Salah by a person who lost reason


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Q 1: My father died nine months ago after suffering from a malicious disease. Four months before his death, he did not offer Salah (Prayer) due to symptoms of hallucination and forgetfulness caused by the illness and medication. When he woke up in slightly good health, we told him to offer Salah, but he would say that he could not. If he prayed, he might sleep during the Salah or even forget which Salah he was offering and its time. Even if we told him about the Salah he was about to offer, he would soon forget and fold the Prayer mat claiming that he finished the Salah.Is there anything this man or his sons are required to do, because until this moment they did not pay anything in charity in return for his missed Salahs, especially in the last two months preceding his death? At that time, his health critically deteriorated and he completely missed Salahs while his sons did not pay attention to that matter. (Part No. 5; Page No. 12) It should be noted that this man had enough money and wealth to pay in charity what compensates for the missed Salahs or Sawm (Fasting) for the last two months of Ramadan due to medication. How can charity be paid to make up for the missed Salahs during four months and Sawm during the last two months of Ramadan?


A: If your father lost his mind as a result of his disease, then Salah and Sawm would be waived for him, and he will not be accountable for his deeds when in this state, because accountability for such acts of worship are associated with the faculty of reason which he no longer had. Accordingly, you and he are not to be blamed and you do not have to offer Kaffarah (expiation) for that.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.




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