What are Islam's words about people with disabilities?

Sources

• ✓ 48:17 · Al-Fath

  48:17 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌۭ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۖ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ يُعَذِّبْهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا

  There is no blame for the blind, nor is there blame for the lame, nor is there blame for the sick (that they go not forth to war). And whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow; and whoso turneth back, him will He punish with a painful doom.

• ✓ 9:91 · At-Tawba

  9:91 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلضُّعَفَآءِ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرْضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

  Not unto the weak nor unto the sick nor unto those who can find naught to spend is any fault (to be imputed though they stay at home) if they are true to Allah and His messenger. Not unto the good is there any road (of blame). Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 9:91

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 9:91

  After that, the Exalted clarifies the excuses that exempt a person from blame if they remain behind and do not fight. He begins by mentioning those impediments intrinsic to the individual and beyond their control, such as physical weakness — a defect of the body that makes one unable to endure the hardships of combat — blindness, lameness, or similar conditions. These are permanent or inherent disabilities. Then He lists causes that might be temporary, such as illness that affects the body and prevents one from going out in the cause of Allah, or poverty that makes it impossible to equip oneself for battle. For such people, there is no blame if they stay behind, advise the fighters sincerely while remaining seated, do not stir-up dissent or discourage others, and maintain good conduct in their condition. This is why Allah says, “There is no blame upon the doers of good,” meaning those who do what they can with good intention and without harming others, “And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” Sufyan al-Thawri narrated from Abdul Aziz ibn Rufai’ from Abu Thumama (may Allah be pleased with him), that the disciples asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), “O Spirit of Allah, tell us who is truly sincere for Allah?” He replied, “The one who gives precedence to the right of Allah over the right of people. When two matters come to his attention — the matters of this world and the Hereafter — he begins with what belongs to the Hereafter, then turns to what belongs to the worldly affairs.” Al-Awza’i related that during a prayer for rain, Bilal ibn Sa’d stood among the people, praised Allah and then said, “O assembly, do you admit to your mistakes?” They responded, “Yes, O Allah.” So he prayed, “O Allah, we hear You say, ‘There is no blame upon the doers of good.’ O Allah, because we admit our faults, forgive us, have mercy on us, and grant us rain.” Then he raised his hands and the people raised theirs, and they were given rain. Qatadah said this verse was revealed about ‘Aidh ibn Amr al-Muzani. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Hisham ibn Ubaydallah al-Razi, who narrated from Ibn Jaber, from Ibn Farwah, from `Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Zaid ibn Thabit who said: I used to write for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). When this verse was revealed commanding the fighting, I would write the word “disavowal,” then if someone who was blind came to him and said, “What about me, O Messenger of Allah, while I am blind?” Allah then revealed this verse exempting the weak and the sick. Al-‘Awfi reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded people to go out as soldiers with him, and a group of his companions came to him — including ‘Abdullah ibn Mughafal al-Muzani — and they said, “O Messenger of Allah, carry us with you.” He said, “By Allah, I do not find a means to carry you.” They then turned away weeping, saddened that they could not go out in jihad, unattended by funds or means. When Allah saw their eagerness and love for Him and His Messenger, He revealed their excuse in the Qur’an: “There is no blame upon the weak, nor upon the sick, nor upon those who find nothing to spend...” until “for they do not know.” Mujahid said regarding the phrase “nor upon those who, when you are called to bear them...” it was revealed about the tribe of Banu Muqarrin from Muzayna. Muhammad ibn Ka’b noted that they were seven men — among them Salim ibn Umair from Banu Amr ibn ‘Awf, Harmi ibn ‘Amr from Banu Waqif, ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Ka’b (Abu Layla) from Banu Mazin ibn an-Najjar, Salman ibn Sakhr from Banu al-Mu’alla, ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Yazid Abu ‘Abla from Banu Haritha (who gave his estate in charity and Allah accepted from him), and Amr ibn ‘Anmah and ‘Abdullah ibn Amr al-Muzani from Banu Salima. Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated regarding the context of the Battle of Tabuk that seven men from the Muslims came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), weeping — they were from the Ansar and others; among them were Salim ibn Umayr and Ulbah ibn Zaid from Banu Haritha, Abu Layla ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Ka’b from Banu Mazin ibn an-Najjar, Amr ibn al-Hummam ibn al-Jamuh from Banu Salima, and ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mughfal al-Muzani (some say ‘Abdullah ibn Amr al-Muzani), Harmi ibn Abdullah from Banu Waqif, and ‘Irbad ibn Sariya al-Fazari. They asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to carry them, but he said, “I do not find a means to carry you.” They turned away, their eyes flowing with tears due to their sorrow at not finding the means to support the expedition. Ibn Abi Hatim heard from al-Hasan that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “You have left in Medina people who, though they did not spend anything, nor traverse any valley or gain anything from the enemy, shared with you in reward,” then he recited this verse: “Nor upon those who, when you are called to bear them, say, ‘I cannot find a means to carry you.’” The original hadith is found in Sahihayn from the report that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed in Medina there are people who never crossed a valley nor took any road except that they were with you.” They asked, “Are they in Medina?” He replied, “Yes, their excuse prevented them.” Imam Ahmad narrated from Waki’, from Al-A’mash, from Abu Sufyan, from Jabir who said the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “You have left in Medina men who did not cross any valley nor walk any path except that they joined you, held back only by illness.” This hadith is also recorded by Muslim and Ibn Majah through various chains from Al-A’mash. Then the Exalted turns blame onto the rich who ask permission to remain behind without excuse, rebuking them for their complacency. He commands that in their adherence they ought at least to accompany the exempted poor women who remain behind with the army’s baggage: “And Allah has set a seal upon their hearts, so they do not know.”