Praise be to Allah.
What is required of the one who is sick is to offer the prayer on time, before undergoing dialysis or afterwards, if he is able to do that. It is not permissible to delay the prayer until after the time for it ends or to offer the prayer before the time for it begins. So if the dialysis will take up the rest of the time for the prayer, meaning that if a person delays it until after the dialysis is finished, the time for the prayer will have ended, then he should offer the prayer at the beginning of its time if possible, putting it together with the prayer that can be put together with it, if it will not be possible to offer the second prayer at its own time, or if it will be difficult to do it after undergoing dialysis. So he may put Zuhr together with ‘Asr at the time of the earlier prayer, i.e., at the time of Zuhr, and he may put Maghrib together with ‘Isha’ at the time of the earlier prayer.
But if the dialysis will begin before the time for the prayer will begin, or at the beginning of that time, and it is not possible to offer the prayer at that time, then he may delay it until after the dialysis is finished, and put it together with the following prayer, if they are prayers that can be put together. So he can pray Zuhr with ‘Asr at the time of the later prayer, and he can pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together at the time of the later prayer, because he comes under the ruling on one who is sick, so if it is necessary to start the dialysis before he is able to offer prayer on time, and the dialysis will not end until after the time for the prayer has ended, and it is not a prayer that can be put together with the following prayer – such as one who starts dialysis just after the time for ‘Asr begins or before the time for Fajr begins – then it is permissible for him to delay the prayer, and he must make it up after the dialysis is finished, even if that is after the time for it has ended, because it is a case of necessity. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{So fear Allah as much as you are able} [at-Taghaabun 64:16]
{Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear} [al-Baqarah 2:286].
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was distracted from praying Asr by fighting the mushrikeen on the day of al-Ahzaab, he delayed the prayer until after sunset, then he prayed Maghrib after making up ‘Asr.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions. End quote.
Permanent Committee for Academic Research and Ifta’
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdillah Aal ash-Shaykh, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, Vol. 2, 9/107-109)
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