Fatwa ID: 07881
Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
I have years of missed salah. Do I need to make them all up, and can you remind me of the importance of observing the prayer?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Prophet (saw) said: “If anyone forgets a salah, he should pray when he remembers it. There is no expiation for it except that…” (Bukhāri) [1]
It is necessary for anyone who has missed salah to make qaḍhā’, regardless of how many they have missed, otherwise it is a major sin. Qaḍhā’ is made for any farḍh and witr salah that were missed since the age of puberty.[2]
There are many ayahs and hadeeth regarding the importance of the daily salah, of which I will narrate a few:
“… Indeed, salah has been decreed upon the believers at fixed times.” Surah An-Nisā’ (4:103) [3]
“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish salah. Indeed, the salah prevents immorality and wrongdoing. And surely the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows what you do.” Surah Al-’Ankabūt (29:45) [4]
“And establish salah and give zakah, and whatever you put forward for yourselves from good – you will find it with Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is All-Seeing of what you do.” Surah Al-Baqarah (2:110) [5]
“But there came after them successors who neglected salah and pursued desires; thus soon they will meet [the consequences of their] evil.” Surah Maryam (19:59) [6]
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Islam is built on five things: Testifying that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, establishing salah, paying zakat, performing Hajj, and fasting Ramadan.” (Bukhāri & Muslim) [7]
It is narrated on the authority of Jabir (ra) that he heard the Prophet (saw) saying: “Verily between man, and between shirk and kufr is the abandonment of salah.” (Muslim) [8]
Salah is a sign of faith (Imān), the second of the five pillars of Islam and one of the first things you will be questioned about on the day of Judgement. Allāh (swt) has made salah compulsory (farḍh) upon us and it is a means by which we can expiate and deter from sins and without it our faith is incomplete.
Only Allāh (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، وَمُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” مَنْ نَسِيَ صَلاَةً فَلْيُصَلِّ إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا، لاَ كَفَّارَةَ لَهَا إِلاَّ ذَلِكَ ”. {وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِذِكْرِي} قَالَ مُوسَى قَالَ هَمَّامٌ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ بَعْدُ {وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِذِكْرِي}.وَقَالَ حَبَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 597 (Bk.9, ch.37, sunnah.com)
[2]
(الْبَابُ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ فِي قَضَاءِ الْفَوَائِتِ) كُلُّ صَلَاةٍ فَاتَتْ عَنْ الْوَقْتِ بَعْدَ وُجُوبِهَا فِيهِ يَلْزَمُهُ قَضَاؤُهَا سَوَاءٌ تَرَكَ عَمْدًا أَوْ سَهْوًا أَوْ بِسَبَبِ نَوْمٍ وَسَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ الْفَوَائِتُ كَثِيرَةً أَوْ قَلِيلَةً… وَالْقَضَاءُ فَرْضٌ فِي الْفَرْضِ وَوَاجِبٌ فِي الْوَاجِبِ سُنَّةٌ فِي السُّنَّةِ…
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.121, Dār Al-Fiqr)
بَابُ قَضَاءِ الْفَوَائِتِ لَمْ يَقُلْ الْمَتْرُوكَاتِ ظَنًّا بِالْمُسْلِمِ خَيْرًا، إذْ التَّأْخِيرُ بِلَا عُذْرٍ كَبِيرَةٌ لَا تَزُولُ بِالْقَضَاءِ بَلْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ أَوْ الْحَجِّ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.62, Dār Al-Fiqr)
فَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ مَنْ تَرَكَ وَاجِبًا مِنْ وَاجِبَاتِهَا أَوْ ارْتَكَبَ مَكْرُوهًا تَحْرِيمِيًّا لَزِمَهُ وُجُوبًا أَنْ يُعِيدَ فِي الْوَقْتِ، فَإِنْ خَرَجَ أَثِمَ وَلَا يَجِبُ جَبْرُ النُّقْصَانِ بَعْدَهُ. فَلَوْ فَعَلَ فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ.
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.64, Dār Al-Fiqr)
(التَّرْتِيبُ بَيْنَ الْفُرُوضِ الْخَمْسَةِ وَالْوِتْرِ أَدَاءٌ وَقَضَاءً لَازِمٌ)
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.65, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3]
﴿ فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ ۚ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا ﴾
Qur’an (4:103)
[4]
﴿ اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴾
Qur’an (29:45)
[5]
﴿ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴾
Qur’an (2:110)
[6]
﴿ فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا ﴾
Qur’an (19:59)
[7]
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 8 (Bk.2, ch.2, sunnah.com) and Sahih Muslim 16d (Bk.1, ch.5, sunnah.com)
[8]
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ إِنَّ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكَ الصَّلاَةِ ”.
Sahih Muslim 82a (Bk.1, ch.35, sunnah.com)
