26.0 CHAPTER PRAYER OF THOSE WITH EXCUSES
A sick person is obliged to pray standing up. If he is unable to do so, he may sit down and pray. If he is unable to even do that, he may pray on his side. If he lies down, then his feet should face the qiblah.
“Chapter: Prayer of those with excuses”: Prayer is the second commandment of Islam. It is the foundation of Islam and the first thing to be questioned about on the Day of Judgement. So long as a Muslim is sane, then it is obligatory upon him or her to perform the obligatory prayers. It is not excused for any reason whatsoever. A person should pray according to his ability. Allah says: {So fear Allah as much as you are able.} (Al-Taghabun: 16) Those who have a valid excuse, should pray to the best of their ability.
There are three types of people with valid excuses: The sick, the traveler and those who are afraid.
First: The sick and it is said above, “A sick person is obliged to pray standing up.” This is if he is able to stand. The evidence for this is the ayah: {Stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.} (Al-Baqarah: 238)
Standing whilst praying the obligatory prayers is a pillar (rukn). The prayer is invalid if one does not do so while having the capacity to stand.
“If he is unable to do so, he may sit down and pray”: He may sit down to pray only because he is incapable of standing.
“If he is unable to even do that, he may pray on his side”: Preferably on the right side while facing the qiblah. He gestures with his head to indicate bowing and prostration, and the prostration is distinguished by bending the head lower when compared to the bowing.
“If he lies down, then his feet should face the qiblah”: This is based on another version of the hadith that states, “A sick person is obliged to pray standing up. If he is unable to do so, he may sit down and pray. If he is unable to even that, he may pray on his side,” (Reported by al-Bukhari (2/60) from the narration of ‘Imran ibn Hussain.) where the following was added, “If he lies down, then his feet should point to the qiblah.”(Reported by al-Daraqutni in al-Sunan (2/42-43) and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/307-308) from the narration of ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib.)
He gestures to indicate bowing and prostration where he bends his head lower to indicate prostration. If he is unable to gesture, then he blinks his eye to indicate both movements. If he gains or loses the ability to gesture in either way while praying, he adopts the method appropriate for his current condition.
“He gestures to indicate bowing and prostration where he bends his head lower to indicate prostration”: He bends his head to indicate bowing and says, “Subhana rabbi al-azim” (glory be to my Lord, the Most Exalted). He then bends his head to indicate prostration and says, “Subhana rabial-a’la (glory be to my Lord, the Most High). He bends his head lower for prostration than for bowing. Allah says: {So fear Allah as much as you are able.} (Al-Taghabun: 16)
“If he is unable to gesture, then he blinks his eye”: If he is unable to gesture with his head, then he should gesture with the eyes. However, the correct view is that he should not gesture with the eyes. (This is the madhab of Imam Abu Hanifah and a narration is attributed to Imam Ahmad. Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah preferred this view. See al-lkhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyyah (p. 72).) There is no evidence for this action. The hadith includes the words, “And he gestures with his head to indicate ruku and sujud.”(This is part of the hadith narrated by Ali which was mentioned earlier)
“If he gains or loses the ability to gesture in either way while praying, he adopts the method appropriate for his current condition”: Similarly, if he commences his prayer while standing up then he becomes unable to stand, he may sit down to complete the prayer. The same is the case for the opposite, if he commences the prayer sitting down due to an illness and subsequently gains the strength to stand and pray, then he is obliged to stand up to complete the prayer.
If he is able to stand and sit but cannot make sujud and ruku’, he can gesture the ruku’ whilst standing and the sujud whilst sitting. The sick person can pray lying down though he is able to stand so as to receive treatment as advised by a Muslim doctor.
“If he is able to stand and sit but cannot make sujud and ruku, he can gesture the ruku whilst standing and the sujud whilst sitting”: If he is able to stand but cannot make ruku, he can do so standing up by tilting his head down. Since he is able to stand, he must do so in prayer. As for ruku, gesturing with the head shall suffice. If he is unable to make sujud, he may sit and gesture his head towards the ground to indicate sujud.
“The sick person can pray lying down though he is able to stand so as to receive treatment as advised by a Muslim doctor”: If the sick person is able to stand but a Muslim doctor order that he lie down to receive treatment, then he should follow the doctor’s orders. It becomes permissible for him to pray in a supine position. He may gesture with his head to indicate ruku and sujud.
The condition that the doctor be a Muslim is due to the fact that prayer is an act of worship in Islam of which disbelievers will not place emphasis upon.
His prayer on board a ship is prayed in a sitting position while he has the capability to stand becomes invalid. Obligatory prayers prayed on board a vehicle is valid if one fears getting mud-stained but not due to illness.
“His prayer on board a ship is prayed in a sitting position while he has the capability to stand becomes invalid”: This is because a ship is exactly like a room. Praying a complete prayer normally can be achieved on board it.
“Obligatory prayers prayed on board a vehicle are valid if one fears getting mud-stained but not due to illness”: Obligatory prayers in general are not allowed to be prayed on vehicles unless there is a valid excuse. An example of an excuse would be that the ground is flooded after a heavy downpour and if one prayed on the ground he would be soaked by the water. In this scenario, he may pray on the vehicle.
In a hadith narrated by Ya’la ibn Murrah, the Prophet(pbuh) was with his Companions on a journey. It rained and the ground was wet. So, he(pbuh) ordered that the adhan be called and the iqamah was pronounced. The Prophet led the prayer while seated atop his camel and the rest of the Companions followed him in prayer. (Reported by Ahmad (4/173) and al-Tirmidhi (411).) This was done only because of a dire need and a predicament they faced.
“But not due to illness”: It is not permissible to pray on a vehicle due to an illness unless he would be unable to climb back onto the vehicle if he were to climb down to perform his prayer. In this situation, it is permissible for him to pray while atop his vehicle.
By Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
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