Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/332)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

The first view: If he is unable to gesture with his head, he gestures with his eyes.

The second view: The physical acts are waived, but not the verbal utterances.

The third view: Both the verbal utterances and the physical acts are waived; that is, the prayer is not obligatory upon him at all. This was the view preferred by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him.

The strongest of these three views is that only the physical acts are waived, because these are what he is unable to perform. As for the verbal utterances, they are not waived, since he is able to make them. Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able.” [al-Taghabun 64:16]

Thus we say: Pronounce the opening takbir, recite, and intend bowing; then say the takbir and recite the glorification for bowing. Next, intend standing and say, “Allah hears whoever praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise,” and so on. Then intend prostration, say the takbir, and recite the glorification for prostration. This is required by the legal principles: “So fear Allah as much as you are able.” [al-Taghabun 64:16]

But if he is unable to speak or perform physical acts—for example, if the man is paralysed and unable to speak—what should he do?

The answer is: The verbal utterances and physical acts are waived, while intention remains. Thus, he intends that he is praying; he intends the recitation, bowing, prostration, standing, and sitting. This is the stronger view, because prayer consists of verbal utterances and physical acts accompanied by intention. When its verbal utterances and physical acts are waived due to inability, the intention remains. Moreover, telling this sick person, “There is no prayer required of you,” may cause him to forget Allah, for if a day and a night pass without his praying, he may perhaps forget Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Therefore, making him aware that prayer remains obligatory upon him and that he must perform it, even if only through intention, is better than saying that no prayer is required of him. The established school of law in this matter is sounder than

القول الأول: إذا عَجَزَ عن الإِيماءِ بالرَّأسِ يومئُ بعينِه. القول الثاني: تسقطُ عنه الأفعالُ، من دونِ الأقوالِ. القول الثالث: تسقط عنه الأقوالُ والأفعالُ، يعني: لا تجبُ عليه الصَّلاةُ أصلاً، وهذا القولُ اختيارُ شيخ الإِسلام ابن تيمية ﵀. والرَّاجحُ مِن هذه الأقوال الثلاثة: أنه تسقطُ عنه الأفعالُ فقط؛ لأنها هي التي كان عاجزاً عنها، وأما الأقوالُ فإنَّها لا تسقطُ عنه، لأنه قادرٌ عليها، وقد قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ﴾ [التغابن: ١٦] فنقول: كَبِّرْ، واقرأْ، وانْوِ الرُّكوعَ، فكبِّرْ وسبِّحْ تسبيحَ الرُّكوعِ، ثم انْوِ القيامَ وقُلْ: «سَمِعَ الله لمن حمِدَه، ربَّنا ولك الحمدُ» إلى آخرِه، ثم انْوِ السُّجودَ فكبِّرْ وسبِّحْ تسبيحَ السُّجودِ؛ لأن هذا مقتضى القواعد الشرعيَّةِ ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ﴾ [التغابن: ١٦] فإن عَجَزَ عن القولِ والفعلِ بحيث يكون الرَّجُلُ مشلولاً ولا يتكلَّم، فماذا يصنع؟ الجواب: تسقط عنه الأقوالُ والأفعالُ، وتبقى النِّيةُ، فينوي أنَّه في صلاةٍ، وينوي القراءةَ، وينوي الركوعَ والسجودَ والقيامَ والقعودَ. هذا هو الرَّاجحُ؛ لأن الصَّلاةَ أقوالٌ وأفعالٌ بنيَّةٍ، فإذا سقطت أقوالُها وأفعالُها بالعجزِ عنها بقيت النِّيةُ، ولأن قولنا لهذا المريض: لا صلاةَ عليك قد يكون سبباً لنسيانه الله، لأنه إذا مرَّ عليه يومٌ وليلةٌ وهو لم يُصلِّ فربَّما ينسى اللهَ ﷿، فكوننا نشعرُه بأن عليه صلاةً لا بُدَّ أن يقومَ بها ولو بنيَّةٍ خيرٌ مِن أن نقول: إنَّه لا صلاةَ عليه. والمذهب في هذه المسألة أصحُّ مِن