A young man with many sins, including vows, oaths, and missed prayers from the past, and others, has now repented to Allah. What should he do regarding these sins, and how?
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The questioner : This questioner is from Riyadh, O honorable Shaykh. He mentions that he is a young man who says, "I have many sins upon me, including vows, oaths, and missed prayers from the past, and others. Now I have repented to Allah. My question is: What do I do regarding these sins, and how do I expiate for them, given that I do not know the number of vows, oaths, or missed prayers?" May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : As for the prayers you left behind—and I am addressing the questioner now—it is sufficient for you to repent to Allah the Exalted for leaving them, and to improve your worship in the future of your life. You do not make up what was missed, because one who lets an obligatory prayer pass its time without a valid legal excuse does not make it up for the rest of his life. In other words, even if he continued praying until he died, it would not benefit him, because a time-bound act of worship, if a person intentionally lets it pass its time and then performs it after the time, is not accepted from him. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sahih Muslim 1718b, meaning it is rejected.
As for the vows and oaths, you should determine what is upon you, and you are not obligated to act on what you are uncertain about. For example, if you say to yourself, "I do not know if I have ten oaths or five upon me," make it five, because that is the certain amount. Likewise, with vows, if you are uncertain whether you vowed to feed the poor ten times or five times, make it five times, because that is the certain amount. Anything more than that is doubtful, and the original state is that the conscience is clear.
The Shaykh : As for the prayers you left behind—and I am addressing the questioner now—it is sufficient for you to repent to Allah the Exalted for leaving them, and to improve your worship in the future of your life. You do not make up what was missed, because one who lets an obligatory prayer pass its time without a valid legal excuse does not make it up for the rest of his life. In other words, even if he continued praying until he died, it would not benefit him, because a time-bound act of worship, if a person intentionally lets it pass its time and then performs it after the time, is not accepted from him. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردAs for the vows and oaths, you should determine what is upon you, and you are not obligated to act on what you are uncertain about. For example, if you say to yourself, "I do not know if I have ten oaths or five upon me," make it five, because that is the certain amount. Likewise, with vows, if you are uncertain whether you vowed to feed the poor ten times or five times, make it five times, because that is the certain amount. Anything more than that is doubtful, and the original state is that the conscience is clear.