Question 649: I was in a coma and unconscious for several days due to an accident. Do I have to make up for my prayers?

175 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer:

1 الْحَلَبِيِّ أَنَّهُ سَأَل أَبَا عَبْداللَّه عَنِ الْمَرِيضِ هَلْ يَقْضِي الصَّلَوَاتِ إِذَا أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ الَّتِي أَفَاقَ فِيهَا

📚 Al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 363

Halabi asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'Does a sick person who becomes unconscious have to make up for his prayers?' He said: 'No, except for the prayer for which he regains consciousness (within its time).'

2 أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَن الثَّالِث يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمُغْمَى عَلَيْهِ يَوْماً أَوْ أَكْثَرَ هَلْ يَقْضِي مَا فَاتَهُ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ أَوْ لَا فَكَتَبَ لَا يَقْضِي الصَّوْمَ وَ لَا يَقْضِي الصَّلَاة

📚 Al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 363

Ayyub ibn Nuh wrote a letter to Imam Muhammad Taqi (peace be upon him) and asked about a person who becomes unconscious for a day or more, whether he should make up for the prayers he missed or not. The Imam wrote in his reply: 'He does not have to make up for the fast and he does not have to make up for the prayer!'

3 مُوسَی بْنِ بَکْرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی عَبْداللَّهِ علیه السّلام الرَّجُلُ یُغْمَی عَلَیْهِ الْیَوْمَ وَ الْیَوْمَیْنِ وَ الثَّلَاثَةَ وَ الْأَرْبَعَةَ وَ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ کَمْ یَقْضِی مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ فَقَالَ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُکَ بِمَا یَجْمَعُ لَکَ هَذَا وَ أَشْبَاهَهُ کُلُّ مَا غَلَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَیْهِ مِنْ أَمْرٍ وَ اللَّهُ أَعْذَرُ لِعَبْدِهِ

📚 Al-Khisal, p. 643

Musa ibn Bakr said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'A person becomes unconscious for one day, two days, three days, four days, or more. How many of his prayers should he make up for?'

The Imam said: 'Shall I not tell you something that encompasses this case and similar ones for you? Whatever God, the Exalted and Glorious, has caused to overcome a person, then God is an excuser of His servant!'

4 أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَيَّاماً لَمْ يُصَلِّ ثُمَّ أَفَاقَ أَ يُصَلِّي مَا فَاتَهُ قَالَ لَا شَيْ ءَ عَلَيْه

📚 Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 330

Abu Ayyub said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a person who becomes unconscious for several days and does not pray, and then regains consciousness, whether he should make up for the prayers he missed? He said: 'There is nothing upon him!'

5 مَعْمَرِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الْمَرِيضِ يَقْضِي الصَّلَاةَ إِذَا أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لَا

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 412

Ma'mar said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about a sick person, if he becomes unconscious, should he make up for the prayer? He said: 'No.'

6 أَبِي بصير عَنْ أَحدهمَا قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَرِيضِ يُغْمَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُفِيقُ كَيْفَ يَقْضِي صَلَاتَهُ قَال يَقْضِي الصَّلَاةَ الَّتِي أَدْرَكَ وَقْتَهَا

📚 Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 304

Abu Basir said: I asked the Imam (peace be upon him) about a sick person who becomes unconscious and then regains consciousness, how should he make up for his prayer? He said: 'He should make up for the prayer for which he was conscious during its time!'

✅ According to a large number of narrations, a few of which were mentioned, if a person becomes unconscious and then regains consciousness, making up for the prayers and fasts from the time of unconsciousness is not their duty, except for the prayer for which they regained consciousness during its time.

✅ However, although making up for the prayers from the state of unconsciousness is not obligatory, in some narrations, there is a command to make up for the prayers. According to the narration of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in 📚 'Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, vol. 2, p. 20, hadith 45, the command is for the superiority and virtue in religion, not a religious duty or an obligation. For example:

7 عن أَبِي عبداللَّه فِي الْمُغْمَى عَلَيْهِ قال يَقْضِي كُلَّ ما فَاتَهُ

📚 Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 305

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about the unconscious person: 'He should make up for everything he missed!'

8 عَنْ أَبِي عبداللَّه قال: كُلُّ شَيْ ءٍ تَرَكْتَهُ مِنْ صَلَاتِك لِمَرَضٍ أُغْمِيَ عَلَيْك فِيهِ فَاقْضِهِ إِذَا أَفَقْتَ

📚 Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 244

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Whatever you missed of your prayer due to an illness in which you became unconscious, when you regain consciousness, make it up!'

9 أَبي كهمس قال سمعت ابا عبداللَّه و سُئِل عن الْمُغْمَى عَلَيْه أَ يَقْضِي ما تَرَكَ مِنَ الصَّلَاة فقال أَمَّا أَنَا و وُلْدِي و أَهْلِي فَنَفْعَلُ ذَلِك

📚 Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 245

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the unconscious person, whether he should make up for the prayers he missed? He said: 'As for me and my family and my children, we do this (i.e., we make them up).'

✅ Therefore, making up for the prayers from the state of unconsciousness is a matter of preference and virtue, but it is not obligatory.

✅ Note: Intentional unconsciousness for surgery and other purposes does not completely align with the principle of 'God has caused to overcome' and other narrations on this subject, and it is a matter of precaution to make up for the prayers missed in these cases.