Could Not Recall The Solah Missed?

The case of one who could not recall the number of missed solah.What is be done in accordance to syari'ah ?

If one could not remember the number of solat he had missed, how should he make over them?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All the praise and thanks is due to Allah, the Lord of the al-`alameen. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

The case of missed solat in syari’ah

The five daily solat is a mandatory tenet of Islam. Thus it is not permissible for a Muslim to delay it until its time expires without the excuse permitted by the rule of Allah, syar’ie.

In syar’ie, Solat may have been missed were due one of the following three scenarios:

1. The Solah was missed due to such as overslept or forgotten.

In this case it could be made up as the Prophet s.a.w said:

“Whoever forgets a solah or sleeps and misses it, the expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 572; Muslim, 684]

One should offer these Solah in order of sequence as enjoined in a hadith.

In the hadith of Abu Qatadah r.a there was a situation of how the Prophet s.a.w and his companions slept and missed Fajar prayer when on a journey, and (they did not wake up) until the sun had risen.

Abu Qatadah r.a said:

“Then Bilal gave the call to prayer, and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w prayed two raka’ahs (of Fajar naafil) then he prayed Fajar, and he did the same as he did every day.” [Muslim (681)]

Jabir Ibn ‘Abdallah reported that ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab r.a after the sun had set on the Day of Al-Khandaq started blaming the kuffar of Quraish for unable to do solat ‘asar and saying:

“O Messenger of Allah! I could hardly pray ‘Asar until the sun had almost set.” The Prophet s.a.w replied: “By Allah! I did not pray it either.” We went to Bathaan and he (the Prophet s.a.w) took the wudhu’ for prayer and so did we, then he s.a.w prayed ‘Asar after the sun had set, then he s.a.w prayed Maghrib after that. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari (571) and Muslim (631)]

2. Omitted solah due to unaware of it because of unconsciousness.

In this case the solah is waived for him and he does not have to make it up.

[Fatawa Al-Lajnah Al-Da’imah, 6/21]

3. He missed the Solah for no valid reason.

One of two scenarios applies in this case:

3.1. Either he denied and refused to accept that the solah is obligatory.

In this case there is no dispute that this is kufur and he has nothing to do with Islam. He has to enter Islam and then do all the duties and obligations of Islam, but he does not have to make up the prayers he missed when he was a kafir.

Or,

3.2. He did not observe the solah because he was negligent and lazy.

In this case the prayers are not valid if he makes them up, because he had no excuse at the time when he missed them.

The five daily solah is a mandatory tenet of Islam. Allah s.w.t has enjoined Solah at a certain, clearly-defined times. It is not permissible for a Muslim to delay it until its time expires without a valid excuse permitted by the syar’ie.

Allah says: “Verily, As- Solah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”[An-Nisa’, 4:103]

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 2697; Muslim, 1718]

Shaikh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz Ibn Baaz r.h said:The one who missed prayers deliberately does not have to make them up, according to the correct scholarly view. Rather he has to repent to Allah, because prayer is the foundation of Islam, and failing to pray is the greatest of sins. In fact, failing to pray constitute major kufur according to the evidence is from ahadith narrated.

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kafir.”[Narrated by Ahmad and others: sahih isnad from Buraidah r.a]

“Between a man and syirik and kufur there stands his giving up prayer.”[Narrated by Imam Muslim reported by Jabir Ibn ‘Abdallah r.a]

And there are other ahadith which indicate the same thing.

One has to repent sincerely to Allah by regretting what you have done in the past, resolving not to go back to it. You do not have to make up anything, either with every prayer or otherwise. Praise be to Allah, whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance.

Allah says: “And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”[An-Nur, 24:31]

Allah says: “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)”[At-Tahrim 66:8]

Ibn Kathir said, [the phrase] ‘it may be’ in the case of Allah means that He will definitely [do that].

And it says in the hasan hadith which was narrated by Ibn Majah from Abu ‘Ubaidah Ibn ‘Abdallah from his father that he said:

“The Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: ‘The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.’”

[Al-Zuhd, 4240; classified as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 3427)]

Sincere in the repentance entails to take stock of yourself, one has to ask Allah to forgive what you have done, strive to offer prayers regularly on time in congregation. And to embark in a lot of righteous deeds and as well as performing a lot of naafil solah (supererogatory prayers), and be optimistic, for Allah says:

“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha, 20:82]

After mentioning syirik, murder and zina (adultery) in Surah Al-Furqan, Allah says:

“..and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace. Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful”[Al-Furqan 25:68-70]

[Majmu’ Fatawa Al-Shaikh Ibn Baaz, 10/329, 330]

Concerning forgiveness, Allah s.w.t emphasizes His generosity and kindness, in that He forgives whoever repents to Him from whatever evil they commit:

“If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks God's forgiveness, he will find God Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”[Surah An-Nisa’, 4: 110]

Ibn Abbas r.a commented about this verse saying that Allah informs His servants of His forgiveness, forbearing generosity and expansive mercy. So, whoever commits a sin, whether major or minor, ‘but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’ even if his sins were greater than the heavens, the earth and the mountains.

Abu Hurairah r.a reported: Messenger of Allah s.a.w said:

“Allah, the Exalted, smiles at two men, one of them killed the other and both will enter Jannah. The first is killed by the other while he is fighting in the Cause of Allah, and thereafter Allah will turn in mercy to the second and guide him to accept Islam and then he dies as a Syahid (martyr) fighting in the Cause of Allah.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Even the greatest sins, including those which one has committed before embracing Islam, are forgiven by repentance. Thus one has to repent sincerely to Allah by regretting what you have done in the past-for not doing the solat, resolving not to go back to it. One do not have to make up anything, either with every prayer or otherwise. Praise be to Almighty Allah, the Oft-Forgiving, whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. Sincere in the repentance entails that one to take stock of himself, one has to ask Allah to forgive what you have done, strive to offer prayers regularly on time in congregation. And to embark in dong a lot of righteous deeds and as well as performing a lot of naafil solah, and be optimistic.

[Excerpted from Islam QA ]

The order missed Solah should be made up.

In what order missed solah because of a legitimate syari’e excuse should be made up?

Suppose one missed out two prayers, Zuhur and ‘Asar. How should one make up the prayers? Does one make it in sequence?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

All the Praise is to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad His Messenger.

It should be offered it as soon as one remembers it.

In the cases of one who inadvertently delays a prayer until its time is over because of a legitimate excuse, such as sleeping or forgetting, he has to perform the prayer as soon as that excuse is no longer in effect, as instructed by the Prophet s.a.w.

The Prophet s.a.w said:

“Whoever forgets a prayer let him offer it as soon as he remembers it, and there is no other expiation but that.”

[Muslim]

The prayers should be done identical to the original and in sequence.

The basic principle making up of the missed prayers because legitimate syari’e excuse is one should done it identical to the original number of raka’ahs he would have prayed if he had offered it on time, no more and no less, and without changing the way it is done.

In the hadith of Abu Qatadah r.a there was a situation of how the Prophet s.a.w and his companions slept and missed Fajar prayer when on a journey, and (they did not wake up) until the sun had risen.

Abu Qatadah r.a said:

“Then Bilal gave the call to prayer, and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w prayed two raka’ahs (of Fajar naafil) then he prayed Fajar, and he did the same as he did every day.”

[Muslim (681)]

Ibn Qudamah r.h said:

“In conclusion, it is essential to offer missed prayers in order. This was stated by Ahmad in several places… and a similar view was narrated from Al-Nakha’i, Al-Zuhri, Rabee’ah, Yahya Al-Ansari, Malik, Al-Layth, Abu Hanifah and Ishaq.

Al-Shafi’e r.h said: “It is not essential, because one is making up an obligatory prayer that has been missed, so it is not essential to offer them in order, as with fasting… Once this is established [i.e permissible in syarie], then it is essential to offer them in order even if they are many. This was stated by Imam Ahmad.”

Malik and Abu Hanifah r.h said that they do not have to be offered in order if there are more than a day and a night of prayers, because doing that with regard to more than that period would be too difficult. So the obligation is waived, just like making up missed Ramadaan fasts in sequence.”

[Al-Mughni, 1/352]

It is clear that offering missed prayers which are permissible should be done in sequence according to the fuqaha; except that the Hanafis and Malikis do not say it is obligatory if the prayers of more than one day and one night have been missed.

The way in which the missed prayers are made up in order is to do the missed prayers in the same order as the prescribed prayers. So, whoever misses Zuhur and ‘Asar, for example, should pray Zuhur first, then ‘Asar.

But according the correct view, the obligation to do them in order is waived in the case of one who forgets or was ignorant, or if there is the fear that the time for the current prayer will end soon, or if one fears missing out on a prayer in congregation.

If a person owes two prayers, Zuhur and ‘Asar, and starts with ‘Asar by mistake or because he is unaware that the missed prayers should be offered in order, his prayer is valid.

If he fears that if he starts with the prayers he would missed the time for ‘Asar prayer will ended, then he should pray ‘Asar first, then pray whatever prayers he owes.

What if he enters the mosque, should he offer the current prayer with the congregation or make up what he has missed first?

Imam Ahmad r.h was of the view that he does not have to offer the prayers in sequence if he fears that he will miss out on praying with the congregation.

In this case he should join the congregation with the intention of offering the missed prayer. Thus if a person who missed his Zuhur and he comes to the mosque and they are praying ‘Asar, he can pray with the congregation with the intention of praying Zuhur; and it does not matter if his intention is different from that of the imam. Then he should pray ‘Asar after that.

His view was also favoured by Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah r.h.

[See Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/138-144]

And Allah Knows Best.
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Excerpted from Fatwa No: 49019 Islam Q&A

How Should Missed Solah Be Made Up?

How a missed solah that is permissible by syari’ah should be made up?

How missed prayers in cases permissible should by syari’ah is made up? How many raka’ats you have to do it? Some say, one need to do it as on time prescribe and some say, I don't have to do it if the time has passed.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the Praise is to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad His Messenger.

Firstly: The Five daily Solah is a mandatory.

The Five daily Solah is a mandatory tenet of Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to delay the prayer until its time is over without excuse permitted by syari’e (the rule of Allah).

Allah says:

“Verily, as Solah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”

[An-Nisa’, 4:103]

But the situation that is permissible to be delayed until their time is over. It is in the cases of over slept and forgetting.

It was narrated that Anas Ibn Malik said that the Prophet of Allah s.a.w said:

“Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, its expiation is to make it up as soon as he remembers it.”

[Muslim, 684]

With regard to work, study, etc, these are not excuses that allow delaying a prayer until its time is over.

Allah praises some people by saying:

“Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing As Salah (Iqamat as Salah) nor from giving the Zakah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection)”

[An-Nur, 24:37]

Secondly: The person who missed soalh has committed a major sin.

Whoever neglects to pray until the time for that prayer is over, with no excuse, has committed a sin which is one of the major sins. He has to repent to Allah and resolve to offer that prayer regularly on time. Making it up after its time is over will not avail him anything when he has missed it with no excuse. He should also do a lot of naafil solah (supererogatory prayers), in the hope that they will make up the shortfall in his obligatory prayers.

Thirdly: How should missed prayers because of legitimate excuse be made up?

1.To perform the prayer as soon as that excuse is no longer in effect.

In the cases of one who delays a prayer until its time is over because of a (legitimate) excuse, such as sleeping or forgetting, he has to perform the prayer as soon as that excuse is no longer in effect (i.e immediately he got up and he realised that he had forgotten about it), as commanded by the Prophet s.a.w.

The Prophet s.a.w said:

“Whoever forgets a prayer let him offer it as soon as he remembers it, and there is no other expiation but that.”

[Muslim]

2.It should be done the same and in sequence

He should pray the number of raka’ahs he would have prayed if he had offered it on time, no more and no less, and without changing the way it is done.

In the hadith of Abu Qatadah there is the story of how the Prophet s.a.w and his companions slept and missed Fajar prayer when on a journey, and (they did not wake up) until the sun had risen.

Abu Qatadah said:

“Then Bilal gave the call to prayer, and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w prayed two raka’ahs, then he prayed Fajar, and he did the same as he did every day.”

[Muslim (681)]

Al-Nawawi said: “The same as he used to do every day” indicates that the way in which missed prayers are to be made up is the same way as they would normally be done, [should be done in sequence].

The basic principle according to the scholars is that making up of missed prayers is identical to the original action.

And Allah knows best.
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Fatwa No 20882 Islam Q&A

How does one make up the missed Solah?

How does one make up the missed Solāt? Can we Qadā the missed Solāt?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and May Allah blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

Firstly: Solāt are enjoined to be adhered to its specific time and it is not permissible to transgress against that except for reasons permitted in syari’ah.

The Five daily Solāh is a mandatory tenet of Islam and indeed Allāh has allocated specific times for acts of worship for reasons that are known to Him.  Allāh Subhānahu wa Ta`āla clearly says in the Qurān:

“Verily, as-Solāh (the prayers) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”

[An-Nisa’, 4:103]

The believers are enjoined to adhere to it and it is not permissible to transgress against that except for reasons permitted in syarī’ah.

Secondly: Possible reasons for Missing the Solāh

If a person misses the Solāt, one of two scenarios must possibly apply:

1 – He missed it for a reason, such as falling asleep or forgetting it. There is no sin on him in this case, but he has to make it up when he wakes up or remembers it.

It was narrated from Anas Ibn Mālik (radiallāhu`anha) that the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever forgets a Solāt let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that.”

[Narrated by Al-Bukhari (572)]

Muslim narrated an additional phrase: “or sleeps and misses it”: “If one of you sleeps and misses a Solāt, or forgets it, let him offer the Solāt when he remembers, for Allāh says ‘and perform As-Solāh (Iqāmat as-Solāh) for My remembrance’ [Ta-Ha, 20:14].”

[Narrated by Muslim (684)]

2 – He missed the Solāt with no excuse; rather he ignored it until the time for it ended, out of laziness and carelessness. This according to the consensus of the fuqahā that the person has committed a major sin.

It is not valid for him to make it up (Qadhā') according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, rather he has to repent and regret it, and resolve not to do that again, and he should do a lot of good deeds and offer a lot of voluntary Solāts.

Ibn Hazam said: "As for the one who deliberately omits to Solāt until the time for the Solāt ends, he can never make it up, so he should do a lot of good deeds and offer a lot of voluntary Solāts, so that his balance (of good deeds) will weigh heavily on the Day of Resurrection, and he should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness."

[Al-Muhalla (2/235)]

This is also the view of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb and his son ‘Abdallah Ibn Umar, and of Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas, Salman, Ibn Mas’ud, Al-Qasim Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr, Badīl Al-‘Aqīli, Muhammad Ibn Sireen, Mutarrif Ibn ‘Abdallāh and ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azīz. It was also the view of Dawud Al-Zahiri and Ibn Hazam, and was the view favoured by Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Al-Shawkāni. Among contemporary scholars it was regarded as more correct by Al-Albāni, Ibn Bāz, Ibn ‘Uthaymīn and others.

They quoted as evidence the following:

(i) Allāh States:

“Verily, As-Salāh (the Prayers) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”

[An-Nisā’, 4:103]

There is a set time for Solāt and it is not permissible to do it at any other time except with evidence.

The Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever forgets a Solāt, let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that.”

[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (572)]

(ii) The words “let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that” refers: “If he delays in offering the Solāt after he remembers it, then it is not expiation”

So, how about the one who neglects it deliberately without forgetting or sleeping? It is even more likely that it will not be expiation in that case and making it up will be of no benefit.

(iii) It is because Allāh has allocated a specific time for each obligatory Solāt, specifying the beginning and end thereof, so it is as if it is not valid to do it before that time just as it is not valid to do it afterwards.

[Al-Muhalla (2/235)]

iv) Ibn Hazam said:  “Also, making it up should be based on evidence, and it is not permissible for anything to be prescribed other than by Allāh on the lips of His Messenger (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam). We ask those who say that the one who deliberately omits the Solāt is obliged to make it up to tell us about the Solāt. Is it that was enjoined by Allāh or some other Solāts?

If they say it is the one that was enjoined by Allāh, then we say to them: Then the one who deliberately omits it is a sinner, because he has not done what Allāh commanded him to do and there is a sin, because he deliberately omits to pray until the time for it ends.”

[Al-Muhalla (2/236)]

Those who say that he has to make it up did so by analogy with the one who forgets or falls asleep, and they said that if the one who forgets has to make it up, then it is more likely that the one who deliberately omitted it should do so.

My response is that there is no comparison between the two scenarios, because the one who omits it deliberately is sinning, which is not true in the case of the one who forgets, so how can an analogy be drawn between the one who is sinning and the one who is not sinning?

Al-Shawkāni said that Ibn Taymiyah (rahimahullah) said:  Those who disagree – i.e., those who say that he should make up the Solāt – do not have any proof to support their argument. Most of them say that he does not have to make it up unless there is a clear command (based on evidence), but there is no such command in this case. We do not disagree that it is obligatory to make it up; rather we disagree as to whether the made-up Solāt will be accepted from him and whether Solāt offered at the wrong time is valid. He discussed this matter at length and he favoured the view that was mentioned by Dawud and those who agreed with him, and the matter is as he put it, because I made a thorough study of this matter and I did not see any reliable evidence that obliges the one who misses a Solāt deliberately to make it up.

[Nayl al-Awtār (2/26)]

The more correct view and Allāh knows best, is that the one who deliberately omits the Solāt should not make it up; rather he has to seek forgiveness and repent. Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimallah) discussed this issue at length and examined the evidence of both sides in his useful book Al-Solāh (p. 67-109).

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: "The scholars who say that he should make up the Solāt does not means that by making it up he is absolved of sin, rather they say that by making it up his burden of sin is reduced, but the sin of missing and delaying the Solāt beyond its prescribed time, it needs either repentance or good deeds that will erase it or other things that will waive the punishment."

[Minhaj al-Sunnah (5/233)]

[Adapted from Islam QA]