the prayer, but he cannot.
The Shaykh : The issue of reading before the prayer is a recommended practice (sunnah). If it is facilitated, do it; otherwise, remember Allah with your heart and tongue, or read what you have memorized from the Qur'an without a mushaf. This is not of that importance. But if a man is able to pray the obligatory prayer standing at home, and when he goes to the mosque he cannot stand, whether due to fatigue from walking, or fear of people, or for any other reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on this issue. Some say: He should pray at home standing, and it is not permissible for him to go to the mosque and pray sitting. They reasoned this by saying that standing is a pillar without which the prayer is not valid, and congregational prayer is obligatory, but the prayer is valid without it.
And some scholars say: Rather, he must go to the mosque because he was called to prayer, and congregational prayer is obligatory upon him. So let him go to the prayer. Then, if he is able to pray standing, he does so; and if he is not able, he prays sitting. This is the more correct opinion, due to the saying of the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْHe asked: Do you hear summons (adhan)? He said: Yes.
أتسمع النداء؟ قال: نعم، قال: أجبThe questioner : He is mentally different during the prayer.
The Shaykh : If he is mentally different to the extent that he does not know what he is saying, then this is an excuse. It is an excuse for leaving the congregation. So let him pray at home. Yes.