Is the person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (waswasah) who takes medication for his condition not obligated to perform prayer, nor subject to prescribed penalties (hudud) if he commits an act that necessitates them, by analogy with his divorce not being valid, according to the school of thought of Imam Al-Shafi'i - may Allah have mercy on him?
Prayer and purity are obligatory for every sane Muslim. The one afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder () is relieved of hardship concerning what he is afflicted with, but he must ignore the obsessions and build upon the more certain [or prevalent] case. The illness of waswas does not lift the religious obligation except in matters that overwhelm the afflicted person. As for the religious obligations where he is still rational, they do not cease for him. If the waswas intensifies to the point that the person becomes bewildered and loses his mind, then at that point the pen of obligation is lifted from him. So, the one afflicted with waswas is held accountable unless he completely loses his mind. However, if his waswas is related only to divorce, he is held accountable and obligated.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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