What does one do if he missed the festival prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I asked him about the prayer that he missed. I told him: he should pray in congregation. Is this a condition, that he must pray in congregation?
The Shaykh : No, it is not a condition, but this is making up the prayer. It is obligatory for the one who missed the festival prayer to make it up. If he prays it alone, he prays it as four rak'ahs.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he prays it in congregation, he prays it as two rak'ahs.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The reports regarding this matter from the righteous Salaf vary greatly. Some state it is two rak'ahs, some state it is four rak'ahs, some state it is prayed alone, and some state it is prayed in congregation. Undoubtedly, in terms of the action, it is not always possible for the one who missed it to pray it in congregation. So, he should do what is feasible. If congregation is feasible for him, as the questioner asked, where there is a congregation that missed it, they should pray it in congregation. If congregation is not feasible, they should pray it alone. The difference between congregation and praying alone is between two rak'ahs and four rak'ahs: four for the one praying alone, and two for the congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
The Shaykh : No, it is not a condition, but this is making up the prayer. It is obligatory for the one who missed the festival prayer to make it up. If he prays it alone, he prays it as four rak'ahs.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he prays it in congregation, he prays it as two rak'ahs.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The reports regarding this matter from the righteous Salaf vary greatly. Some state it is two rak'ahs, some state it is four rak'ahs, some state it is prayed alone, and some state it is prayed in congregation. Undoubtedly, in terms of the action, it is not always possible for the one who missed it to pray it in congregation. So, he should do what is feasible. If congregation is feasible for him, as the questioner asked, where there is a congregation that missed it, they should pray it in congregation. If congregation is not feasible, they should pray it alone. The difference between congregation and praying alone is between two rak'ahs and four rak'ahs: four for the one praying alone, and two for the congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.