Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

We know the immense importance of the 2 Sunnah rakats before the Fagr fard and that you must also pray them in Qasr salat. Should you also still read them in Qaza salat or can you just pray the fard When praying Qaza for many missed prayers, can we replace even the
important Sunnat with missed fard salats e.g. the sunnats after Maghrib and 2 after Isha For Qaza salat, I have heard and read that if you know which salat you have missed e.g. recent ones, then you should pray them in reverse order i.e. starting with the first one that was due. For salat missed years and years ago, I have also read that you don't have to read them in order. So could I then read all the Fajrs until they are complete (one Fajr along with normal Fard throughout a day for example) and then read all the Maghribs until they complete etc. basically in whatever order I wish?

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Answer:

Qada fard and sunnah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: We know the immense importance of the 2 Sunnah rakats before the Fagr fard and that you must also pray them in Qasr salat. Should you also still read them in Qaza salat or can you just pray the fard

Firstly, please allow us to clarify the difference between Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers.

Fard prayers: These are the five obligatory prayers at their appointed times of the day. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there will be a severe accounting and punishment.

Nafl prayers: These are the voluntary prayers. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin.

Sunnah prayers: These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers which were prayed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they become his (saw’s) Sunnah for us. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin. The most that can be said of one who does not pray the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: Should you also still read them in Qaza salat or can you just pray the fard

Reported 'Imran ibn Husain, "We went with the Messenger of Allah (saws) during the night. When the last portion of the night came, we became tired and fell asleep. We did not wake until we felt the heat of the sun. Some of us tried hurriedly to purify ourselves. The Prophet (saws) ordered us to be calm. Then we rode on until the sun had risen (completely) and we made ablution. He (saws) ordered Bilal to make the call to prayer, and then prayed two rak'ah before the (obligatory) fajr prayer.

Related by Ahmad.

Beloved brother in Islam, although one is only obligated and accountable for praying the five obligatory prayers, the two-rakah Sunnah before the obligatory Fajr prayers was a prayer which the Prophet (saws) and his noble companions never ever missed to pray…even in the situation when the ‘fajr’ had become ‘qada’.

Hadrat Hafsah (r.a.), the noble and chaste wife of the Prophet (saws) reported: "There are five (supererogatory) things that the Prophet (saws) never abandoned: fasting the day of 'Ashurah, fasting the [first] ten [days of Dhul-Hijjah], fasting three days of every month and praying two rak'ah before the dawn prayer."

Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.

Your Question: When praying Qaza for many missed prayers, can we replace even the important Sunnat with missed fard salats e.g. the sunnats after Maghrib and 2 after Isha

There is absolutely no limit on the number of supererogatory prayers one may pray in Islam….and if one wishes to offer the missed Sunnah Muaqqedah prayers with their missed obligatory prayers, there is absolutely no harm.

Your Question: For Qaza salat, I have heard and read that if you know which salat you have missed e.g. recent ones, then you should pray them in reverse order i.e. starting with the first one that was due.

If for example one has slept through or missed ones ‘asr’ and ‘magrib’ prayers and wishes to pray them ‘qada’ at the time of ‘isha’; it is indeed preferred to maintain the order of the prayer, and offer the ‘qada’ prayer in the order they are due…first the ‘asr’, then the ‘magrib’, then the ‘isha’.

Your Question: For salat missed years and years ago, I have also read that you don't have to read them in order. So could I then read all the Fajrs until they are complete (one Fajr along with normal Fard throughout a day for example) and then read all the Maghribs until they complete etc. basically in whatever order I wish?

If one has in the past been so negligent of his prayers that he has missed prayers of many years, then the absolute first thing he must do is immediately turn back to his Lord Most Gracious in sincere Taubah for his severe negligence and lapse, and make a solemn and sincere intention that from this day forward, he will never ever miss even one prayer on time ever again. If the person is sincere in seeking repentance, it is expected that he will find his Lord Merciful and Forgiving.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Beloved brother, if one has missed so many years of obligatory prayers in one’s past, one may fulfill those missed prayers in any format one desires or is easy for them. A better format suggested by the scholars to fulfill all those years of missed prayers is to estimate the number of years that one might have missed the obligatory prayers….and for the coming that many number of years, pray one extra prayer with each of the five obligatory prayer. Not only will this format put a less burden on the person, his time, and his efforts….but it will fulfill his intention of making up all the missed obligatory prayers unto his Lord. And in addition to that, whenever one gets an opportunity, they should increase their offering of their supererogatory prayers (Sunnah and Nafl)….for if there is any deficiency in ones obligatory prayers, these supererogatory prayers will help fill those deficiencies.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the Angels although He knows better: 'Look into the ‘Salah’ of My servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it.’ So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: ‘See if My servant has any supererogatory (nafl) prayers.’ Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: ‘Make up the deficiency in My servant's obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.' Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner"

Related by Abu Dawud.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan