his sanity. Whoever was born insane and remained so can have neither valid faith nor valid disbelief. An insane person is subject to the same ruling as a child: if both his parents are Muslims, he is considered a Muslim by virtue of his parents, by agreement of the Muslims. The same applies if his mother is Muslim, according to the majority of scholars, including Abū Hanīfah, al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad. Likewise, those who become insane after embracing Islam retain Muslim status by virtue of their fathers. An insane person born among Muslims is also outwardly considered a Muslim by virtue of his parents or the inhabitants of the land, just as children are—not because of any faith within him. The children and the insane among Muslims will follow their fathers on the Day of Resurrection. This Muslim status neither gives such a person any distinction over others nor makes him one of Allah’s pious friends who draw near to Him through obligatory and voluntary acts of worship.

Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of major ritual impurity—except when passing through—until you have washed yourselves.”

Allah, Almighty and Majestic, thus forbade them to approach prayer while intoxicated until they knew what they were saying. By agreement of the scholars, this verse was revealed before wine was prohibited by the verse Allah revealed in Surah al-Mā’idah.

It has been reported that the occasion of its revelation was that one of the Companions led his companions in prayer after drinking wine, before it was prohibited, and became confused in his recitation. Allah then revealed this verse. Thus, if Allah forbade prayer while intoxicated, even when the drinking itself had not been prohibited, until people knew what they were saying, it follows that prayer must not be performed