# Muslims Who Are Too Or Infirm To Bow Down In Prayer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-who-are-too-or-infirm-to-bow-down-in-prayer/740345 "2015-12-13T19:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 25
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-who-are-too-or-infirm-to-bow-down-in-prayer/740345/25 "2015-12-16T13:51:15Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Do they have to get like a special dispensation from a cleric to be excused from bowing down? It is useful to repeat, in Islam there is no idea of the cleric or the priest. Is it hard for many to understand this, but it simply is not existing. AK84 correctly highlights > [@AK84](#): > > The decision to do so is yours alone. It is true in fact about all things in Islam. Some people of course like to get the fatwa (an opinion) of a scholar because that is how they are, and it seems to me that converts in the west can never quite shake their orientation to the idea of religious priesthoods, but it is not necessary. in any case it is quite common for the elderly not to perform the full rakaats. > [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > There’s an Arabic phrase, I think it’s transliterated as “Insha’Allah”, that basically means “as Allah wills”. No, this does not mean as God wills, it means If God Wills (it). In sha’ Allah. In=if. The phrase as or what God willed is Ma sha’ Allah. What God will(s/ed). But it feels a bit strange to use it for such a circumstance, normally it is said for good things, while for bad things we say more frequently Hamdoulillah or its connected phrase. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > That’s not what the phrase means. That phrase is used when talking about something that might happen in the future, as in: I’ll be healthy next year, God willing. correct. > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > I’ve worked with Muslims quite a bit. Once, when driving back from a meeting, I had an Egyptian General in my car. He mentioned to me that he had to pray; knowing the normal ritual, I asked him if he wanted me to stop somewhere. He said no, given the circumstances he would pray while we were driving, he just wanted to let me know why he wasn’t saying anything to me for a few minutes. > > True gentleman, he was. this is the proper way to be a muslim, not those who force ostentatiously the prayer. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-who-are-too-or-infirm-to-bow-down-in-prayer/740345)._