Legal Ruling on Making Up Missed Prayers
Imām al-Nawawī, who passed away in 676 AH / 1277 CE, states:
أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُعْتَدُّ بِهِمْ عَلَى أَنَّ مَنْ تَرَكَ صَلَاةً عَمْدًا لَزِمَهُ قَضَاؤُهَا
There is consensus, ijmāʿ, of the scholars whose opinion counts that whoever leaves a prayer intentionally must make it up.
- You will only perform qaḍā’ of farḍ (“obligatory”) and wājib (“essential”)
units of prayers missed.
If a person has missed only a few prayers, they can be made up in the normal way.
However, if a large number of prayers have been missed, there is a way to pray
them quickly, without missing out any of the obligatory parts of the prayer.
- When beginning the prayer, a person may begin his prayer starting directly
from the recitation of surah al-fātiḥa, instead of reading thanā’2 (ثناء),
ta’awwudh3 (التَّعَوُّ ذ) and basmala4 (ب َس ْ م َ لَة ). - In the last two rakʿah (units) of a four rakʿah farḍ prayer, instead of reading Al-Nawawī, al-Majmūʾ sharḥ al-Muhadh’dhab (3:76).This is the opening: ‘subḥanā-k’allāh humma wa bi-ḥamdika...The use of the phrase: ‘aʿūd̲h̲u bi ’llāhi min’ash-shayṭān ni’r-rajīm.The formula: ‘biʾsmi llāhi l-raḥmāni l-raḥīmi’, also referred to as the bismilla or tasmiyya.
- Instead of repeating subḥāna rabbī’ ya’l-ʿaẓīm (سبحان ريب العظيم) three times, it
can be repeated once. - Instead of repeating subḥāna rabbī ya’l-‘aʿlā (سبحان ربى األعىل) three times in
sujūd (“prostration”), it can be repeated once. - At the end of the prayer, instead reciting the full salawat. one may read
allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā sayyidina muḥammadin wa ʿalā ālihi. - In the witr prayer, instead of reading duʿā al-Qunūt (دعاء القنوت), one may read
rabbigh’firlī ( ِر َب ِّ اغْف ِ ر ْ ل)(“O Lord, forgive me”) three times.
