Making up missed prayers after repentance
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Question: If a person neglects most of the obligatory acts of prayer and does not perform them, and then wishes to repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and fulfill what is due from him, including the prayers he missed, what should he do? And is there a sin upon him for that? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with the best reward.
Answer: Prayer is the most emphatic of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies, and it is the second pillar of Islam after the two testimonies. There are verses and authentic hadiths that emphasize its right, urge its preservation, and warn those who neglect it and those who waste it, indicating the importance of prayer and its status in Islam; because it is the pillar of Islam; and because whoever preserves it will, a fortiori, preserve the rest of his religion, and will avoid what Allah has forbidden;because of His saying, the Exalted:[Al-'Ankabut 29:45]
[Al-'Ankabut: 45] , so there is no religion after prayer,For this reason, it was mentioned in the hadith:Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 35:146 .
Prayer is of great significance, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to be negligent in it. Whoever abandons it has committed disbelief, as indicated by the hadiths and Qur'anic verses, whether he denies its obligation or is lazy while acknowledging its obligation; according to the correct view, he commits disbelief by abandoning it; because he has not established his religion and has not preserved his prayer. However, if one repents to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with a valid repentance and preserves his prayer for the rest of his life; then Allah will accept his repentance; because repentance wipes out what came before it,And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Maryam: 59, 60] .
So repentance erases what came before it if it is a valid repentance, and it is not required for one who repents from abandoning prayer in the past to make up the times that were missed. Rather, it is required of him to preserve his prayer for the remainder of his life until Allah takes his soul, and that is sufficient for him, if Allah wills; because he was in a state of not being on the religion of Islam during the period he abandoned it. So when he repents to Allah, he enters Islam anew, and preserves his prayer in the future, and Allah will accept his repentance, if Allah wills.
Answer: Prayer is the most emphatic of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies, and it is the second pillar of Islam after the two testimonies. There are verses and authentic hadiths that emphasize its right, urge its preservation, and warn those who neglect it and those who waste it, indicating the importance of prayer and its status in Islam; because it is the pillar of Islam; and because whoever preserves it will, a fortiori, preserve the rest of his religion, and will avoid what Allah has forbidden;because of His saying, the Exalted:
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ[Al-'Ankabut: 45] , so there is no religion after prayer,For this reason, it was mentioned in the hadith:
The first thing you will lose from your religion is trustworthiness, and the last is prayer.
أول ما تفقدون من دينكم الأمانة وآخره الصلاةPrayer is of great significance, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to be negligent in it. Whoever abandons it has committed disbelief, as indicated by the hadiths and Qur'anic verses, whether he denies its obligation or is lazy while acknowledging its obligation; according to the correct view, he commits disbelief by abandoning it; because he has not established his religion and has not preserved his prayer. However, if one repents to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with a valid repentance and preserves his prayer for the rest of his life; then Allah will accept his repentance; because repentance wipes out what came before it,And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
(59) But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil - (60) Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.
فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًاSo repentance erases what came before it if it is a valid repentance, and it is not required for one who repents from abandoning prayer in the past to make up the times that were missed. Rather, it is required of him to preserve his prayer for the remainder of his life until Allah takes his soul, and that is sufficient for him, if Allah wills; because he was in a state of not being on the religion of Islam during the period he abandoned it. So when he repents to Allah, he enters Islam anew, and preserves his prayer in the future, and Allah will accept his repentance, if Allah wills.