The Ruling on Making Up Prayers Abandoned Before Repentance
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, in the previous episode we introduced a letter from a correspondent, Abu 'Abdullah. We raised his first question, but there are approximately three questions remaining in his letter. He is a young man who says that he returned to Allah the Exalted after a period of spiritual decline lasting two and a half years. His other question says: “Is it obligatory for me to make up the prayers that I left behind in the past, which I abandoned while I was determined to repent?”
Answer:
[Al-Fatihah 1:1-2], and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, if a person abandons the prayer out of laziness while acknowledging its obligation, the scholars have differed on whether, if he repents to Allah, he must make up the prayers he left before his repentance or not.
This is based on the ruling regarding the one who abandons the prayer out of negligence. Whoever holds that he commits disbelief that expels him from the religion does not make them up, but he must maintain them in the future. Whoever says that he commits the lesser disbelief that does not expel him from the religion makes up the prayer if he abandoned it and repented to Allah the Exalted. The stronger view, and Allah knows best, is the first opinion: that if he abandons the prayer out of negligence, he apostatizes from Islam. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)Sunan Ibn Majah 1078Sahih (Darussalam). In another hadith, Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam). This is the stronger view, and Allah knows best.
Therefore, he does not make up the prayers from before his repentance; rather, he maintains them after his repentance. And Allah accepts the repentance of those who repent. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, in the previous episode we introduced a letter from a correspondent, Abu 'Abdullah. We raised his first question, but there are approximately three questions remaining in his letter. He is a young man who says that he returned to Allah the Exalted after a period of spiritual decline lasting two and a half years. His other question says: “Is it obligatory for me to make up the prayers that I left behind in the past, which I abandoned while I was determined to repent?”
Answer:
(1) In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. (2) [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَThis is based on the ruling regarding the one who abandons the prayer out of negligence. Whoever holds that he commits disbelief that expels him from the religion does not make them up, but he must maintain them in the future. Whoever says that he commits the lesser disbelief that does not expel him from the religion makes up the prayer if he abandoned it and repented to Allah the Exalted. The stronger view, and Allah knows best, is the first opinion: that if he abandons the prayer out of negligence, he apostatizes from Islam. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
Between a person and Kufr (disbelief) is abandoning the prayer.
بين العبد وبين الكفر ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
الْعَهْدُ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلاَةُ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَTherefore, he does not make up the prayers from before his repentance; rather, he maintains them after his repentance. And Allah accepts the repentance of those who repent. Yes.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/274 — archive.org (0:53)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.