How Can Someone with PTSD Manage Prayer Difficulties and Fear of Missing Obligations in Islam?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

I struggle to pray due to complex PTSD symptoms like panic and depression. I fear punishment for missing obligations. What can I do in this situation, and what guidance does Islam offer?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Struggles such as yours are taken into consideration by Allah Most High and the Sacred Law. If they are truly to the extent that you are physically or mentally unable to pray, the obligation may be lifted (in cases of deficient sanity) or delayed till a time where the symptoms subside (at which time, you would make up the prayers missed). [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]

I would strongly advise seeking out an expert mental health specialist. If you can find someone who is Muslim in addition to their qualifications, that would be best.

Have a good opinion of Allah Most High, for Allah is merciful and does not burden a soul more than it can bear. Try your best and seek Allah’s mercy.

Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat 

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies in Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. There he completed the memorization of the Qur’an and his study of the Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz, al-Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, al-Shaykh Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others. Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.