FULFILLING MISSED PRAYERS (SALAH-AL-QADA)
Introduction:
Missing a Salāh is a major sin in Islam. A person who misses a Salāh must make up for
it and seek forgiveness from Allāh. This Qadā must be done immediately.
What is Qadā done for?
*The Fard and Wājib Salāhs (Witr)
*If the Fajr prayer was missed and is performed before Zawāl (midday), then one
should pray the two Sunnahs too. With the exception of the two Sunnahs of Fajr, if any
other Sunnah is missed then there is no Qadā for it. Those who miss Salāh and do not have to make up for it
*The women going through Hayd and Nifās
*The mental and the unconscious when their state continues for the period of more
than Give Salāhs. If it is less than that, then they will perform Qadā. Please note that if a
person was drunk or under the inGluence of drugs, then no Salāhs are forgiven.
The Order
*One should not perform the present Salāh until he has perform the missed one. So for
example, one should not read Zuhr if he/she has missed the Fajr of the day.
*The order is dropped when:
i. If he/she has missed more than Give prayers, then he/she can make up for them in any
order he/she pleases.
ii. There is too little time, in that performing the Qadā will delay the present Salāh.
iii. A person genuinely forgot he had a Qadā.
Prohibited times
The times when it is not permissible to perform Qadā Salāh are (i) when the sun is
rising (ii) when the sun is setting (iii) when the sun is at its highest point.
Fulfilling prayers missed over a substantial period of time
When a Muslim has missed prayers over a prolonged period of time, then he/she needs
to fulGil these prayers too. With each prayer, one has the intention that ‘this is the Qadā
for the Girst/last Fajr I missed in my life.’
Sharī’ah has permitted a quicker method for these prayers:
a. Instead of reciting Subhāna Rabbiyal-Azīm and Subhāna Rabbiyal A’la thrice in Rukū
and Sajda respectively, one can recite it once. Having said that, he/she must ensure
they remain motionless in both states, even for a moment.
b. In the third and fourth rak’at of the Fard prayers, one can simply recite Subhān Allāh
thrice in the place of Surah al-Fātiha and then go into Rukū. Please note that for the
Qadā of Witr prayers, Surah al-Fātiha and a Sūrah is required for the third rak’at.
c. In the Ginal sitting, one can simply recite Allāhumma Salle alā Muhammadin wa Aalihī
ِه)
و آلِنا محمددسي َعلي لِص َاللهم (in the place of the full Durūd Ibrāhīm and the du’ā that
follows it. He will still recite Tasahhud in its entirety though.
d. In the third rak’at of the Witr prayers, he can recite Rabbigh Firlī (ْيِ
ْ لرَ ِب ا ْغفر (once or thrice in the place of the du’ā of Qunūt (Fatāwa Rizwiyya).
A Muslim should keep performing these prayers until he/she is overwhelmingly sure
that he/she has covered all the missed Salāhs in his/her adult life.
Other Rulings
a. When a person has Qadā prayers to fulGil, then this takes preference over the optional
(NawāHil) prayers. Having said that, a Muslim should not forsake the following prayers
even if they have Qadā prayers to fulGil – the daily Sunnahs, Salāh al-Duhā, Salāh alAwwābīn (the six after Maghrib), Salāh al-Tasbīh and Salāh Tahiyya al-Masjid.
b. A missed prayer should be fulGilled in the state in which it was missed. For example,
if a person missed a four rak’at prayer (like Asr, for example) during a journey then he
will only have to pray two rak’ats when making up for it, even if he makes up for the
missed prayer when he returns home. If one has missed four rak’ats Asr at home, then
one should make up for it by praying four rak’ats, even if one makes up for it in the
state of a MusāHir (traveller).
Dr. Ha’iz Ather Hussain al-Azhari
@ha’fiz_ather
BA Principles of Theology, al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
MA Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dar al-Ulum Muhammadia Ghawsia, Bhera, Pakistan.
BA Political Science, MPhil Theology & PhD Theology, University of Birmingham.