Analisis Fikih Tentang Kewajiban Salat Wajib Bagi Lansia dengan Penurunan Kognitif

Fiqh Analysis of the Obligation of Mandatory Prayer for Elderly Individuals with Cognitive Decline

Abstract

This study discusses a jurisprudential analysis of the obligation to perform obligatory prayers for elderly people with cognitive function decline. The purpose of this study is to understand the condition of elderly people experiencing cognitive decline from a medical perspective and to analyze the Islamic jurisprudential rulings related to the obligation of prayer for elderly people with such a condition. The method used in this research is qualitative library research with a normative-theological approach, referring to the Qur’an, hadith, the opinions of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence—Ḥanafiyyah, Mālikiyyah, Shāfi‘iyyah, and Ḥanābilah—as well as other supporting literature. The results of the study show that, from a medical perspective, cognitive decline in elderly people is a gradual decrease in brain function, which includes weakening memory, thinking ability, concentration, and awareness. This condition affects their ability to carry out daily activities, including acts of worship. From an Islamic jurisprudential perspective, the obligation to perform prayer for elderly people with cognitive decline is determined by the level of their intellectual capacity and awareness. In mild cognitive decline, the elderly person remains legally accountable (mukallaf), so the obligation to perform prayer continues to apply according to his or her ability. In moderate cognitive decline, the obligation of prayer does not completely fall away; rather, its performance depends on the person’s state of awareness. When the person is conscious, the obligation remains applicable, while during periods of unconsciousness, the obligation is considered according to the person’s level of awareness and intellectual capacity. In severe cognitive decline, when the person begins to lose intellectual capacity and his or her thinking becomes comprehensively impaired, prayer is not obligatory until the intellect returns to proper function. Islam provides ease in the performance of worship according to the condition of the legally accountable person. This study contributes to contemporary Islamic jurisprudential discourse and serves as a practical guide for families and caregivers of elderly people in assisting them with the performance of prayer.