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Prayer of the Sick, the Unconscious, the Weak and the Infirm, the Elderly and Others
وَ كَتَبَ أَيُّوبُ بْنُ نُوحٍ إِلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ اَلثَّالِثِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ اَلْمُغْمَى عَلَيْهِ يَوْماً أَوْ أَكْثَرَ هَلْ يَقْضِي مَا فَاتَهُ مِنَ اَلصَّلَوَاتِ أَمْ لاَ فَكَتَبَ «لاَ يَقْضِي اَلصَّوْمَ وَ لاَ يَقْضِي اَلصَّلاَةَ.
Ayoub ibn Noah wrote to Abu Al-Hasan al-Third (Imam Musa al-Kadhim) (a.s) asking whether a person who is unconscious for a day or more needs to make up the prayers (salat) they missed. The Imam wrote in response, "He does not have to make up the fasting (sawm) or the prayers (salat)."
وَ سَأَلَهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَهْزِيَارَ: عَنْ هَذِهِ اَلْمَسْأَلَةِ فَقَالَ «لاَ يَقْضِي اَلصَّوْمَ وَ لاَ اَلصَّلاَةَ وَ كُلُّ مَا غَلَبَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَى بِالْعُذْرِ.
Ali ibn Mahziyar asked about this issue, and Imam (a.s) replied: "He does not have to make up the fasting (sawm) or the prayers (salat), and everything that overwhelms a person due to God's will, God is more deserving of granting the excuse."
وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «صَاحِبُ اَلْبَطَنِ اَلْغَالِبِ يَتَوَضَّأُ وَ يَبْنِي عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ.
Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that He said: "The person who has a frequent (or overpowering) stomach condition should perform ablution (wudu) and continue with their prayer (salat)."
وَقَالَ مُرَازِمُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ اَلْأَزْدِيُّ: مَرِضْتُ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ لَمْ أَتَنَفَّلْ فِيهَا فَقُلْتُ ذَلِكَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ قَضَاءٌ إِنَّ اَلْمَرِيضَ لَيْسَ كَالصَّحِيحِ كُلُّ مَا غَلَبَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَى بِالْعُذْرِ.
Murazim ibn Hakim al-Azdi said: "I was ill for four months and did not perform any voluntary prayers (nawafil) during that time. I mentioned this to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s), Imam (a.s) said: 'There is no obligation upon you for making up those prayers. Indeed, the sick person is not like the healthy one. Whatever Allah (swt) has made overpowering upon him, Allah (swt) is more entitled to excuse him.'"
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَنِدَ إِلَى حَائِطِ اَلْمَسْجِدِ وَ هُوَ يُصَلِّي أَوْ يَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى اَلْحَائِطِ وَ هُوَ قَائِمٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَرَضٍ وَ لاَ عِلَّةٍ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ» وَ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ فِي صَلاَةٍ فَرِيضَةٍ فَيَقُومُ فِي اَلرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اَلْأَوَّلَتَيْنِ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَنَاوَلَ جَانِبَ اَلْمَسْجِدِ فَيَنْهَضَ يَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ عَلَى اَلْقِيَامِ مِنْ غَيْرِ ضَعْفٍ وَ لاَ عِلَّةٍ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.
Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) on whether it is permissible for a man to lean against the wall of the mosque while he is praying, or to place his hand on the wall while standing, without any illness or condition?" He (a.s) replied: "There is no harm in that." He also asked: "What about a man who is praying the obligatory prayer, and in the first two rak'ahs, he stands up and leans on the side of the mosque to help him rise, without any weakness or condition?" He (a.s) replied: "There is no harm in that either."
وَقَالَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَدِ اِشْتَدَّ عَلَيَّ اَلْقِيَامُ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ «إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُدْرِكَ صَلاَةَ اَلْقَائِمِ فَاقْرَأْ وَ أَنْتَ جَالِسٌ فَإِذَا بَقِيَ مِنَ اَلسُّورَةِ آيَتَانِ فَقُمْ وَ أَتِمَّ مَا بَقِيَ وَ اِرْكَعْ وَ اُسْجُدْ فَذَاكَ صَلاَةُ اَلْقَائِمِ.
Hamad ibn Othman said: I said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s): 'The standing in prayer has become very difficult for me.' He (a.s) replied: 'When you want to catch the prayer of the one standing, recite while sitting. When there remain two verses of the surah, then stand up and complete the remaining part, and bow and prostrate. That is the prayer of the one standing.'"
وَ سَأَلَ سَهْلُ بْنُ اَلْيَسَعِ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْأَوَّلَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يُصَلِّي اَلنَّافِلَةَ قَاعِداً وَ لَيْسَ بِهِ عِلَّةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ أَوْ حَضَرٍ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.
Sahl ibn al-Yas'a asked Abu Al-Hasan al-Awwal (a.s) about a man who prays a voluntary prayer sitting while he does not have any illness, whether in travel or while at home. Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in that”.
وَقَالَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّا نَتَحَدَّثُ وَ نَقُولُ مَنْ صَلَّى وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ كَانَتْ صَلاَتُهُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بِسَجْدَةٍ فَقَالَ «لَيْسَ هُوَ هَكَذَا هِيَ تَامَّةٌ لَكُمْ.
Abu Basir said: I said to Abu Ja'far (a.s), "We talk and say that whoever prays while sitting without any illness, his prayer consists of two rak'ahs in place of one, and two prostrations in place of one." Imam (a.s) said: "It is not as you say. It is complete for you."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «كَانَ أَبِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِذَا صَلَّى جَالِساً تَرَبَّعَ فَإِذَا رَكَعَ ثَنَى رِجْلَيْهِ.
It was narrated from Humran ibn A'yan, from one of the Imams (a.s), who said: "My father (a.s) when he prayed while sitting, he would sit cross-legged, and when he went into ruku' (bowing), he would fold his legs."
وَ رَوَى مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ: أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَ يُصَلِّي اَلرَّجُلُ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ مُتَرَبِّعٌ وَ مَبْسُوطُ اَلرِّجْلَيْنِ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ.
Muawiya ibn Maysara narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s): "Can a person pray while sitting in the position of tawarruk (cross-legged) or with his legs spread out?" Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in that."
