Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

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“Commands and prohibitions,” which some scholars call “obligation under the Sharia,” are conditional upon the capacity to know and to act. Thus, the obligations of the Sharia do not apply to those incapable of understanding, such as the insane and young children. Nor do particular obligations apply to those incapable of fulfilling them, as with the blind, the lame, and the sick in the case of jihad. Likewise, purification with water, praying while standing, fasting, and other such duties are not obligatory for those unable to perform them.

This holds whether imposing obligations beyond a person’s capacity is considered permissible or not, for there is no disagreement that imposing an obligation upon someone who has absolutely no capacity to perform the act does not occur in