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Fatwa CenterHe is forced to pray at home or sitting in the car because of father's mental illness
Question
11- My father has a slight mental illness of doubts. He would not allow me to go out in the rain, even if it is only drizzling or it just seems likely that it would rain, saying that he would throw away my clothes if he sees them wet, as he would not know where the water came from. This pertains to his illness of strong doubts. My father is the authority in the house, and I cannot stop him from throwing away something once he gets doubtful about it in this manner. He has discarded or given away many items due to doubts, including a pant of mine, which was due to some other doubt. The object of describing the entirety of this is, sometimes, going to say the prayer in congregation may cost me my clothes (and we are not too rich). Is it permissible to say the prayer at home in such a situation? (He would also not allow me to go to the mosque in the car, this is also due to the aforementioned problem of strong doubts.)12- Rarely, when I may be travelling with my father in the car, and till we reach a suitable location, the time for the prayer might be over, he may force me to say the prayer in the car, due to the same problem of throwing away the clothes should he get strongly doubtful about them (this depends on the surroundings). If such a situation arises, is it permissible for me to say the prayer whilst sitting in the car, facing the qibla? (Since the furz or sunnat prayer of one who is able to say it while standing would be invalid under normal circumstances, but I obviously cannot stand in the car). If it is permisslbe, do I have to repeat it afterwards as a caution?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
As for performing the prayer in the mosque, it is permissible for you to miss the congregational prayer in the mosque in this case, especially since you fear the loss of your property. In this case, you should perform the prayer in congregation at home with some of your family members. If you cannot do so and perform the prayer individually for fear of your father throwing your clothes away, you bear no sin for that because fear for one's property is a legitimate excuse for missing the congregational prayers in the mosque.
It should be emphasized that it is impermissible to leave the prayer or delay it until the end of its due time under any circumstances. There is no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator. If you fear that the prayer time is going to end, you must perform the prayer right away.
It is impermissible to perform the obligatory prayer in a sitting position inside the car if you are able to perform it standing. Instead, you should seek a suitable place to perform the prayer standing as a rule. However, if your father forces you to perform the prayer inside the car and forcefully prevents you from getting out of the car to perform the prayer elsewhere, it is permissible for you to perform the prayer in the position which is possible under these circumstances, even the sitting position, and you should make the motions for Rukooʻ and Sujood. If you repeat that prayer to be on the safe side, it would be better; the Shaafiʻis held that it is obligatory to repeat the prayer in such a form because of this being a rare excuse.
Allaah Knows best.
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