Some people say that there is no need to make up missed prayers, is this correct?

Quran

Hadith

Islamic Text

One must make up missed prayers.

There are many Hadith that make it very clear that missed prayers need to be made up (Qada).

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ نَسِيَ صَلَاةً، أَوْ نَامَ عَنْهَا، فَكَفَّارَتُهَا أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا»

Anas bin Malik said that that the Prophet of Allah  said, ‘whoever forgets the prayer, or sleeps through it, its expiation is to pray it when he remembers it.’ (Sahih Muslim, 684 -315).

أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِيَّ النَّوْمِ تَفْرِيطٌ، إِنَّمَا التَّفْرِيطُ عَلَى مَنْ لَمْ يُصَلِّ الصَّلَاةَ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةَ الْأُخْرَى، فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَلْيُصَلِّهَا حِينَ يَنْتَبِهُ لَهَا

The Prophet  said, ‘There is no neglect in sleeping. Rather neglect is that one does not pray until the time of another prayer enters. The one who done that should pray when he realises he has missed prayer.’  (Sahih Muslim,681 -311).

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الخَطَّابِ، جَاءَ يَوْمَ الخَنْدَقِ، بَعْدَ مَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَجَعَلَ يَسُبُّ كُفَّارَ قُرَيْشٍ، قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا كِدْتُ أُصَلِّي العَصْرَ، حَتَّى كَادَتِ الشَّمْسُ تَغْرُبُ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَاللَّهِ مَا صَلَّيْتُهَا» فَقُمْنَا إِلَى بُطْحَانَ، فَتَوَضَّأَ لِلصَّلاَةِ وَتَوَضَّأْنَا لَهَا، فَصَلَّى العَصْرَ بَعْدَ مَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بَعْدَهَا المَغْرِبَ

Jabir bin `Abdullah narrates that On the day of Al-Khandaq (the battle of the trench.) `Umar bin Al-Khattab came cursing the disbelievers of Quraish after the sun had set and said, “O Allah’s Messenger  I could not offer the `Asr prayer till the sun had almost set.” The Prophet said, “By Allah, I too, have not prayed it.” So we turned towards Buthan, and the Prophet performed ablution and we too performed ablution and prayed the `Asr prayer after the sun had set, and then he  prayed the Maghrib prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 596).

In the Hanafi Madhab there are details with regards to how to make up missed prayers (Qada), these should be studied thoroughly before embarking upon the obligation of Qada.

(ومن فاتته الصلاة قضاها إذا ذكرها وقدمها لزوما على صلاة الوقت إلا أن يخاف فوات صلاة الوقت فيقدم صلاة الوقت ثم يقضيها (مختصر القدوري

And whoever misses the prayer, must make it up when he realises. He must do so before the current obligatory prayer, unless he is afraid that he will miss the current prayer from its time. In which case he prays the current prayer and then makes up the missed prayer. (Mukhtasar al-Quduri).

However missing prayers should not be taken lightly, as missing a prayer without a valid excuse is a major sin.

– Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen (04.01.2021)

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Q and A is not a substitute to studying