Question:
Can one leave off going to the masjid if he feels sick, dizzy, etc?
Answer:
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“His statement:
“The sick person is excused for abandoning the Friday prayer and congregational prayer” .
This is one type from those who are excused [from the congregational prayer]. The intent by it is the sickness which afflicts difficulty upon the sick one if he were to go out to pray. This is the first type.
The evidences:
The statement of Allah, the Exalted:
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can
[64:16]
And His Statement:
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا
Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope
[2:286]
And His statement:
لَيْسَ عَلَى الأَعْمَى حَرَجٌ وَلاَ عَلَى الأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلاَ عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ
No blame or sin is there upon the blind, nor is there blame or sin upon the lame, nor is there blame or sin upon the sick
[48:17]
And the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ):
إذا أمرتُكم بأمرٍ فأتوا منه ما استطعتم
And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can
[Bukhari and Muslim]
And also that the Prophet (ﷺ) stayed behind from the congregational prayer when he was sick
[Bukhari (no. 680) and Muslim (no. 419)]
even though his house was adjacent to the masjid.
The statement of Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him):
لقد رَأيتُنا وما يتخلَّفُ عن الصَّلاةِ إلا منافقٌ قد عُلِمَ نفاقُهُ أو مريضٌ
I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite, whose hypocrisy was well known, or a sick man
[Muslim (no. 654)]
So all of these are evidences that prove that the obligation of the Friday prayer and congregational prayer drop from the sick person”
[Sharh Mumti’ (4/310-311)]
If there is no difficulty upon the sick person by attending the congregation, then he should attend as comes:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ، فَإِنَّ مِنْهُمُ الضَّعِيفَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَالْكَبِيرَ، وَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلْيُطَوِّلْ مَا شَاءَ
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you leads the people in the prayer, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among your prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes
[Bukhari and Muslim]
And Allah Knows Best
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
