Making up prayers which were intentionally missed

Visit our YouTube channel for more

Question: When I was a reckless young man, during the period of my youth, I abandoned the prayer (salaah) for a period of six months; [thereafter] Allaah bestowed upon me guidance and uprightness, and [the conviction to] preserve the [daily] prayers at their [appointed] times. [Now] should I make up the prayers which I had abandoned early on in my life? And are prayers [ever] required to be made up?

Response: That which is correct, and the preponderant opinion [in this matter] is that those prayers which were intentionally abandoned are not to be made up, rather one must repent and thereafter [have a firm conviction to] protect and preserve the prayer for the rest of his life. As for the [prayer] which should be made up, then it is that [prayer] which was missed out of forgetfulness or by reason of sleep – these [prayers which were missed under such circumstances] are to be made up: He ﷺ said:

«Whoever forgets a prayer or overslept, then he must pray it when he remembers, and there is no kaffaarah for it other than that» – transmitted by al-Bukhaaree, no.597 and Muslim, no.684

And no mention [in the hadeeth] has been made of intentionally leaving it.


Translation originally published on 2 March, 2015

He is a graduate of the Islaamic University of Madeenah, having graduated from the Institute of Arabic Language, and later the Faculty of Sharee'ah in 2004. He currently resides in Birmingham, UK.

Related posts