does its obligation ever lapse, just as the obligation of faith does not lapse. Rather, he must pray as long as his reason remains intact and he can perform some of its actions. If he is incapable of performing any of its actions and cannot utter its words, should he pray by moving his eyes and mentally recalling its actions? Scholars hold two views on this, though the stronger view is that this is not prescribed.

Thus, it becomes clear that someone who has lost his reason has been deprived of the obligatory and voluntary acts through which he might draw near to Allah. “Friendship with Allah” consists of faith and piety, which entail drawing near to Him through obligatory and voluntary acts. He has therefore been deprived of the means by which Allah’s friends draw near to Him. Nevertheless, while insane, he is exempt from accountability and is not punished, just as children and animals are not punished, since they bear no religious responsibility in this condition.

If, before the onset of insanity, he was a believer who performed righteous deeds and drew near to Allah through obligatory and voluntary acts, he retains the reward for that previous faith and righteous conduct. His share of friendship with Allah Most High remains commensurate with the faith and piety he possessed, just as this is not lost through death. This differs from apostasy from Islam, for apostasy nullifies deeds. No sin other than apostasy nullifies righteous deeds, just as no good deed other than repentance wipes out all sins.

During his insanity, however, he is not credited with the equivalent of the deeds he used to perform when lucid, just as no equivalent of his previous misdeeds is recorded against him when his reason is absent through intoxicating practices or sleep. This is because, in this condition, he has no sound intention. However, in the hadith