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:

Dear brother,
As salaam aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathuhu,
2 - Salathula Haajath
3 - Umre Khaza

Khuda Haafiz

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How to pray ‘hajaah’ and umre qada

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely nothing in the established and authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) called the ‘salaat-ul-haajath’ or the prayer of ‘Umre-Khaza’….. and when the Messenger of Allah (saws) has not given or assigned a particular name for a prayer/s, it does not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to give or assign a name to it from himself!

Ref: Salathula Haajath (or a prayer to offer when in need)

When one has a ‘hajaah’ or need, one may simply raise one’s hands or bow down to their Lord in prostration and in absolute awe, humility, fear, and hope implore and beseech their Lord Most Gracious to fulfill their need; for He Alone suffices as a Disposer of all affairs. If one wishes to offer a prayer or do a good deed before making one’s supplication, there is absolute no harm in doing so…but one should not give or assign a name to that prayer or deed when no name is assigned to it by the Messenger of Allah (saws)!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186:

And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.''

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (saws) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

Abdallah b. 'Umar reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Hearts are like vessels, some more attentive and capacious than others. When you supplicate Allah you should be certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a careless and inattentive heart."

Narrated by Ahmad

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2248 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "There are three whose supplication is not rejected: one who has just ended a fast, a just imam, and one who has been wronged, whose supplication is raised by Allah above the clouds and for which the gates of Heaven are opened. The Lord says, 'I swear by My might that I shall certainly help you, though it be after some time.'"

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Your supplication will be answered if you are not impatient, and if you do not say, 'I supplicated but my supplication was not heard'."

Narrated by Malik.

Ref: Umre Khaza (or one prayer to compensate or atone for all of one’s missed prayers!)

Beloved brother, we absolutely assure you that there is no such thing as a ‘Umre-Khaza’ in Islam….never ever did the Messenger of Allah (saws) ever mention or name or teach such a prayer! There is simply such concept in Islam that the offering of one prayer will atone or compensate for all of one’s missed or delayed prayers!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:

Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed by the believers at (their) appointed times.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 45-46:

45 Nay seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and ‘salaah’: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a lowly spirit.

46 Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him.

The Prophet (saws) said, "The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and the top of its hump is Jihad in the Way of Allah."

Jabir reports that the Prophet (saws) said, "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas reported that the Prophet (saws) one day mentioned the prayer and said, "Whoever guards and observes his prayer, they (his prayers) will be a light and a proof and a savior for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever does not guard and obvserve them, they will not be a light or a proof or a savior for him. On the Day of Resurrection, he will be with Qarun, Fir'aun, Haman and Ubayy ibn Khalf."

Related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani and Ibn Hibban.

A man came to the Prophet (saws) and said “ O Prophet of Allah (saws), what is the act or deed most loved by Allah?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “To pray ones prayers on time.”

The man asked further: “What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “Obedience to ones parents.”

The man asked further: “What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “Jihaad in the Way of Allah.”

Related by Bukhari.

Intentionally missing an obligatory prayer is not even given as an option in the deen of Islam! If one accidentally or unintentionally misses one’s prayer through sleep or forgetfulness, one should pray it as soon as one wakes up or remembers it.

One should strive as hard as one can to make intention to offer one’s obligatory prayers on their appointed times, and if Allah forbid, one misses a prayer, then the absolute least one can do is expiate and atone for that lapse by praying it ‘qada’ in the sincere fear and hope that the Lord Most High will accept it.

Whoever sleeps through or has forgotten to pray a certain prayer should pray it when he wakes up or remembers the prayer. Abu Qatadah related that sleeping through the prayer time was mentioned to the Prophet (saws) and he said, "There is no negligence in sleep, but negligence occurs while one is awake. If one of you forgets a prayer or sleeps through its time, then he should pray it when he remembers it."

Related by an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmidhi.

Anas related that the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers it, and there is no expiation for it save that."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

If one has in the past been negligent of their obligatory prayers, then the absolute first thing one can and must do is immediately turn back to his Lord Most Gracious in sincere Taubah for their lapse, and make a solemn and sincere intention that from this day forward, they will never ever miss even one prayer ever again. If that person is sincere in seeking repentance, it is expected that they 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."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

If one who has missed one’s obligatory duties unto their Lord turns back to their Lord Most Gracious in sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

But if one is so ashamed and so repentant at one’s missing of one’s absolutely obligatory duties unto their Lord, and their hearts do not find satisfaction until they have paid their dues unto their Lord…..it is absolutely permissible for such sincerely repentant and fearful slaves of the Lord to fulfill those missed prayers in any format they desire or is easy for them. A good 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 their five obligatory prayer. Not only will this format put a less burden on them, their time, and their efforts….but it will fulfill their intention of making up all the missed obligatory prayers unto their Lord. And in addition to that, one should strive to increase their supererogatory prayers (Sunnah and Nafl)….for if there is any deficiency in their 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.

We reiterate again that sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance by itself will indeed wipe away all their sins from their ‘book of records’, for our Lord Most Gracious is indeed Forgiving and Merciful to those who turn back to Him in sincere repentance.

But if one so fears their Lord and their Day of Accounting, and are so ashamed and repentant at their lapse that their hearts will not find satisfaction unless and until they manifest their atonement, there is absolutely no harm in them fulfilling those missed prayers in any format they desire by offering additional supererogatory prayers; it is expected that their Lord Most Gracious will accept their repentance and will turn towards them with His Infinite Mercy and Forgiveness.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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