Fatwa #292916 May 2001United Kingdom
I wish to make up for my missed salah for the last 11 years, how should I do this?
Question
In a hadeeth it states that a child should be made to pray at the age of of 7 years and at the age of 10 years he should be beaten, if he does not pray. I was told by a scholar it is obligatory to pray from the age of 10. I am 21 years old and wish to make up all salah in the past.1) Could you explain if I need to make salah from the age of 10 or when I became mature? I wish to make up for all prayers between 1990 (10 years old) and 2001 (21 years old). I have made a timetable to follow in order for me know how many prayers to complete and have completed. I have two problems 2) how do I make my intention? Meaning do I make the intention to make up the lost prayer e.g. 01/01/1990 for Fajr (be specific), or generally make an intention for a missed salah, and then pray? 3) I have prayed my salah between 1990-2001, but I feel many prayers were not accepted (some not all) due to reasons that make salah invalid and some I am just not sure about (praying to fast, not concertrating). I wish to redo all these salah (the ones I did and did not). Can I do this? I wish to account for every salah? So do I pray qadah for this? 4) If some prayers were accepted and I repeat them any way, can these repeats be accepted for another missed salah? If not, is this salah then nafil? 5) If I prayed a salah and I made qadah for it, which one will be accepted (even if the salah was done not to the best of ability but still valid, but qadah salah was prayed in the most excellent manner)?
Answer
Maa shaa Allah, your concern for your Qadhaas (completion of the missed%0D%0ASalaats) is commendable. May Allah Ta'ala make it easy for you to fulfil it.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe manner of completion is as follows:%0D%0Aa) Calculate the number of Fardh Salaats only missed from the time you%0D%0Abecame mature up till now. The Witr Salaats is also included (6 Salaats per%0D%0Aday = 180 Salaats per months = 2160 per year)%0D%0Ab) Deduct the Salaats missed during the 'monthly cycle' as there is no Qadha%0D%0Afor the Salaat missed during the monthly cycle. Try and determine the number%0D%0Aof the missed Salaats.%0D%0Ac) The number of fasts missed from the age of maturity should be calculated%0D%0Aand completed.%0D%0Ad) The money that you had paid will not suffice for the completion, rather,%0D%0Ait will count as optional charity for which you will be rewarded, Insha%0D%0AAllah.%0D%0A%0D%0AWord of Advice%0D%0AThank Allah for giving you the concern to complete your missed Salaats.%0D%0AAllah Ta'ala wants to bring you closer to him. How would you face Allah on%0D%0Athe day of Qiyaamat should you pass away without making the Qadhaas. The big%0D%0Afigures that you might see should not break your courage. Rather, Shaytaan%0D%0Ais going to work on your mind harder now to take you away from this great%0D%0Astep that you would be taking towards getting closer to Allah Ta'ala.%0D%0A%0D%0AAn easy method of fulfilling your Qadhaas is that from now on and after each%0D%0AFardh Salaat of the day, read one Qadhaa Slaats of the same kind, e.g. after%0D%0Ayou discharge the Dhuhr of today, just read one Dhuhr Qadhaa Salaat of 4%0D%0ARakaats. There is no Qadhaa for the Sunnats and Nafls missed. There is no%0D%0Aneed to redo the Salaats which you have performed. Your intention for Qadhaa%0D%0Awill be as follows: 'I intend making Qadhaa of my missed Salaat.'%0D%0A%0D%0AIf you are in a habit of reading Nafl Salaat, rather perform your Qadhaa%0D%0ASalaats instead. This is your priority. Make maximum use of the big nights,%0D%0Abig days, etc. that fall during the course of the year. For your Qadhaa%0D%0Afasts, try and fast once or twice a week and complete it.%0D%0A%0D%0ALastly, make lots of Du'aa to Allah Ta'ala to make it easy for you, for He%0D%0Ais the solution to all our matters.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A