A man says: My mother prays the midday prayer on Friday as two rak'ahs at home
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The questioner : A man says: My mother prays the midday prayer on Friday as two rak'ahs at home. She did not know that it is obligatory for her to pray four rak'ahs until last week. What is required of her regarding the past and the future?
The Shaykh : How old is she?
The questioner : It was not mentioned, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This is the problem in any case. The answer is: If she is ignorant with complete ignorance, knowing nothing about it, then I hope she is not required to repeat the prayers. However, if she was negligent or careless in asking, then she is required to repeat all the prayers in which she limited herself to two rak'ahs. This requires a large number, yes? It could be fifty-five or close to that in every year. This is easy, if Allah wills. It is not difficult. That is, she can pray ten or fifteen in a month, and so on, until it is finished. But if she was ignorant with complete ignorance, knowing nothing, then she owes nothing, because ignorance is an excuse that Allah has forgiven, as He the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:286]. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If she is sixty years old, it does not matter.
The Shaykh : How old is she?
The questioner : It was not mentioned, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This is the problem in any case. The answer is: If she is ignorant with complete ignorance, knowing nothing about it, then I hope she is not required to repeat the prayers. However, if she was negligent or careless in asking, then she is required to repeat all the prayers in which she limited herself to two rak'ahs. This requires a large number, yes? It could be fifty-five or close to that in every year. This is easy, if Allah wills. It is not difficult. That is, she can pray ten or fifteen in a month, and so on, until it is finished. But if she was ignorant with complete ignorance, knowing nothing, then she owes nothing, because ignorance is an excuse that Allah has forgiven, as He the Exalted said:
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
ربنا لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو أخطأناThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If she is sixty years old, it does not matter.