The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on the Obligation and Validity of Prayer

فقه و اصول (Fiqh va uṣūl)

Article 6, Volume 57, Issue 2 - Serial Number 141, August 2025, Pages 139-169   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jfiqh.2024.85488.1694

Authors

Soheila Rosatmi^{* 1}; Wrya Hafidi²

¹Associate Professor, Department of Shafi'i Jurisprudence, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

²Associate professor, Department of Shafi'i Jurisprudence, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Alzheimer’s is one of the progressive and irreversible brain disorders common in adulthood, caused by the buildup of harmful chemical compounds in the structure of brain cells. This condition leads to disruption in the transmission of signals between neurons and affects the functions of first short-term, and then long-term memory, subsequently impacting various aspects of the patient’s personal and social life and gradually reducing their mental and physical capacity. Despite the prevalence and increasingly widespread nature of Alzheimer’s, scholarship on how it affects the religious obligations of those diagnosed remain limited. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method, and based on library research, investigates the jurisprudential implications of Alzheimer’s on the obligation, validity, and performance of daily prayers across different Islamic schools (mazāhib-i islāmī). After examining the seven stages of Alzheimer’s, the study concludes that from the fifth stage onward, the patient neither has the power (will, knowledge, and awareness), nor the wisdom to do so. At this point, the individual is nearing a vegetative state and depends on others for basic daily tasks. Therefore, he/she is no longer considered to have legal accomplishment qualification to perform acts of worship, and as a result is no longer subject to religious obligations (ḥukm-i taklīfi).

Keywords

Alzheimer’s; Performance; Validity; Daily Prayer; Obligation

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