What is the ruling on a person who has been prescribed by a doctor narcotic pills with a sedative ratio for the nerves for a psychological condition, but which cause him to miss some of the times of prayer?

The questioner : If you please, what is the ruling on one who takes pills like narcotics with a sedative ratio for the nerves, and he has, I mean, a psychological condition, and the doctor prescribed him narcotic pills, I mean, and they cause him to miss some of the times of prayer?

The Shaykh : Yes, these pills are permissible for him to take if he treats himself with Prophetic medicine. Prophetic medicine is that this patient should be concerned with knowing the invocations that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established for the Ummah. If he uses them and then does not escape from this illness that you are mentioning, and he must escape if he is sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in following the Sunnah of His Prophet, then after that it can be said that it is permissible for him to take those sedatives. Perhaps you understood me?

The questioner : Yes ... more clarification.

The Shaykh : To some extent, this is like one who wants to commit masturbation. Do you know what masturbation is?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Is masturbation permissible? Masturbation is forbidden, it is not permissible. But we are giving an example. When is it permissible? If he is treating himself with Prophetic medicine, which is that he fasts, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . If this person fasts, and the best and most excellent fasting is the fast of Dawud (peace be upon him), so if he fasts one day and breaks the fast the next day, and then despite that he finds himself, due to the great lust in his soul, in need of using the secret habit, otherwise he might rush into the sin, then in this case only, the secret habit is permissible for him. And I do not think a Muslim who believes in this Prophetic treatment would need the secret habit. Did you understand this? That is like this: the man who takes the invocations and dhikr on every occasion, such as when sleeping, when waking from sleep, when entering the house, and when leaving the house, and so on, will not need sedatives, because the Prophetic spiritual sedatives are more effective in the soul of the believer than the material sedatives, which have their effect on the souls of disbelievers. Perhaps you understand me now?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.