Respecting the Prayer Times

A sick person who is bedridden and confined to his bed and is unable to pray standing as an able person can, should try and pray as best as he can. If he can sit, he should pray sitting down. If he is able to bow and prostrate or sujud, he should do it. However if he can only bow, he should bow lower to sujud than for ruku’.

If a sickly person cannot sit up, he may pray lying down. If possible, he should try facing the qiblat and lay on his right facing the qiblat. If this is not possible, he may lay on his left. For the ruku’ and sujud position he should try to bend his body slightly. Otherwise he should lie flat with his leg facing the qiblat and his head slightly elevated. To ruku’ he should lift his head slightly, and to sujud he should try lifting his head higher.

In the case where a sickly person cannot move at all, he may pray by blinking his eye. And if that is not possible he may pray with his heart. It is best if he could recite all the surahs and recitations that are wajib during prayers.

Concerning purification, ablution or wudhu’ and facing the qiblat, one should try his best or with help from others, even if he has to pay one to help. If all is not possible, it is still compulsory to pray even though it is not complete. Subsequently, it would be obligatory to qada’ the prayer when in better health.