By Asma bint Shameem
Prayer is obligatory under all circumstances even if we’re sick or injured.
Imraan ibn Husayn radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“I had haemorrhoids, so I asked the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and he said:
“Pray standing, and if you cannot, then (pray) sitting, and if you cannot then (pray) on your side.”
(al-Bukhaari 1066)
So prayer is obligatory no matter what.
Making Wudhu
If someone is sick or injured and it’s difficult for them to make wudhu by themselves, they can make wudhu with the help of someone who can either take them to the sink or they can bring water in a pot for them to make wudhu, and that would be best.
That’s because the default rule is that wudhu must be made with water if that’s possible.
But if water is harmful for them or it’s too difficult for them to make wudhu with water, they can perform tayammum.
But that’s ONLY if water is harmful for them or they cannot make wudhu.
And if they’re too sick to perform tayammum themselves, someone can help them do that.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
“ If it is too difficult for the sick person to do wudhu' or tayammum himself, someone else should do wudoo' or tayammum for him, and that is acceptable.”
Another thing to ease the situation of the sick is that they can put on SOCKS after making wudhu and them just wipe over them for the next 24 hours.
That will make it more convenient for them and would ease their situation.
Wiping over the socks is confirmed and proven from the action of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and the Sahaabah.
For example:
When al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah radhi Allaahu anhu wanted to take off the Prophet’s khuffayn in order to wash his feet, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said to him: “Leave them, for I put them on pure,” so *he wiped over them*.”
(al-Bukhaari, 206; Muslim, 274)
And Ali ibn Abi Taalib radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam stated one day and one night for the one who is not traveling, and three days and three nights for the one who is traveling, i.e., for wiping over the khufoof.”
(Saheeh Muslim)
Keep in mind that the socks don’t have to be of leather only.
Rather, they can be of any material as long as they are thick and cover the entire foot up to the ankles.
Ibn Hazm said:
“Wiping over anything that is worn on the feet – of things that are permitted to be worn and which come up above the ankles – is Sunnah, whether they are slippers (khuffayn) made of leather or felt or wood, or socks made of linen, wool, cotton, camel hair or goat hair, whether leather is worn over them or not, or whether they are overshoes or slippers worn over slippers or socks worn over socks.” (Al-Muhalla, 1/321)
If they have a splint, cast or bandage of some sort on their limbs or any of the body parts that need to be washed during wudhu, the correct way to make wudhu is to wash the REST of the parts like you would do for wudhu, and WIPE over the part that’s in a cast/splint’ or covered with a bandage.
Al-Bayhaqi said:
“Ibn ‘Umar radhi Allaahu anhu did wudhu when his hand was bandaged, and he wiped over it and over the dressing, and he washed everything else.”
(Al-Majmoo’, 2/368)
Someone asked Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen about how to do wudhu with a bandage (plaster/cast) on his hand.
He said:
“When you do wudhu, wash the part of the hand where there is no bandage, and for the part where the bandage is, it will be sufficient for you to wipe over the outside of it by wetting your hand with water and moving it over the outside of the bandage.
This will suffice for you instead of washing what is beneath it for as long as it needs to stay, even if that is for many prayer times or for several days.”
And if the plaster or bandage is over the arm or leg but the fingers or toes are uncovered, then you must WASH the fingers/toes.
Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
“Sometimes the cast covers the palm and the fingers are not covered.
In that case, it is obligatory to wash the fingers and the cast may be wiped over. Similarly, in the case of [a cast on] the leg, the toes may be not covered, so they must be washed and the cast must be wiped over.”
[al-Liqaa’ ash-Shahri (61/27)]
Offering Prayers
1. If someone who’s sick can stand and offer their prayers, that would be best.
But if they can’t do that, then they should pray sitting.
And if they can’t do that, then they should pray lying down.
And if they can’t even do that, then they should pray “however” it is easy for them.
Proof:
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam told a sahaabi who couldn’t pray standing:
“Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot then lying on your side.” (al-Bukhaari)
How to pray sitting?
If a person cannot perform rukoo and sujood the normal way and has to offer the prayer sitting, they can sit on the floor and offer the prayers.
And if they can’t sit on the floor, they can sit on a chair.
They should just bend themselves forward a little bit for the rukoo and a bend a little deeper for sujood.
There’s NO need to put a table in front to put the head on it.
Nor is there a need to put the arms forward in midair to make sujood in between the hands.
Just put your hands on your knees and lean forward for the rukoo and lean some more for the sujood.
Proof:
Once the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam visited a sick person and saw him praying (leaning) on a pillow, so he took it and cast it aside.
So the man took a stick to pray (leaning) on it, but he took it and cast it aside and said:
“Pray on the ground if you can, but otherwise make movements with your head, making your sujood lower than your rukoo.”
(at-Tabaraanee, Bazzaar, and others. Saheeh by shaikh al-Albaani In Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth.)
Facing the qiblah
It’s best if the person can face the qiblah when offering salaah.
However if that’s not possible then even pointing his feet towards the qiblah is enough.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
“If a sick person cannot stand or sit, he should pray lying on his side with his face towards the qiblah, and if he cannot then *he should pray on his back with his feet towards the qiblah.*”
(Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/976)
Combining the prayers
-Such people can also COMBINE their prayers at the times that it’s allowed to in the Sharee’ah, “IF” it’s too difficult for them to pray each prayer on time.
But they should do that WITHOUT shortening the prayers.
So they can combine Dhuhr with Asr either at the time of Dhuhr or later at the time of Asr.
And they could also combine Maghrib with Ishaa, either at the time of Maghrib or later at the time of Ishaa.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said;
“If it is too hard for the sick person to offer every prayer on time, then he may join Dhuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’, at the time of the earlier or later prayer, according to what is easy for him.
If he wishes he may join ‘Asr with Dhuhr at the time of Dhuhr, or if he wishes he may delay Dhuhr and join it with ‘Asr;
if he wishes he may join ‘Isha’ with Maghrib at the time of Maghrib, or he may delay Maghrib and join it with ‘Ishaa’.
As for Fajr, it cannot be joined with the prayer before it or after it, because its time is separate from the times of the prayers that come before and after it.”
[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah 24/405]
And Allaah knows best
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