Missed Prayers
Question :

If someone has missed fasts during the month of Ramadan and missed prayers as well, he should make up the fasts before the next Ramadan. Does he have to make the prayers before the next Ramadan as well?

Answer :

One must make up the missed prayers, whether they were missed during the holy months or not. They should be made up as long as he is able to do so. There is no designated time for it. So, the make-up can be delayed, but it should not be considered as neglection of the orders of Almighty Allah.

The Concept of Janaba
Question :

I was ignorant of the concept of Janaba, and did not know for some time. Later I came to know about Ghusl and performed it. I used to offer prayers all that time. What should I do about them?

Answer :

You must make up for the prayers that you know you missed.

Praying After the Designated Time
Question :

If one is working during the time for Fajr prayer and performs the prayer after sunrise, is the prayer valid or void?

Answer :

It is prohibited to delay the prayer after its designated time. However, if he did delay it then he must offer the prayer with the intention of being Qadha prayer.

Deliberately not Offering the Prayers
Question :

Is a son required to offer the lapsed prayers and fasts of his deceased mother if the parents deliberately abandoned the praying and fasting without any good reason, is the son still obligated to make them up on their behalf?

Answer :

It is not obligatory for the children to make up the prayers and the fasts that their mother missed, although it is strongly recommended to do so. If the father did not care about making up the prayers and the fasts that he missed, then it is not obligatory on his sons to make them up after his death.

Making up Prayers and Fasts
Question :

Though my father is Muslim, I was not raised in a religious household and was not taught anything about Islam until I was about twenty years old, at which point I began praying, fasting, etc. Should I make up the prayers and fasts that I missed from the time I became baligh until the time I began to practice Islam?

Answer :

It is obligatory on you to make up the prayers and fasts for the years that you missed after reaching the age of adulthood as defined by Islam. You should also pay the fidya for the delay in making up the missed fasts.

Offering the Qadha Prayers First
Question :

If somebody has not offered the prayers within the prescribed time, must he offer the subsequent prayers within the prescribed times or the qadha prayers first? For example, if one misses Fajr prayer and the time has come for Dhuhr prayer, must he pray the qadha of Fajr first, or the Dhuhr first?

Answer :

It is not mandatory to offer the qadha prayer first.

Prayers on Behalf of Parents
Question :

Can we offer prayers on behalf of our parents while they are alive or are they only to be offered after they pass away?

Answer :

It is not permissible to offer the qadha prayers on behalf of a living person.

Time of Performing Qadha Prayers
Question :

Can the qadha for a missed prayer be performed at any time of the day?

Answer :

Yes, it is permissible to perform it at any time.

Order of Making up the Missed Prayers
Question :

If one has missed several prayers, must he offer the qadha prayers in an order (first Fajr, then Dhuhr, Asr etc..) or can he offer them in any order he wishes?

Answer :

For a person who missed a full days' prayer, it is recommended to make them up in the order that they were missed. For a person who missed Maghrib and Isha prayers, or missed Dhuhr and Asr prayers, the first prayer must be made up first.

The Obligation of the Eldest son
Question :

Is it obligatory for the eldest son to perform the qadha for both parents?

Answer :

No, it is not obligatory to perform the qadha for the mother.

Making up the Missed Prayers
Question :

Recently I started to practice my religion and began to offer prayers. I know that I have missed many prayers and fasts. What should I do, taking into consideration that I am not sure when I reached the age of Sharia-defined adulthood and how many days I have missed?

Answer :

You should make up your fasting and your prayers that you have missed after you reached the age of adulthood, which is recognized by the completion of fifteen lunar years, the discharge of semen or the presence of hard hair on the face or in the pubic area, whichever happens first.

Praying for the First Time
Question :

A 58-year-old man wants to start praying for the first time in his life. He is worried about all the prayers he has to make up and doesn’t know how to go about it. Is it permissible for him to pay someone to do the past prayers on his behalf while he prays the upcoming prayers?

Answer :

The said person should perform the obligatory prayers from now on. He does not need to hasten to make up the missed prayers, but it is not permissible to neglect such obligations. To make it easier to make up for the past prayers, he can offer – for instance – each obligatory prayer twice: one as his current obligation and one to make up for the past lapsed prayers. He should ensure that the prayers that remain are a part of his will so they can be offered on his behalf after his death. He cannot pay somebody to offer his prayers on his behalf, but his heirs can do so after his death.

Doubts about the Number of Missed Prayers
Question :

If I doubt whether I have missed a prayer or not, is it possible to offer the qadha of that prayer with the intention that if I did not actually miss it, it will be offered as a recommended (nafilah) prayer.

Answer :

Such an intention is not correct. However, one can offer the prayer with the intention of fulfilling one's obligation, so if he did not actually miss the prayer, he will gain the rewards of submission to Almighty Allah in removing any doubts about his obligation.

Qadha-e-Umri
Question :

I have heard of a prayer called "Qadha-e-Umri" by which all the missed prayers can be made up. Is there any truth to this? If so, how is it performed and is there a particular day or time to offer this?

Answer :

There is no such single prayer that removes the liability for all missed prayers. Therefore, every missed prayer needs to be made up as qadha individually.

Missed Prayers after Masturbation
Question :

If one masturbates for some time and didn't know that he has to perform Ghusl because of the ejaculation; does he have to repeat all the fasting days and make up his prayers that he performed without the Ghusl?

Answer :

Masturbation is a prohibited act and should be avoided with seeking forgiveness from the Almighty Allah and repenting to Him. The prayers that the person knows that he did after masturbating and before performing Ghusl should be repeated. It is not required to make up the fasts.

Making up the Isha Prayer
Question :

If at the time of Isha prayers I was travelling and did not pray, when I reached home after midnight, how should I perform the Isha prayer, full or shortened?

Answer :

Based on an obligatory precaution, you should offer Maghrib prayer with the intention of fulfilling an actual obligation with uncertainty on whether it is being performed within its prescribed time or beyond it. After that, he should offer isha prayer twice, one shortened and one full.

Missed Fasts and Missed Prayers
Question :

If somebody has missed fasts for years and missed prayers for years, does he have to make up the missed prayers and then the missed fasts?

Answer :

One must make up the missed prayers. It is also obligatory to make up missed fasts. Making one of them up before the other is not obligatory.

Forgiveness of Previous Prayers
Question :

Are obligatory prayers that I have missed in previous years forgiven after performing Hajj?

Answer :

If someone missed an obligatory prayer, he committed a sin and he should ask almighty Allah to forgive this sin. Hajj can be a means of obtaining such forgiveness, but he still needs to make up the missed prayers.

Making up Missed Prayers
Question :

I travelled to another city 150km away, and I could not offer the Zuhr and Asr prayers. I returned that night, and I wish to perform the Qadha prayers. Should they be offered shortened, as I was travelling then, or should they be offered in full, as I am actually offering them at home?

Answer :

It is forbidden to fail to pray on time, even if you are travelling. You must try to perform the prayers by any possible means. But if you did not, then you will make them up later shortened, even if you are at home now.

More than One Person Making up the Prayers
Question :

I have hired various persons who are poor and pious believers and mostly careful in Sharia laws to make up for the lapsed prayers of my late wife. Now I have been told that they cannot offer prayers at the same time. Is this true?

Answer :

It is not a requirement in the prayers on behalf of the deceased that they are not offered at the same time. They can offer the prayers based on their own circumstances and time.