Islamic Prayer for Incontinent Elderly

Islamic Rulings on Salah for Sick with Diapers

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Brother Zubair Ahmad

Assalam alaikum sister, I had a question for you. My maternal grandfather is quite ill, and due to necessity, we have put a diaper on him which is changed morning and evening. So in such conditions, how to perform prayer because the body becomes impure.

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Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, respected brother

All actions depend on intentions, and for every person, there is only what he intends.

The conditions of patients vary.

• If the patient is such that using water could lead to death, or the loss of a limb, or the emergence of a harmful disease, then tayammum is permissible for such a patient. Because the command of the Exalted is:(وَلَاتَقْتُلُواأَنفُسَكُمْۚإِنَّاللَّهَكَانَبِكُمْرَحِيمًا)(Surah An-Nisa: 4/29)”And do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you.”
• If the patient is such that he cannot walk or move, and there is no other person to provide him with water, then tayammum is also permissible for him.
• If a person has wounds on his body, or boils and pimples, or a broken limb, or a disease where using water is harmful, and he becomes junub (in a state of major ritual impurity), then based on the previous evidences, tayammum is permissible for him. And if it is possible for him to wash the healthy parts of the body, then washing them is obligatory, and he should perform tayammum for the remaining parts.
• If the patient is in a place where there is no water and no soil, and no person is present who can bring soil or water, then he should pray according to his condition; it is not permissible to delay the prayer, because the command of the Exalted is:(فَاتَّقُوااللَّهَمَااسْتَطَعْتُمْ)(Surah At-Taghabun: 64/16)”So fear Allah as much as you are able.”
• If it is not difficult for the patient, he should use separate clean clothes for prayer; otherwise, there is forgiveness for him, and he can pray in the same clothes. This facilitation is derived from the commands of Allah Almighty and the sayings of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّىاللهُعَلَيْهِوَسَلَّمَ.

Water etc. coming out from the front or back private parts is a nullifier of wudu. If it touches the clothes or body, it is necessary to wash it. If this is a continuous matter, then its ruling is like that of istihadah (prolonged non-menstrual bleeding) and incontinence of urine. That is, just as a woman is commanded to perform istinja (cleaning after relieving oneself) and to make wudu for every prayer. The Prophet صَلَّىاللهُعَلَيْهِوَسَلَّمَ said to the woman with istihadah:

(تَوَضَّئِيلِوَقْتِكُلِّصَلَاةٍ)

[Narrated by Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Taharah]

"Perform wudu at the time of every prayer."

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⛔ Purification for a patient unable to move:

1. It is necessary for the patient to achieve purification through water; therefore, in the case of minor impurity, he will perform wudu, and in the case of major impurity, he will take a bath.
2. But if he does not have the ability to achieve purification with water, he will ask for soil on a dusty wall or vessel or handkerchief and perform tayammum with it.
3. The method of tayammum is that a person strikes both his hands on the ground once and wipes them on his face and palms.
4. If a person cannot achieve purification himself, another person can perform wudu or tayammum for him.
5. If there is a wound on some parts of a person’s wudu, he should wash it with water; if there is fear of harm from washing with water, he should wet his hand and wipe over that part; if it affects even from wiping, then tayammum should be performed over it.
6. If there is a bandage or plaster on some part of a person’s wudu, he will wipe over that part with water; there will be no need for tayammum.
7. It is necessary for the patient to keep himself clean from all kinds of impurities, but in case of inability, he should pray in his condition; his prayer is valid, there is no need to repeat it.
8. It is not permissible for the patient to delay the prayer until after the time passes due to inability in purification; rather, he should achieve purification according to his ability and pray in his condition, even if some impurity remains on his body; his prayer will be valid, there is no harm.

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⛔ The prayer of the patient:

1. It is necessary for the sick person to perform prayer standing, but if he cannot pray standing, he should pray sitting; if he cannot pray sitting, he should pray lying on his side facing the Qiblah; if he does not have the ability, he can pray facing any direction, his prayer will be valid, no need to repeat; if he cannot pray even on his side, he should pray lying on his back with his feet towards the Qiblah; if he does not have the ability for that either, he will pray however and in whichever direction possible, there will be no need to repeat it.
2. It is necessary for the sick person to perform ruku (bowing) and sujud (prostration) while praying, but if he does not have the ability, he can perform the prayer by gesturing with his head in such a way that he lowers the sujud more than the ruku.
3. If the sick person does not even have the strength to gesture with his head, he should perform the prayer with the intention in his heart; after takbir and recitation, he should keep intending ruku, sujud, qiyam (standing), and qu’ud (sitting) in his heart.
4. It is necessary for the sick person to pray all prayers in their prescribed times; if it feels heavy on him, he can combine Zuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha, whether by delaying or advancing, whichever is easier for him. However, Fajr prayer cannot be combined with the one before or after it.

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👈 If your maternal grandfather is unable to use water, then have him perform tayammum. If he does not have control over holding urine, then leave the diaper on and have your maternal grandfather pray in that state.

This is also the ruling for a woman with leucorrhea: she should perform wudu for prayer and offer the prayer. Even if her leucorrhea continues during the prayer, her wudu will remain intact because she is compelled. And as for the clothes, she should make proper arrangements for that, as she does during the days of menstruation, and offer the prayer. The Noble Prophet صَلَّىاللهُعَلَيْهِوَسَلَّمَ gave the same command to the woman with istihadah:

(دَعِيقَدْرَتِلْكَالْأَيَّامِوَاللَّيَالِيالَّتِيكُنْتِتَحِيضِينَفِيهَا،ثُمَّاغْتَسِلِيوَاسْتَثْفِرِيوَصَلِّي)

"Leave the prayer for the number of days and nights that you used to menstruate in, then take a bath, tie a cloth, and pray." (Sunan an-Nasa'i: 354)

This is also the ruling for patients with incontinence of urine: they should tie a urine bag or cloth etc. for the continuously flowing urine or leucorrhea and perform wudu and offer the prayer.

Therefore, this is also the ruling for your maternal grandfather: he should perform wudu with the diaper on and pray. Take precaution that urine does not come out from the diaper. My advice to you is to change the diaper three times instead of twice.

May Allah Almighty grant your maternal grandfather complete recovery, turn his difficulties into ease, and keep his shadow over all of you for a long time. Ameen, then Ameen.

وَبِاللهِالتَّوْفِيقُ

(And with Allah is all success)

هَٰذَامَاعِندِيوَاللهُتَعَالَىٰأَعْلَمُبِالصَّوَابِ

(This is what I know, and Allah the Exalted knows best what is correct)

وَالسَّلَامُعَلَيْكُمْوَرَحْمَةُاللهِوَبَرَكَاتُهُ

(And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings)