The Manner of Prayer and Purification for the Sick Person

A message was received by the program from the Iraqi Republic, sent by a listener from there. He says, your brother in Allah (F. A. R.), our brother’s message is lengthy, complaining about a condition he is in. He was involved in a car accident that left him unable to control himself as a result of his being struck by hemiplegia.
The Shaykh: Repeat, repeat.
The presenter: Our brother’s message is indeed lengthy. It describes his condition as having been struck by a car accident, and that accident left him unable to control himself because he was struck by hemiplegia. In this condition, he asks Your Eminence about the ablution, about the prayer, and about reciting the Qur’an: what is his situation? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: He acts according to the saying of His Lord, the Exalted: [al-Taghābun: 16], and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . So if he is struck by paralysis and it prevents him from standing, he prays according to his condition. He prays sitting, and he bows and prostrates if he is able to do so while sitting, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to ‘Imran ibn Husayn: , which al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in al-Sahih, and al-Nasa’i narrated it with the addition: . This is the obligatory. [al-Taghābun: 16]. And if he is unable to use water, he rubs himself with dust for dry ablution. If he has an illness that water would harm him, he rubs himself with dust. They bring him dust, and he strikes the dust with his hands, and wipes his face and his palms with it when needed. And he may combine prayers if it is difficult for him to pray every prayer in its time. He may combine the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, like other sick people.
As for what concerns the back and the front, it is sufficient for him to wipe them with tissues and the like, and there is no need for water. If he uses water and is able to use water, there is nothing wrong with it. Water is more complete and better. If that is not facilitated for him, he uses istijmar, with tissues, with stones, with pebbles. Tissues are gentler for him. He uses rough, pure tissues to wipe the back and the front from urine and from excrement three times. If that is not sufficient, he adds a fourth and a fifth, and so on. And it is better that he stop on an odd number. If he adds a fourth and it is sufficient, it is recommended for him to add a fifth so that his istijmar is on an odd number. And if the fifth is not sufficient, he adds a sixth, and if the sixth is sufficient, it is recommended that he add a seventh so that he stops on an odd number. The important thing is that he uses tissues and the like that remove the impurity, on the condition that it be three or more, not less than three; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “forbade istijmar with less than three.” If three are sufficient to remove the impurity from the back and the front, praise be to Allah. If they are not sufficient, he adds until the impurity is removed. And it is better that he stop on an odd number, five or seven, and so on. And there is no need for water, even if he is able to use water; istijmar is sufficient. But water is better. If he combines them, meaning: he is able to combine them, and he removes the impurity with a tissue or a stone, then he performs istinja’ with water, that is better than better, and this is more complete and better. But each one is sufficient. Water alone ... is sufficient, and istijmar alone is sufficient, even for the healthy person. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. And that he is unable to maintain his ablution, perhaps not even for the sufficient time to perform the prayer, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz?
The Shaykh: He fears Allah as much as he is able. He performs ablution for every prayer. If he has incontinence, or meaning, when he was struck by the paralysis, the back or the front ... became incontinent, so he is unable to control it, he prays according to his condition. But he performs ablution for the time of every prayer. When the time for the midday prayer enters, he performs istinja’ and performs the ablution for prayer, or performs dry ablution according to his capacity, then he combines the two prayers. And so for the sunset and night prayers.
The presenter: He combines the two prayers.
The Shaykh: If it is difficult for him.
The presenter: If it is difficult for him.
The Shaykh: Because of the illness. And if it is not difficult for him, he prays every prayer in its time.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: And the woman with irregular bleeding is like the woman with irregular bleeding, and the one with incontinence who is unable to attend the congregation is like her. He prays combined if it is difficult for him to pray every prayer in its time, and that is gentler for him. And if he prays every prayer in its time, there is nothing wrong with it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: As for the man, no. He prays with the congregation if he is able.
The presenter: If he is able.
The Shaykh: He prays with the congregation and performs ablution for the time of every prayer.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. Regarding the recitation of the Qur’an.
The Shaykh: He recites the Qur’an. If he performs ablution, he recites the Qur’an from the mushaf.
The presenter: And if his ablution is broken?
The Shaykh: Until the other time. Between the two times, he recites the Qur’an, even if his ablution is broken.
The presenter: And if his ablution is broken.
The Shaykh: If he is one with continuous incontinence ......
The presenter: Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: If he performs ablution for the midday prayer, he recites until the afternoon prayer. And if he performs ablution for the sunset prayer, he recites until the night prayer, just as he prays.
The presenter: Just as he prays.
The Shaykh: If he prays voluntarily between the midday and afternoon, or voluntarily between the sunset and night, even if urine comes out with him because he is unable to control it, he is like the woman with irregular bleeding, exactly the same. He prays and recites between the two times. Yes.
The presenter: In reality, this is a facilitation that many people may overlook.
The Shaykh: This is from the facilitation of Allah. This is from the facilitation of Allah, and praise be to Allah.
The presenter: It would be desirable if you would please give a word about the ease of Islam in such rulings, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz?
The Shaykh: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says in His great Book: [al-Baqarah: 185], and He says, Mighty and Majestic: [al-Hajj: 78]. So from the mercy of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is that the one with incontinence, which is continuous urine or continuous wind, and so the woman with irregular bleeding who has continuous blood, other than the blood of menstruation ... continuous blood called istihadah. These and those like them may combine the two prayers, and it is sufficient for them to perform ablution for the time of every prayer. This is from the facilitation of Allah. When the time for the midday prayer enters, he performs ablution for the time of the midday prayer and prays ... the afternoon prayer, and performs ablution for the time of the afternoon prayer. And so for the sunset and night prayers. Meaning, for every prayer he performs ablution for its time, because his state of impurity is continuous, incontinence or wind or irregular bleeding and the like. And between the two times, he prays whatever he wishes, and recites the Qur’an, and performs tawaf ... in Makkah, and there is no blame in that; because he is excused, so he is in the ruling of the pure men and pure women between the two times; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the woman with irregular bleeding to do so in the story of Himmah and others. And so what concerns fasting: the sick person breaks his fast and makes it up afterwards if he is unable to fast and the illness is difficult for him. And this is from the ease of the Shari’ah. And so the traveler breaks his fast in travel and makes it up afterwards. All of this is from the kindness of Allah. And so the nursing woman, if fasting is difficult for her, and the pregnant woman, if fasting is difficult for her, they break their fasts and make them up afterwards. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and benefit us with your knowledge.