Question 457
If a man is completely paralyzed or partially paralyzed and he can’t perform wudu or tayammum by his own. Can he perform prayer without wudu and tayammum??
Answer:
If he finds one who is able to make him perform wudu from his family and close ones or (he is able to find someone who does it) for example for a wage and he is able to pay this and there is no harm upon him. So for the likes of this, it is necessary upon him that he keeps someone who makes him perform wudu for a wage, or someone from his family, or his close ones, his wife or his sons and they are pleased with this and they don’t find any difficulty (عضاضة) so for the likes of this it is necessary upon them that they make him perform wudu.
If they do not find anything of these cases (meaning that they are not able to make him perform wudu nor hire anyone to make him perform wudu) then we come to the second level, so if he finds someone who can make him perform tayammum and they do not find anyone who can make him perform wudu then it is necessary to make him perform tayammum. If he does not find anyone who can make him perform tayammum nor ablution,nor this or that, in any possible way and he is not capable of payment for making him perform these acts, then in this case, “Fear Allah according to your capability”, it is permissible that he prays without the two purifications.
So accordingly, If the person mentioned is not able to perform ablution by himself, nor is he able to perform tayammum by himself, then do we find someone who can make him perform ablution from his family or someone who is hired and he is able to do this and there is no harm upon him? (If yes,) then in this case it is necessary upon him to do this. If he does not find anyone who could make him perform ablution neither from his relatives nor for wealth, then we go to the second level, that is, tayammum (in which we try to find someone from his relative or for wealth who can make him perform tayammum). If we don’t find such persons, as has preceded, neither from his relatives nor for wealth, then in such conditions we hope that (there is no problem that) he prays even if he lacks the two purifications (wudu and tayammum) because Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says “Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope” (Al Baqarah 286) and Allah azzawajall says, “Fear Allah as much as you can” (At Taghaabun 16).
Answered by: Shaykh Abu Abdullah Zaayed Al Wasaabi hafidhahullah
Translated by: Abu Muhammad Nezam Uddin Al Hindi