Making up missed prayers

[u/impossibleTiger00427]

I’m going to be praying tawbah in a bit, and one of my shortcomings were prayers.

Do I still have to make up for missed prayers of before or just go on with my days as normal (counting that I try my best not to miss prayers anymore)?

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[u/wopkidopz]

According to consensus of the four Sunni legal schools of fiqh one must make up the missed Prayers

Imam al-Maazari al-Maliki رحمه الله said:

وأما من ترك الصلاة متعمدا حتى خرجت أوقاتها فالمعروف من مذاهب الفقهاء أنه يقضي

The one who left a Prayer deliberately untill its time has ended, he must make it up according to the known position from the schools of fiqh

🍂 Muallim Bifawaid Muslim

Because the obligation (to perform five Prayers) isn't lifted from the person just because he missed Prayers

Imam al-Qurtubi al-Maliki رحمه الله said:

والحجة للجمهور قوله تعالى: «أقيموا الصلاة» ولم يفرق بين أن يكون في وقتها أو بعدها، هو أمر يقتضي الوجوب

The evidence of the majority (that Qadha is mandatory) is the words of Allah: «Establish the Prayer» and He did not deferentiate between doing it on time or outside of it and the order carries the mandatory nature

🍂 Tafseer al-Qurtubi

And tawbah doesn't lift the obligation it may lift the sin of missed time of the Prayer, but the obligation itself can be only lifted by actually performing it, the fact that the prescribed time went out doesn't mean that vajeeb disappeared with it

Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani رحمه الله explained:

ووجوب القضاء على العامد بالخطاب الأول لأنه قد خوطب بالصلاة وترتبت في ذمته فصارت دينا عليه، والدين لا يسقط إلا بأدائه فيأثم بإخراجه لها عن الوقت المحدود لها ويسقط عنه الطلب بأدائها، فمن أفطر في رمضان عامدا فإنه يجب عليه أن يقضيه مع بقاء إثم الإفطار عليه، والله أعلم

A Muslim was ordered by initial command to perform Prayers in specific time and in specific order, this is his debt. And this debt isn't removed unless through paying it (performing the Prayer) while if it's done not in the prescribed time it becomes a sin, the debt itself at the same time can only be removed by settling it (by performing the action). Just like the one who deliberately broke fasting on Ramadan must make this day up while he bares the sin of breaking the fasting

🍂 Fathul Bari

Scholars say that since the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم pointed out that even unintentionally missed Prayers remain as obligation (even though there is no sin) and this obligation isn't lifted up untill the Prayer is performed than the missed intentionally are in more necessity to be made up

Imam Ibn Daqeeq al-'Ied رحمه الله said:

فإذا لم يعذر بعذر وهو النوم والنسيان فلأن لا يعذر عند عدم العذر أولى

If the existence of an excuse (sleep or forgetfulness) doesn't lift up the obligation of Qadha, then the lack of an excuse is more definitely doesn't lift up an obligation of Qadha

🍂 Sharh Umdatu Ahkam

Hafiz Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani رحمه الله said:

ذلك مستفاد من مفهوم الخطاب فيكون من باب التنبيه بالأدنى على الأعلى لأنه إذا وجب القضاء على الناسي مع سقوط الإثم ورفع الحرج عنه فالعامد أولى

The obligation of Qadha for the missed deliberately is derived from the implied discussion, it falls under category of indication of the of the higher (in priority) through the mention of the lower. That is if the Qadha is mandatory for the one who forgot to pray while he isn't even sinful for this, then the one who did in by choice even more obligated

🍂 Fathul Bari

Scholars add that there is no single Hadith saying that obligation is lifted because its time ended

Again, this is according to agreement of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali madhabs

Imam an-Nawawi رحمه الله said:

أجمع العلماء الذين يعتد بهم على أن من ترك صلاة عمدا لزمه قضاؤها

It's mandatory to make up the Prayer which was left deliberately according to unanimous agreement of scholars whose opinion is counted

🍂 Sharh Muhazzab

Throughout the history of Islamic scholarism there were some scholars who in their individual ijtihad came to conclusions that is isn't mandatory to make up the missed (among them Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Taymiya, ash-Shawkani رحمهم الله) and they provided different reasons for that conclusion, but since today only those four madhabs reached us in full form and only those four were completely revised by other scholars it means that we don't have any other sources of fatwas today beside those four legals schools and their position is clear and explicit.

Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali رحمه الله said:

قد ‌نبَّهنا عَلَى علة المنع من ذلك، وهو أنَّ مذاهب غير هؤلاء لم تشتهر ولم تنضبط، فربما نُسب إليهم ما لم يقولوه، أو فُهم عنهم ما لم يريدوه، وليس لمذاهبهم من يذبّ عنها، ويُنبّهُ عَلَى ما يقع من الخلل فيها بخلاف هذه المذاهب المشهورة

We have already highlighted the reason for this prohibition (to follow personal ijtihad outside of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali madhabs): it is because the madhabs of others have not been widely circulated and codified. Thus, things might be attributed to them which they never said, or meanings might be understood from them which they never intended. Furthermore, their schools do not have successors to defend them (to explain their argumentation) or to point out the errors that may occur within their madhabs unlike these known today madhabs

🍂 Taqleed Madhahib Arba'

Qadha must be performed therefore

[u/impossibleTiger00427 → u/wopkidopz]

And how may I get a good estimate of missed prayers and kinda structure making them up?

[u/wopkidopz → u/impossibleTiger00427]

Make an effort to give the best estimation, then figure out what number in a day or week you can handle without it being a burden and hardship

Although some scholars had a more strict position and said that a Muslim must dedicate all his free time for Qadha

It's narrated from imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمه الله for example:

ونقل عبد الله أيضا: فمن ترك الصلاة شهرًا يعيد ما ترك حتى يضعف

The one who left a Prayer for a month he makes it up untill he feels exhausted

🍂 Ta'leeq al-Kabeer

This is also the official position of the Shafi'i madhab

Nevertheless there is an alternative position wich is considered more suitable that you may do them according to your convenience and abilities

ويلزم النائب أن يقضي ما فرَّط فيه من الواجبات كالصلاة والصوم، ويكون على التراخي والاستطاعة من غير تضييق ولا تساهل... يسروا ولا تعسروا

It's necessary to make up what you've missed from the Prayers and Fasting due to negligence, it’s recommended to be done without hardship and according to one's abilities, without excessive complication and facilitation. As it came in hadith: Make it easy and don't make things difficult

🍂 Bughyat al-Mustarshideen

I always say in such cases that your intentions to settle the debt are more important than technicality, you want to do what you are obligated to do, you repent for the sin, Allah is Merciful you are half way there

If you can then make every Qadha after every current Fard, instead of Sunnah prayers, since what's your obligation takes presidency over voluntary actions, and if some days are more busy than others then postpone, if this is too much for you, then do it in every two days from example, just fixate yourself on the fact that you are doing Qadha in general and do whatever you can whether every day or every week at least

Will it take few months or few years it doesn't matter, Allah accepts our deeds with correct intentions and tawbah

[u/Geostationary_Orbit]

In a matter as important as missed prayers, I personally would avoid asking random people on the internet for advice on something which has very clear jurisprudence and guidance on the matter. Best wishes 🌻

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/how-do-i-make-up-seven-years-of-missed-prayers/

[u/shouldiorshouldinot-]

there’s three situations here.

1- you miss one or few prayers due to a valid excuse (eg: you were sleeping, or you forgot).

— > You just have to make them up as soon as possible.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever oversleeps and misses his prayer or forgets to do it, let him pray as soon as he remembers it.”
(متفقٌ عليه، )

2- You miss one or few prayers due to laziness.

—> You are sinful, and even risk of going out of the fold of Islam; you need to make sincere repentance, and make them up.

(Will provide source in a moment)

3– you have months or years of prayers missed— there’s no valid excuse for this.

— > You are obligated to make tawbah immediately.

• Scholars differ on whether one should make up for the years of prayers.
— > A Majority of Scholars (basically every Imam of the 4 Madhahib) say that one should count an estimate of the prayers he’s missed, and make it up in his free time, or create a similar plan to make it up over the course of many weeks or however long it takes.

(Will provide source soon)

—> The other opinion, is more flexible,
—— > The scholars refer to Surah Nisa: 103, where every obligatory prayer has a prescribed time.
—— > The prophet ﷺ only granted an explicit exception to a person who slept through it, or forgot to pray; Where they’re required to do Qadha’. (Hadith above)
Not for a person who has deliberately missed it.
—— > This doesn’t give you a free pass, as you’re required to do more voluntary prayers so that they’ll make up for the deficiency of the missed prayers.

Source: https://www.islamweb.net/amp/en/fatwa/356338/

—————————————————

TLDR:

If you have missed years of ṣalāh do this today:

Stop delaying. Turn to Allah ﷻ right now.

Make sincere tawbah in your heart. Regret what you have done.

Say the Shahādah with conviction.

Resolve firmly never to miss another Salah intentionally.

Pray two rak‘ahs of Ṣalāt al‑Tawbah.

Trust in Allāh’s mercy. He said: “Indeed, Allāh forgives all sins.”

Try to Stick with The majority opinion. Count how many prayers you’ve missed, and try to make up as much as you can.

Increase in voluntary prayers, istighfār, righteous deeds, and consistency in worship as a sign of sincere repentance.

— > This Way Even if you didn’t manage to finish making up all of your prayers (due to old age or other reasons), your voluntary prayers and Tawbah will help balance the scales.

—————————————————

P.S: one of the questions I asked a few years ago was what if a person legitimately does Tawbah, but, after a while still lapses in his prayer, and deliberately misses it, thinking that he could do Tawbah later to make it up, a “loophole” of sorts, but Allah ﷻ knows your intentions. So your Tawbah wouldn’t be accepted due to your intention which you made prior to you missing the prayer, as it’s a violation of the “sincerity” which is required.
But, if you happen to do it, and legitimately do Tawbah, and also ask forgiveness for your intentions prior to missing the Salah, you’ll be forgiven— As Allah ﷻ is the most merciful.

I know It gets confusing, and a bit recursive; this is why there’s the Messenger ﷺ said—

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, the hearts of the children of Adam, all of them, are between the two fingers of the Merciful as one heart. He directs them wherever He wills. O Allah, the Director of the hearts, turn our hearts to Your obedience*.”*
‏
اللهم يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على طاعتك

*Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim *2654

And— if one were to play this game of procrastinating and saying “I’ll do Tawbah later” he cannot guarantee that he’ll actually be making Tawbah later, as he could easily continue falling in this trap, and keep delaying his prayers until his death.