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The Manner of Purification and Prayer for the Sick
By : Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaimeen (May Allah Have Mercy Upon Him).
Professor at the College of Sharee'ah and Usool ad-Deen in Islamic University of al-Imaam Muhammad Ibn Sa'ood, Qaseem - Saudi Arabia .
Rendered into english by: Abu Muhammad Abdur-Ra'uf Shakir.
Publishing house:Dar-Alwatan, P.O.Box 3310 Riyadh , Tel:(+966-1)4644659.
Publishing date:1414AH Second Edition.
Distributed via:Corporative office for Call & Guidance in ASHAFA, P.O.Box 31717 Riyadh 11418 , TeL:(+966-1)4200620, Fax:(+966-1)4221906.

Preface

All praise belongs to Allah; we praise Him,seek His assistance and forgiveness, turn to Him in repentance, and seek refugein Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allahguides, no one can lead him astray. And whoever Allah leads astray, no one canguide him. I bear witness that there is nothing which deserves to be worshippedexcept Allah, Alone, and He has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad isHis Servant and Messenger - Peace and Blessings be upon him and his family, hiscompanions and those who follow them in goodness.

This is abrief treatise about that which is compulsory in the purification (tahaarah) andthe prayer (salah) of the sick people. Verily, there are rules (ahkaam)particularly for the sick in these things (prayer and purification) which theIslamic Law requires to be given consideration due to the condition of the sickperson. Indeed, Allah, the Most High, has sent His Prophet with the true andtolerant religion (al-Hanafiyyah as-Samhah) which is built upon yusra : theprinciple of ease, facility and non-complication.

Allah hassaid in the Qur'an: “ And He has not laid upon you in the religion anyhardship… ”[Qur'an: 22:78]. He also said: “ Allah intends for youease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you…”[Qur'an21:185]. He also said: “ So, keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as muchas you can; Hear and Obey…”[Qur'an 64:16].

TheProphet said: “ Verily, the religion is ease”[al-Bukhaaree, Muslim].He also said: “ What I have ordered you (to do), do as much of it as youcan…”[Al-Bukhaaree].

Based on this fundamentalprinciple, Allah has reduced the [amount of] religious duties (worship) forAhlu-l-A'dhaar(people who have reason to be excused). This isalso the case if someone is not able to perform Wudoo (ablution) for himself. Inthat case, someone else may help him to do so - each one according to hiscondition, in order to enable him to worship Allah, the Most High, withoutinconvenience or hardship. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

The Purification (Tahaarah) of the Sick Person

  • It is mandatory for the sick person to purify himself withwater. Therefore, he must performWudoo(ablution)from the minor impurities [urine, feces, etc.) and he must performGhusl(complete bath or shower) from the major impurities [menses,sexual intercourse, etc]. This is based upon the saying of Allah, the MostHigh: “ O you who believe! When you prepare for prayer, wash your faces andyour hands (including the arms) up to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water),and wash your feet up to [and including] the ankles…”[Qur'an 5:6].
  • If he is unable to purify himself with water because of inability(to move) or fear of worsening his condition or delaying his recovery - in thatcase he may maketayammum(purification with clean sand or thesurface soil of the earth). This is based upon the saying of Allah, the MostHigh: “ But if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes fromanswering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women, and you donot find any water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rubtherewith your faces and hands (palms, up to the wrists only)…”[Qur'an5:6].
  • At-Tayammum (purification using clean sand orsurface soil) is performed by striking the pure earth or clean surface soil withboth hands one time, wiping over the whole face, then wiping the palms ofthe hands, each of them wiping the other.
  • If he is unable to clean himself, then someone may help him toperformtayammum. The helping person would strike the clean sandor soil himself with his own hands, then wipe over the face and hands of thesick person.
  • If there was awoundin any part of the body thathas to be cleaned, then he should wash it with water. But, if the washing withwater would affect it, then he can dip his hands in the water and just pass hishand over the wound. And even if just wiping over it would affect it(adversely), then he may maketayammum.
  • If there was abroken limbthat was wrapped tightly with abandage or caste (that has to be washed) then he should wipe over the bandage orcaste with water rather than washing it. He does not have to maketayammumin this case because the wiping is done in place of washing.
  • It is permissible to maketayammumon the wall oranything clean that hasdustcovering it. If the wall was coveredwith something other than surface or sand - for example: if it was painted -then he should not make tayammum on it unless there is dust covering it.
  • If he wasunableto maketayammumon the ground orwall or something that has dust covering it, then there is no harm if he putssome soil or sand in a container or handkerchief and performtayammumfrom that.
  • If he makestayammumfor prayer and he retains his stateof purification until the time of the next prayer, then he may perform thatprayer with the firsttayammumand he does not have to repeat thetayammumfor the next prayer. This is so because he remained in his stateof purification and there was nothing which invalidated his state ofpurification.
  • It is mandatory for the sick person toclean his bodyfromall impurities. But, if he is unable then he may pray in this condition and theprayer is correct and he does not have to repeat it. This is based upon thestatement of the Prophet: “ What I have forbidden to you, avoid it(completely); and what I have ordered you (to do), do as much of it as youcan…”[al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
  • It is also mandatory for the sick person to perform prayer inclean clothingand if his clothing became defiled by impurities then itis obligatory to wash them, or change them for clean clothing. But, if he isunableto do so, then he may pray in this condition and his prayer iscorrect, and hedoes nothave to repeat it. This is based upon the sayingof Allah, the Most High: “ So, keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as muchas you can; listen and obey…”[Qur'an 64:16].
  • It is mandatory for the sick person topray on somethingclean, and if his place became unclean, he must wash it or change it forsomething clean or lay over it something clean. But, if he isunabletodo that, then he may pray in that condition and his prayer is correct and hedoes not have to repeat it. The proof for this is the previously mentioned verse[64:16].
  • It is not permissiblefor the sick person todelay hisprayer until after its proper timebecause of inability to performTahaarah(purification). But, he should purify himself to the extent thathe is able, so that he may perform hisprayer on timeeven if there wereimpurities on hisbodyor hisclothingor hisplace ofprayerwhich he is not able to remove. This is due to the saying of Allah,the Most High: “ …Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixedhours”[Qur'an 4:103].

The Prayer (Salah) of the Sick Person

  • It is mandatory for the sick person to pray the obligatoryprayersstandingeven if he can't stand up straight or even if he leanson a wall or a stick that he needs to hold him up.
  • If he isunable to stand, then he may praysitting,and it is better if he sits with his legs closed (crossed-legged) in the placeofQiyaam(standing) andRukoo'(bowing). This based upon the sayingof the Prophet: “ Pray standing; but if you are unable (to do so), thenpray sitting; and if you are unable (to pray sitting), then pray lying on yourside”[al-Bukhaaree]. An-Nasaa'ee reported the additional words: “And if you are unable, then lying on your back. Allah does not burden anyoneexcept according to his ability”.
  • If he isunableto perform the prayersitting, thenhe may praylying on his sidefacing theQiblah(direction ofMakkah), preferably lying on the right side. If he isunableto face theQiblah, then he may pray in whatever direction he is facing and theprayer is correct and he does not have to repeat it.
  • If he isunableto perform the prayer onhis side,then he prayslying flatwith his feet towards theQiblah, and itis preferable that he raise his head a little to direct it toward theQiblah. If he isunableto point his feet toward theQiblah, then he may pray however he is and he does not have to repeat theprayer.
  • It is mandatory for the sick person to makeRukoo'(bowing)andSajdah(prostration) in his prayer. If he isunable, then heshould make agesturefor both of them bynoddinghisheadlower forSajdahthen he does forRukoo'. If he is abletoperformRukoo'but notSajdah, then he should makeRukoo'when it is time forRukoo'and make a gesture forSajdah. And ifhe is ableto makeSajdahand notRukoo', then he shouldperformSajdahwhen it is time forSajdahand make a gesture forRukoo'. This is based upon the saying of Allah, the Most High: “ So,keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen andobey…”[Qur'an 64:16].
  • If he isunableto make a gesture bynodding his headfor Rukoo' and Sajdah, then he would make a signal byclosing hiseyesa little forRukoo'and closing them more forSajdah. Asforpointing with the finger - as some of the sick people do - it is notcorrectand I don't know if this has any basis in the Qur'an and Sunnah orin the sayings of Ahlu-l-Ilm (Muslim Scholars).
  • If he isunableto gesture with the head nor signal by theeyes, then he should pray with hisheartby makingTakbeer(sayingAllahu Akbar) and reading of the Qur'an and makingintentionforRukoo'(bowing),Sajdah(prostration),Qiyaam(standing) andQu'ood(sitting) by hisheart, knowing that every person will have[his reward according to] what he intends.

    This is based upon the sayingof the Prophet - which makes us to know that the reward of the sick will notbe lessthan the reward of the healthy person if he prays according to hiscondition: “ If someone becomes sick or travels, Allah records for him thereward equal to what he received when he was healthy and resident”[Ahmadand al-Bukhaaree].

    Also, the saying of the Prophet: “ Actions arejudged by intentions, and every person shall have that which heintended…”[al-Bukhaaree].
  • It is mandatory for the sick person to perform each prayer in itsproper time, and to do everything that he is able to do of that which isobligatory in the prayer. If it became difficult for him to perform each prayerin its proper time, then he maycombine (al-Jam')Zuhr and Asrprayers and he may combineMaghrib and Ishaa'either combining them intheearlier time- whereas he would advanceAsrto the time ofZuhrandIshaa'in the time ofMaghrib, or combine them inthelater time- delayingZuhruntil the time ofAsr, anddelayingMaghribuntil the time ofIshaa'- according to whichevermay be easier for him (i.e. if it is easier to advance the prayer or to delayit). As forFajr, it is not combined with the prayer before it nor theprayer after it.

If a sick person is travelling, seeking treatment in anothercountry, then he canshorten (al-Qasr)the fourrak'ahprayers sothat he will prayZuhr,AsrandIshaa'as tworak'aheach, until he returns to his country. And it is the same [equally applicable]whether his journey is for a long period or short period. This is based upon thesaying of Allah: “ And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is nosin for you if you shorten your prayer…”[Qur'an 4:101].


Allahis the One who imparts Success!
Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaimeen
14thday, 1stmonth, 1400AH.
Translatedby: Abu Muhammad Abdur-Ra'uf Shakir Al-Madeenah an-Nabaweeyah.
1413AH