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What is the ruling on one who does not pray due to a psychological illness such as depression and anxiety, despite knowing the status of prayer in Islam?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The person mentioned is rewarded for adhering to the rulings of Islamic law in a land of disbelief. He must sincerely turn to Allah for healing and maintain the prayers, which are the pillar of the religion and among the greatest means of dispelling sorrows. He must not succumb to Satan's trick of neglecting prayer, for in it lies his comfort and happiness.

As for his belief that shortcomings in worship may be forgiven, unlike the rights of people, this does not justify leniency in sins. Allah Almighty has warned against feeling secure from His punishment, and abandoning prayer is a grave sin that may lead to disbelief and apostasy from Islam.

He must maintain prayer, and he has no excuse for abandoning it as long as he is of sound mind. He must perform it to the best of his ability.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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