What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding what Imam al-Shafi'i said about making up the prayer that was missed intentionally, knowing that what Imam al-Shafi'i said about the permissibility of making up the prayer has led many people to be lax in establishing the prayer at its times, which leads to its abandonment?

The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, O honorable Shaykh, regarding what Imam al-Shafi'i said about making up the prayer that was missed intentionally, knowing that what Imam al-Shafi'i said about the permissibility of making up the prayer has led many people to be lax in establishing the prayer at its times, which leads to its abandonment? And is what Imam al-Shafi'i said considered, in the view of Islam, a bad sunnah to which applies what came in the noble hadith: ? We ask for detail.

The Shaykh : I say: The position that al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) held, that it is obligatory to make up the prayer for one who intentionally left it until its time passed, is the position held by many scholars, indeed, by most scholars.
However, the stronger opinion is that if one intentionally leaves the prayer until its time passes, it is not accepted from him, even if he prays it a thousand times. This is because the prayer is a worship defined by a time, not to be performed before it or after it, as Allah the Exalted said: .
And because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set its times and explained them, saying: The time for the midday prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such; the time for the afternoon prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such; the time for the sunset prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such; the time for the night prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such; the time for the dawn prayer is from such-and-such to such-and-such. The time for the dawn prayer is from the appearance of the dawn until the rising of the sun. The time for the midday prayer is from the sun passing its zenith until the shadow of every object becomes equal to its length after the zenith shadow. The time for the afternoon prayer is from the end of the midday prayer time until the sun turns yellow, and the necessity extends until its setting. The time for the sunset prayer is from the setting of the sun until the disappearance of the red twilight. The time for the night prayer is from the disappearance of the red twilight until the middle of the night.
So whenever a person delays the prayer from its time intentionally without an excuse, he has no prayer, even if he prays it a thousand times. This is the stronger opinion indicated by the evidence.
Just as if a man prays the prayer before its time, it is not accepted from him, so if he prays it after its time, it is not accepted from him, because all of that is going beyond the limits of the Shari'ah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
However, if this is due to an excuse, such as a person forgetting or sleeping after taking precautions to wake up but not waking up, then he makes it up even if the time has passed, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: من نام عن صلاةٍ أو نسيها فليصلها إذا ذكرها، لا كفارة لها إلا ذلك ، ثم تلا قوله تعالى : أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِذِكْرِي Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it, let him pray it when he remembers it. There is no expiation for it except that. Then he recited the saying of Allah the Exalted: Establish prayer for My remembrance.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.