Is the prayer of one who cannot recall their actions—such as bowing (ruku'), prostrating (sujud), and saying "Allahu Akbar" (takbir)—due to an illness that causes memory loss valid, given that they base their actions on what they believe to be the majority and do not perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw), relying on the Almighty’s saying: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity" (2:286)?
If doubt becomes frequent due to an illness or obsessive whisperings (waswas), it should be disregarded, and no prostration of forgetfulness (sujud as-sahw) is legislated for it. Instead, the prayer should be built upon what is most certain. This is the view of the majority of jurists. According to the Hanafis, if doubt becomes a habit, it should not be heeded because it is waswas. According to the Malikis, one who is frequently afflicted by doubt should ignore it, because following obsessive whisperings corrupts the religion. According to the Hanbalis, if doubt becomes frequent and turns into waswas, it should be dismissed, as it leads to additions in the prayer. In conclusion: the prayer is valid.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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