I Cannot Offer my Prayers due to a Surgery... Just ten days ago, I had an operation on my right eye and since then, I cannot perform my fardh prayers (reason water cannot go into my eyes and cannot expose to sunlight, cannot bend down, cannot carry heavy things and all these will affect my eyes as doctor warn me. In this situation, what should I do? Wassalaam Mohd. Noordeen, Singapore Reply Even under the stipulated circumstances, you should regularly offer your prayers and not miss offering it at its prescribed time. In case you have been directed by your surgeon to protect your eye from water and sunlight, you should then do tayammum [1] , in place of wudhu to protect your eyes from water. To protect your eyes from sunlight, you may offer your prayers at home, rather than go to the mosque and offer your prayers with the congregation. Furthermore, if you have been directed to refrain from bending, you may symbolically perform Ruku' and Sujood without bending your back. In case, you cannot even stand or sit straight, you may offer your prayers lying down. In this manner you should be able to offer your prayers, at their right time, while following the directives of your surgeon and benefiting from the allowances of the Shari`ah . I hope this would help. Regards, Moiz Amjad [1] The Quran has clearly allowed us to resort to Tayammum , in place of wudhu , under three situations: Firstly, when a person is unwell due to which applying water on the body could be harmful in any way; secondly, when a person is on a journey and the comforts of living in ones own house are not available; and thirdly, when clean water is difficult to access. In all these three situations, the Quran allows tayammum , in place of wudhu . Tayammum is a symbolic representation of wudhu and/or Ghusl (i.e. taking a bath) recommended under circumstances when it is not easily possible for a person to complete Wudhu and/or Ghusl . For the allowance and method of tayammum please refer to Al-Maidah 5: 6.