{"_id":"668d9fed0b76658b4c232960","title":"Can debilitating fear of the dark or quiet be a dispensation for Tayammum?","question":"I used to struggle with a lightly debilitating fear of the dark and/or quiet (I say light because it Alhamdulillah was not the worst out there, and did not stop me from most normal function). It got really bad a couple of years ago, and this made Salah at night and Salah at Fajr very difficult (when my family members were asleep and the home was quiet). I never saw figures or heard things, but I was so paranoid that something else was there in my room that I could not see/hear, so much so that turning on the lights did not solve my problem. As a result, it became difficult to get myself out of bed before sunrise for Fajr, and i would have difficulty feeling safe enough to prostrate (because I would not be able to see what or who was around me). The feeling that something was there got worse, to the point that I would be late for the bus to school because I was too afraid to leave my room when it was dark in the hallway and the rest of the home. It was also hard to go to the bathroom to take wudu (I was afraid the water sounds would muffle the sound of something moving near or behind me). To remedy this, I decided to do tayammum despite having access to water from the sink, I would sometimes pray laying down/sitting in bed under the covers, or pray on the bus on the way to school. It felt wrong but I did not want to negate prayer altogether just because I was afraid. I recently saw an answer in this group stating that one must make up past missed prayers, and I understand that prayers that are not properly prayed should be made up as well. This stopped years ago Alhamdulillah. I am now a young adult, but now I'm wondering if these prayers should be made up because of the lack of proper wudu despite access to water, and improper prayer positions despite physical ability to perform. Does a fear like this count as a valid reason to not complete wudu/Salah to perfection?","answer":"All thanks and praise to Allah for aiding you in conquering your fear. My prayer is that you never again experience fear of any kind. May the fear of losing your connection with Allah be the sole fear that dwells in your heart, a fear born out of profound love. \nRegarding the makeup of missed prayers, try to estimate the number of prayers performed improperly and make a sincere effort to compensate for them. Detailed information on making up prayers can be found in the database. Always remember that when faced with uncertainty about the right course of action, the best approach is to seek guidance.","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fe40b76658b4c232837","tag":"Tahara: Wudu","count":117},{"_id":"668d9fea0b76658b4c2328ed","tag":"Salah: Missed & Make-Up","count":92},{"_id":"668d9fed0b76658b4c23295e","tag":"Tahara: Tayammum","count":6}],"createdOn":"2024-07-09T20:39:09.967Z"}