Making up missed prayers

12-10-1999 | IslamWeb

Question:

What should I do about missed prayers?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is a consensus of opinion among all leading Imams (scholars of Islam) that the missed prayers must be performed whenever remembered. There is a sound evidence on this from the Hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim: “Whoever forgets a prayer (or sleeps through its time) should perform it whenever he remembers it.” In another Hadeeth Muslim also narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “Missed to pray al-Subh (Dawn Prayer) during a trip until the sun had risen up. Then, he made his ablutions and prostrated himself twice. Then the prayer was called and he prayed the Ghadat (Morning Prayer).”    

These pieces of evidence back up what the scholars have agreed upon. On the other hand, a Muslim must not neglect any prayer as whoever gives up praying becomes unbeliever. May Allah protect us!

And Allah knows best.