The impediments to the Ahliyah refer to those descriptions that happen to a person and as a result remove the Ahliyah or some of it. These are divided into two categories: Samaawiyah and Muktasabah.

1 – The Samaawiyah (from the sky) impediments:

These are the impediments that befall the human against his will whilst he had no way of repelling them. The most significant of which are:

Al-Junoon (loss of mind), Al-‘Ut’h (imbecility), fainting (passing out) and sleeping, forgetfulness, sickness and death. If the Mukallaf is afflicted by any of these impediments his Ahliyah would become deficient or incomplete in respect to Al-Wujoob and Al-Adaa’. In most cases the Ahliyah of Al-‘Adaa (performance) falls from him as a result of these impediments (‘Awaarid). So for example, the one who has lost his ability to reason (Majnoon), the one sleeping and the dead are not Mukallaf in respect to the Adaa’ (performance) even if some rights are obligatory (Waajib) in respect to their wealth or properties.

2 - Impediments (‘Awaarid) which are not Samaawiyah but ‘Muktasabah’ (acquired):

These are the ‘Awaarid (impediments) that the human or person is characterised with by his choice. The most significant of which are:

Al-Jahl (ignorance), As-Sukr (intoxication), As-Safah (foolishness) and Al-Hazl (jokiness).

It is noticeable that these impediments originate from the person. They represent sinfulness if undertaken wilfully by choice and the Ma’siyah (disobedience) is not valid to be a reason or cause for lightening the accountability. These can affirm the deficiency or incompleteness of the Ahliyah of Al-Wujoob (of obligation) like holding back of the wealth/property of the Safeeh (foolish) or pardoning the ignorant (Jaahil) in respect to some Ahkaam that he is not aware of. However, in most cases the Ahliyah Al-Adaa’ (performance) remains in place and the person who is characterised by these impediments remains Mukallaf (legally responsible) in accordance to the Shar’a and held to account for his actions in the Dunyaa and the Aakhirah. So for instance, if he was to undertake an act that obliged a Hadd from the Hudood (set penal punishments), that Hadd would be applied upon him.

The detailed Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah related to the Ahliyah and the impediments are present within the books of Fiqh alongside their evidences in addition to the differences of opinion amongst the Fuqahaa’ within this issue.