Mannerisms Related to the Sick by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen

How the sick person purifies himself/herself:

One: It is obligatory for the person who is afflicted with illness to purify himself with water. Therefore he performs purification for the minor impurity (passing gas, sleeping, etc.) and he bathes for the major impurity (sexual relations with spouse, menstruation).

Two: If he is unable to perform the purification with water due to his weakness or due to fear of the illness (or wound) getting worse or if by performing the purification it will delay the alleviation of his illness then he can purify himself with the earth’s dust.

Three: The method of performing at-Tayammum is for the person to strike pure dirt with one strike upon the ground. He rubs both over all of the face then he rubs his palms one over the other.

Four: If the ill person cannot purify himself then someone else can make the ritual purification for him or the other person can perform at-Tayammum for him.

Five: If the person has a wound then he washes it with water. If washing with water will affect the wound then he can wipe it by wetting his hands with water and then passing the water over the sound. But if wiping will affect the wound then he can make at-Tayammum.

Six: If someone has a broken bone and there is a bandage or cast on then he can wipe over it with water as a substitution for washing and he will not need to perform at-Tayammum since wiping substitutes for washing.

Seven: It is permissible to make at-Tayammum from a wall or upon anything that is pure and that has dust upon it. If the wall is paved with something other than the elements of dirt like paint then he does not perform at-Tayammum over it unless there is dust on it.

Eight: If one cannot perform at-Tayammum from the ground or wall or anything else having dust upon it then there is no harm if he places the dirt in a vessel or handkerchief to make at-Tayammum from.

Nine: If the ritual purity for performance of at-Tayammum for prayer was kept until time for the next prayer then that person can pray with the Tayammum he first made and he does not need to repeat it since his purification remained and there was nothing that invalidated it.

Ten: It is obligatory for the person afflicted with illness to purify his body from all forms of impurity but if he cannot then he prays based on his condition and his prayer is valid and he does not need to repeat it.

Eleven: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray in clean clothing. If his clothing is soiled with impurity then he must wash it or replace it with clean clothing. If he cannot then he prays in his condition and his prayer will still be valid and he will not have to repeat it.

Twelve: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray upon something pure. If his place of prayer is soiled with impurity then he must wash it or replace it with something pure or he lies upon something pure. If he is not able then he prays in his condition and he will not have to repeat it.

Thirteen: It is not permissible for the sick person to delay the prayer because of failure to purify himself. Rather he purifies himself based on what he is able to do then he prays on time even if there is an impurity on himself, his clothes, or his place of prayer that he cannot remove.

How the sick person should pray:

One: It is obligatory for the person afflicted with an illness to pray the obligatory prayer either standing, bent, or leaning on a wall or cane when he needs to support himself.

Two: If he cannot stand then he prays sitting. It is best to pray cross-legged for the position of standing and bowing.

Three: If he cannot make the prayer sitting then he can pray on his side facing the direction of prayer. The right side is the best side to pray on but if he cannot pray facing the direction of prayer then he prays whichever way he can face and his prayer will still be correct. He will not need to repeat it.

Four: If he cannot make the prayer on his side then he prays lying down with his feet towards the direction of prayer. It is best that he raises his head a little to face the direction of prayer but if his feet cannot be directed to the direction of prayer he prays however he can and he will not need to repeat it.

Five: It is obligatory for the sick person to bow and prostrate in his prayer. If he cannot then he can motion both actions with his head. He makes the act of prostration lower than the act of bowing. And if he is able to bow without making the act of prostration then he bows and makes the motion for the act of prostration. And if he can prostrate without bowing then he can prostrate and make the motion for the act of bowing.

Six: If he cannot motion with his head for the acts of bowing and prostration then he makes the movement with his eyes. He closes them a little for the act of bowing and he closes them completely for the act of prostration. As for pointing with the finger as it is done by some of those afflicted with sickness then it is not correct. I do not know any basis for it in the Book or the Sunnah nor from the statements of the People of Knowledge.

Seven: If he is not able to motion with his head or make movement with his eyes then he prays within his heart. He makes the Takbeer (to say Allahu Akbar), he recites, and he makes the intention for bowing, prostrating, standing, and sitting within his heart. And for every person is what he intends.

Eight: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray every prayer at its due time and to perform what is obligatory to perform within it. Even if he faces difficulty he performs every prayer at its due time. He can combine the Noon prayer and the Afternoon prayer and the Sunset prayer with the Night prayer. This is either done by combining them earlier where the afternoon prayer is made earlier along with the noon prayer and the night prayer is made with the sunset prayer. Or it is done by combining them later where the noon prayer is made later with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the evening prayer. Whatever is easier for him. As for the morning prayer then it cannot be combined to any prayer before it or any prayer after it.

Nine: If the sick person is travelling to be treated in another country then he can shorten the prayers that consists of four units. So he can pray the noon, afternoon, and evening prayer as two units of prayer until he returns to his country whether the time frame of travelling is long or short and Allah is the Granter of all success.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen 
Translated by Thomas Maldonado
Source: Risaalah fee al-Ghusl wal-Wudhoo was-Salaah pages 42 -56