Is Non-Chronic OCD a Valid Excuse to Delay the Prayer?

Answered by Shaykh Farid Dingle 

Question

Is nonchronic OCD a valid excuse to delay the prayer?

Answer

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

When someone has chronic and clearly medical OCD, they are not responsible for what their condition leads them to.  However, a person who does not have a medical condition and merely allows unreasonable and obsessive tendencies to affect the way he or she lives will be responsible for his or her actions.

Please see:
Insanity, Suicide, Kufr, and the Need for Scholars

Delaying Asr is highly discouraged. According to many scholars, the hadith that compares missing Asr to losing one’s whole family and property is actually referring to delaying Asr past its due time and offering it close to sunset (Tafsir Gharib al Muwatta, Ibn Habib; Rawdat al Talibin, Nawawi).

Sayyidna Umar saw Sayyidna Uthman come late to the Asr prayer and told him, ‘You’ve sold yourself short!’ (Muwatta, Malik).

That said, even if one intentionally delays praying ‘Asr at its proper time, the prayer is still valid.

In answer to your last question, if you are not sure whether or not you made an oath, you should assume that you did not make one.

I pray this helps.

[Shaykh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language