❖ Who Is Obligated to Perform Obligatory Prayers and Who Is Exempt ❖
✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
All rulings of Sharī‘ah apply only to those who are legally accountable (mukallaf). As narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Three individuals are not held accountable for sin..."
“عن النائم حتى يستيقظ وعن الصبي حتى يحتلم وعن المجنون حتى يعقل”
"... the sleeping person until he awakens, the child until he reaches puberty, and the insane until he regains sanity."
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3698–3699
Musnad Aḥmad: 6/100
Al-Nasā’ī: 3432
Ibn Mājah: 2041
Al-Dārimī: 2/171
If a person misses a prayer due to sleep or forgetfulness, it becomes obligatory to make it up as soon as they remember:
"من نام عن صلاة أو نسيها فليصلها إذا ذكرها"
“Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it, let him offer it when he remembers.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 597
Abū Dāwūd: 435
The command to make children pray is not due to obligation upon the children but upon the parents for training purposes:
"مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع سنين واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر سنين"
“Command your children to pray at age seven, and discipline them at ten if they neglect it.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 466
Al-Ḥākim: 1/197
One who is unable to perform prayer even through gestures, or who becomes unconscious such that the entire prayer time lapses, is exempt from the obligation.
➊ "فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ"
“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”
Al-Taghābun: 16
➋ "لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا"
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Al-Baqarah: 286
➌ "رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا"
“Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear.”
Al-Baqarah: 286
➍ Prophetic Guidance:
"إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتم"
“When I command you to do something, do of it as much as you are able.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1337
Al-Nasā’ī: 5/110–111
➎ Established Legal Maxim:
“لا يجوز التكليف بالمستحيل”
“It is not permissible to obligate what is impossible to perform.”
Irshād al-Fuḥūl: 1/30
Al-Iḥkām by al-Āmidī: 1/187
A person under such circumstances is not legally accountable (mukallaf), as accountability is based on sound understanding and cognition. As seen earlier:
"رفع القلم عن المجنون حتى يعقل"
“The pen is lifted from the insane until they become sane.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3698
Additionally, in Uṣūl al-Fiqh:
“فهم (understanding) is a condition for legal accountability (taklīf).”
Al-Iḥkām: 1/138
Irshād al-Fuḥūl: 1/35
A person who is unconscious cannot comprehend, and thus, is not legally obligated.
If a person is ill, they should pray:
➊ Standing — if capable
➋ Sitting — if unable to stand
➌ On their side — if unable to sit
Narration from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه:
“Pray standing. If you cannot, then sitting. If you cannot, then on your side.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1117
Abū Dāwūd: 952
Al-Tirmidhī: 372
Ibn Mājah: 1223
From ʿAlī رضي الله عنه:
“If one cannot lie on their right side, then lie on their back with feet facing the Qiblah.”
Weak: Al-Dāraqutnī: 2/42
If the patient cannot perform any of the above, then they should perform prayer in whatever manner possible, as obligation is based on capacity.
✔ Preferred View: The view of the Jumhūr (majority) is stronger.
Nayl al-Awṭār: 2/468
✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
✦ Legal Responsibility (Taklīf) in Sharī‘ah
All rulings of Sharī‘ah apply only to those who are legally accountable (mukallaf). As narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Three individuals are not held accountable for sin..."
“عن النائم حتى يستيقظ وعن الصبي حتى يحتلم وعن المجنون حتى يعقل”
"... the sleeping person until he awakens, the child until he reaches puberty, and the insane until he regains sanity."
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3698–3699 Musnad Aḥmad: 6/100 Al-Nasā’ī: 3432 Ibn Mājah: 2041 Al-Dārimī: 2/171✦ Obligation After Forgetfulness or Sleep
If a person misses a prayer due to sleep or forgetfulness, it becomes obligatory to make it up as soon as they remember:
"من نام عن صلاة أو نسيها فليصلها إذا ذكرها"
“Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it, let him offer it when he remembers.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 597 Abū Dāwūd: 435✦ Children and Prayer Obligation
The command to make children pray is not due to obligation upon the children but upon the parents for training purposes:
"مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع سنين واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر سنين"
“Command your children to pray at age seven, and discipline them at ten if they neglect it.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 466 Al-Ḥākim: 1/197❖ Exemption from Obligatory Prayer
✿ Those Who Cannot Pray Even by Gestures
One who is unable to perform prayer even through gestures, or who becomes unconscious such that the entire prayer time lapses, is exempt from the obligation.
✿ Supporting Evidences:
➊ "فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ"
“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”
Al-Taghābun: 16➋ "لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا"
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Al-Baqarah: 286➌ "رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا"
“Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear.”
Al-Baqarah: 286➍ Prophetic Guidance:
"إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتم"
“When I command you to do something, do of it as much as you are able.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1337 Al-Nasā’ī: 5/110–111➎ Established Legal Maxim:
“لا يجوز التكليف بالمستحيل”
“It is not permissible to obligate what is impossible to perform.”
Irshād al-Fuḥūl: 1/30 Al-Iḥkām by al-Āmidī: 1/187✿ Understanding from Legal Theory
A person under such circumstances is not legally accountable (mukallaf), as accountability is based on sound understanding and cognition. As seen earlier:
"رفع القلم عن المجنون حتى يعقل"
“The pen is lifted from the insane until they become sane.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3698Additionally, in Uṣūl al-Fiqh:
“فهم (understanding) is a condition for legal accountability (taklīf).”
Al-Iḥkām: 1/138 Irshād al-Fuḥūl: 1/35A person who is unconscious cannot comprehend, and thus, is not legally obligated.
❖ Ruling on the Sick Person in Prayer
If a person is ill, they should pray:
➊ Standing — if capable
➋ Sitting — if unable to stand
➌ On their side — if unable to sit
Narration from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه:“Pray standing. If you cannot, then sitting. If you cannot, then on your side.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1117 Abū Dāwūd: 952 Al-Tirmidhī: 372 Ibn Mājah: 1223✿ Lying on the Back if Even Side is Impossible
From ʿAlī رضي الله عنه:
“If one cannot lie on their right side, then lie on their back with feet facing the Qiblah.”
Weak: Al-Dāraqutnī: 2/42- The chain includes Ḥasan ibn Ḥusayn al-ʿUrnī, who is declared abandoned by Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar.
Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr: 1/410
Imām Nawawī also deemed it weak.
Nayl al-Awṭār: 2/467
If the patient cannot perform any of the above, then they should perform prayer in whatever manner possible, as obligation is based on capacity.
✿ Scholarly Opinions on Lying Position
- Jumhūr (Majority): Right side lying
- Abū Ḥanīfah رحمه الله: On the back with feet toward the Qiblah
Al-Majmūʿ: 4/206
Ḥilyat al-ʿUlamā’: 2/221
Radd al-Muḥtār: 2/569
Al-Mabsūṭ: 1/213
✔ Preferred View: The view of the Jumhūr (majority) is stronger.
Nayl al-Awṭār: 2/468
