The ruling on one who left prayer due to old age
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Question:
The listener Ahmad Sa'id al-Harbi from Ta'if sent a message saying: My grandmother was in her final days of life, and she was an elderly woman of advanced age. She loved prayer intensely, as well as fasting and drawing near to Allah. However, in the last months of her life, she was unable to perform the prayer due to her lack of ritual purity and her inability to recite or perform any of the actions of prayer, despite having her full mental faculties. Is she sinful for that? When we told her to try to perform the prayer, she would say that she felt a complete conviction regarding the prayer, and she would pant heavily with any movement she made, as if her soul were about to leave her body. Please guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for her to pray according to her condition as long as her mind is present. It is obligatory for her to pray, whether standing, sitting, on her side, or lying down, using water or dry ablution. This is what is obligatory for her, and it is not permissible for her to leave the prayer; because Allah the Exalted says: [al-Taghābun: 16]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Imran when he was ill: Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani).
The believing man and the believing woman perform the obligatory duties according to their capacity. It is not permissible to leave the prayer because of weakness or old age. The sick person and the elderly person must pray according to their condition, even if on their side, or even lying down if they are unable to be on their side. They recite and say Allahu Akbar intending the prayer, then recite al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for them with it, then say Allahu Akbar intending the bowing and say: Subhan Rabbi al-'Azeem. Then they say: Sami' Allahu li man hamidah intending the rising and say: Rabbana wa laka al-hamd, and so on. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the prostration and say: Subhan Rabbi al-A'la, Subhan Rabbi al-A'la. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the sitting between the two prostrations and say: Rabbighfir li, Rabbighfir li. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the second prostration, and so on with the words if they are unable to perform the actions.
As for this woman who delayed the prayer while she was of sound mind, she has committed a sin, and she is in great danger. It is feared that she may be a disbeliever because of that; because she left the prayer while having the ability and the mind.
The conclusion is: that this action is a bad and reprehensible act, and it is obligatory for her to pray according to her condition: [al-Taghābun: 16] if her mind is present. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. He asks at the end of the message: What must we do?
The Shaykh : As long as she has passed away, you owe nothing. Her matter is with Allah. The apparent state of her condition is disbelief. We ask Allah for safety; because she neglected the prayers due to her ignorance. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) takes charge of her matter, the Exalted. As long as she left the prayer while she was of sound mind, do not supplicate for her, and do not give charity on her behalf; because she left the prayer while she was of sound mind, as you mentioned. And leaving the prayer with sound mind and legal responsibility is major shirk according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) We ask Allah for safety. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
The listener Ahmad Sa'id al-Harbi from Ta'if sent a message saying: My grandmother was in her final days of life, and she was an elderly woman of advanced age. She loved prayer intensely, as well as fasting and drawing near to Allah. However, in the last months of her life, she was unable to perform the prayer due to her lack of ritual purity and her inability to recite or perform any of the actions of prayer, despite having her full mental faculties. Is she sinful for that? When we told her to try to perform the prayer, she would say that she felt a complete conviction regarding the prayer, and she would pant heavily with any movement she made, as if her soul were about to leave her body. Please guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for her to pray according to her condition as long as her mind is present. It is obligatory for her to pray, whether standing, sitting, on her side, or lying down, using water or dry ablution. This is what is obligatory for her, and it is not permissible for her to leave the prayer; because Allah the Exalted says:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائمًا، فإن لم تستطع؛ فقاعدًا، فإن لم تستطع؛ فعلى جنب، فإن لم تستطع؛ فمستلقيًاThe believing man and the believing woman perform the obligatory duties according to their capacity. It is not permissible to leave the prayer because of weakness or old age. The sick person and the elderly person must pray according to their condition, even if on their side, or even lying down if they are unable to be on their side. They recite and say Allahu Akbar intending the prayer, then recite al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for them with it, then say Allahu Akbar intending the bowing and say: Subhan Rabbi al-'Azeem. Then they say: Sami' Allahu li man hamidah intending the rising and say: Rabbana wa laka al-hamd, and so on. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the prostration and say: Subhan Rabbi al-A'la, Subhan Rabbi al-A'la. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the sitting between the two prostrations and say: Rabbighfir li, Rabbighfir li. Then they say Allahu Akbar intending the second prostration, and so on with the words if they are unable to perform the actions.
As for this woman who delayed the prayer while she was of sound mind, she has committed a sin, and she is in great danger. It is feared that she may be a disbeliever because of that; because she left the prayer while having the ability and the mind.
The conclusion is: that this action is a bad and reprehensible act, and it is obligatory for her to pray according to her condition:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْThe presenter : May Allah reward you with good. He asks at the end of the message: What must we do?
The Shaykh : As long as she has passed away, you owe nothing. Her matter is with Allah. The apparent state of her condition is disbelief. We ask Allah for safety; because she neglected the prayers due to her ignorance. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) takes charge of her matter, the Exalted. As long as she left the prayer while she was of sound mind, do not supplicate for her, and do not give charity on her behalf; because she left the prayer while she was of sound mind, as you mentioned. And leaving the prayer with sound mind and legal responsibility is major shirk according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل، وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة، فمن تركها؛ فقد كفرThe presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.