Explaining what is required of a patient who has left off prayer for a long period
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Q343: The questioner says: What is the ruling on one who stopped performing the prayer and fasting for two and a half years due to the hemiplegia that struck him, and it continued with him during this period, and after that he was able to sit and move slightly, so he returned to prayer and fasting according to his ability, but he is distressed regarding the past two years because of his leaving off prayer and fasting during them, and he is unable to make them up, so what is obligatory upon him?
A343: The patient prays according to his condition, either standing, if he is able, or sitting and indicating the bowing and prostration, or on his side and indicating the bowing and prostration likewise. So your leaving off prayer during the period of illness is an error on your part, if your mind is sound and your thinking is present, for you pray according to your condition. Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. You pray according to your capacity, even if on your side, indicating with your head in the bowing and prostration, and you are facing the qiblah, or lying down with your feet toward the qiblah, and you are facing the qiblah with your head, indicating the bowing and prostration. The result is: the patient does not leave off prayer as long as his mind is present and his thinking is sound, for he prays according to
his condition. So your leaving off prayer while you are able to pray it, even in the manner we mentioned, is an error, and it is obligatory upon you to make it up. You make it up according to your ability; if you are able to make it up all together consecutively, then that is obligatory. Otherwise, you make it up according to what you can, and distribute it, for example, over the days, so you perform it until you have made it all up, even if in periods where you make up in each period what you can, then that is obligatory upon you. As for fasting, it is a dispensation for the patient to break his fast if fasting is difficult for him, or if it increases his illness, then he breaks his fast, but it is obligatory upon him to make it up. So it is also obligatory upon you to make up the fasting you left off during the period of illness, and the making up is according to your ability. If you are able to make it up consecutively, you make it up, and it is permissible for you to make it up separately according to your ability. And as long as you are now praying in its proper time and fasting in its proper time, you are able to make up the prayer that you owe and the fasting that you owe, and that is according to your ability, in a manner that does not burden you in the future. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
A343: The patient prays according to his condition, either standing, if he is able, or sitting and indicating the bowing and prostration, or on his side and indicating the bowing and prostration likewise. So your leaving off prayer during the period of illness is an error on your part, if your mind is sound and your thinking is present, for you pray according to your condition. Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. You pray according to your capacity, even if on your side, indicating with your head in the bowing and prostration, and you are facing the qiblah, or lying down with your feet toward the qiblah, and you are facing the qiblah with your head, indicating the bowing and prostration. The result is: the patient does not leave off prayer as long as his mind is present and his thinking is sound, for he prays according to
his condition. So your leaving off prayer while you are able to pray it, even in the manner we mentioned, is an error, and it is obligatory upon you to make it up. You make it up according to your ability; if you are able to make it up all together consecutively, then that is obligatory. Otherwise, you make it up according to what you can, and distribute it, for example, over the days, so you perform it until you have made it all up, even if in periods where you make up in each period what you can, then that is obligatory upon you. As for fasting, it is a dispensation for the patient to break his fast if fasting is difficult for him, or if it increases his illness, then he breaks his fast, but it is obligatory upon him to make it up. So it is also obligatory upon you to make up the fasting you left off during the period of illness, and the making up is according to your ability. If you are able to make it up consecutively, you make it up, and it is permissible for you to make it up separately according to your ability. And as long as you are now praying in its proper time and fasting in its proper time, you are able to make up the prayer that you owe and the fasting that you owe, and that is according to your ability, in a manner that does not burden you in the future. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.