What happens to my prayers if I am under anaesthesia?
It depends on the school, but you are not sinful. Prayers that fall while you are unconscious under anaesthesia are not held against you. Scholars differ on making them up: the Hanafi and Hanbali schools say to make up what you missed after a short period, while the Maliki and Shafi'i schools say it is not required. The safest course after a normal operation is to pray them once you are awake and well enough.
You are not accountable while unconscious
Islam only holds a person responsible when they are able to understand and act. The Prophet ﷺ said that there are three whose actions are not recorded: "a sleeper till he awakes, an idiot till he is restored to reason, and a boy till he reaches puberty" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4398). Scholars compare a person under anaesthesia to someone deeply asleep. You cannot pray, so you are not blamed.
Do you have to make them up?
- Hanafi: make up the missed prayers if the period was short, meaning five prayers or fewer. If it lasted longer, the obligation is lifted.
- Hanbali: make up the prayers you missed once you recover.
- Maliki and Shafi'i: there is no obligation to make them up, though some Shafi'i scholars see it as recommended.
An operation usually lasts a few hours and covers one or two prayers. In that case, praying them after you wake is valid and the cautious choice, and it follows the Prophet's ﷺ advice about missed prayers: "He who forgets the prayer, or he slept, its expiation is only that he should observe it when he remembers it" (Sahih Muslim 684). If someone is unconscious for days, ask a trusted imam about their case.
If you wake up while the time of a prayer is still open, pray it straight away, even if you are groggy. See How do I make up missed prayers?
Before the operation
- Ask for the time. Find out when your operation is likely to be, and pray any prayer whose time has come before you go in.
- Combining prayers. Many scholars allow a sick person to combine Dhuhr with Asr, or Maghrib with Isha, when praying separately would be a real hardship. This is based on the Prophet ﷺ combining prayers in Madinah so that his community would face no hardship (Sahih Muslim 705).
- Make wudu or tayammum as best you can, and tell the nurse you are praying.
After you wake up
Losing consciousness breaks wudu, so you will need fresh wudu when you can. See Does fainting break wudu? If you cannot stand or move much, you can pray in whatever position your body allows. The Prophet ﷺ told Imran ibn Husain: "Pray while standing and if you can't, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray lying on your side" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1117).
If you feel dizzy or in pain, rest first, then pray your missed prayers when you feel steadier. The full guide is in How do I pray in hospital?
- You are not sinful for prayers missed while unconscious.
- Schools differ on making them up, but praying them after a short operation is the safest choice.
- You may combine prayers before surgery if separate prayer would be a hardship.
- You need fresh wudu after waking, and may pray in any position you can.
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