What is required regarding one who neglects prayer due to old age?
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Question:
The questioner, Umm Abd al-Rahman, says: My grandmother, O Shaykh, is suffering from hemiplegia, and sometimes it is difficult for us to direct her toward the qiblah. We order her to point with her hands toward the qiblah, and while in prayer she talks and forgets that she is praying. We see that she does not perform the prayer in the best manner. What should we do with her?
Answer:
As long as her mind has changed and she does not retain the prayer, there is no obligation upon her; because the condition for the obligation of prayer is sanity. If her mind has changed due to old age or an illness that afflicted her, she owes nothing. However, if she has sanity but forgets, she must be taught and directed toward the qiblah. She is taught that if she forgets, she must act according to the certainty upon which she builds. If she forgets whether she prayed two or three rak'ahs, she makes it two. If she forgets and prayed three or four in the Zuhr, 'Asr, or 'Isha' prayer, she makes it three. If she forgets whether she recited al-Fatihah or not, she recites al-Fatihah. She is taught the matters of the Shari'ah. This is if she has sanity. But if her mind has changed and she does not grasp anything, there is no obligation upon her. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence.
The questioner, Umm Abd al-Rahman, says: My grandmother, O Shaykh, is suffering from hemiplegia, and sometimes it is difficult for us to direct her toward the qiblah. We order her to point with her hands toward the qiblah, and while in prayer she talks and forgets that she is praying. We see that she does not perform the prayer in the best manner. What should we do with her?
Answer:
As long as her mind has changed and she does not retain the prayer, there is no obligation upon her; because the condition for the obligation of prayer is sanity. If her mind has changed due to old age or an illness that afflicted her, she owes nothing. However, if she has sanity but forgets, she must be taught and directed toward the qiblah. She is taught that if she forgets, she must act according to the certainty upon which she builds. If she forgets whether she prayed two or three rak'ahs, she makes it two. If she forgets and prayed three or four in the Zuhr, 'Asr, or 'Isha' prayer, she makes it three. If she forgets whether she recited al-Fatihah or not, she recites al-Fatihah. She is taught the matters of the Shari'ah. This is if she has sanity. But if her mind has changed and she does not grasp anything, there is no obligation upon her. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.