Blindness (ama): capacity, worship, testimony and contract

العَمَى

In the lexicon, ama is the loss of sight, and it is also used for loss of insight. The jurists agree that blindness does not remove legal capacity, and obligations fall away only where an excuse or harm requires it ^{1 2}. Most jurists hold that the Friday prayer is obligatory on the blind man who can guide himself or has a guide; Abu Hanifa holds it not obligatory ¹. On the call to prayer and leading the prayer the schools differ: the Shafi'is and Hanbalis dislike the blind man calling the prayer unless a sighted person tells him the time, the Malikis allow it; the Hanafis and Hanbalis dislike his leading the prayer unless he is the most learned, ². The testimony of a blind man is not accepted for what is seen, but is accepted for what is touched, smelt, tasted or heard in some views ². The sale of a blind man by description is valid for the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis, while the Shafi'is forbid contracts that require sight ^{2 3}. A blind man may validly swear lian for an adultery he is sure of by touch or hearing ³.