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What is the position of Islamic law on psychology, and do the findings of psychologists affect legal rulings, such as the inclusion of a psychiatrist's diagnosis of "schizophrenic thought disorder" within the scope of Allah's saying: "nor is there any difficulty for the sick"? And what is the criterion for that?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The sick are of two types: The first loses their mind, such as those afflicted with insanity or epilepsy. These individuals are not held accountable, as the basis for accountability is absent. The second type does not lose their mind but is unable to perform some or all of their religious duties. These individuals are exempted from what they are unable to do, due to the Almighty's saying: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity," and the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "So when I command you to do something, do of it as much as you are able." Whatever does not fall under these two categories, even if it is called a psychological illness, does not exempt one from accountability.

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

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