She says: I am a young Muslim woman, twenty-four years old, and throughout this period I have performed the obligatory prayer, but in an intermittent manner, and what confuses me is that I want, with Allah’s help, to be regular in my prayer, but I do not know how to make up the prayers I have missed. Do I have to make up what I missed by performing each obligatory prayer as a make-up alongside the current obligatory prayers? That is, when I pray Fajr, for example, do I pray the obligatory prayer and then the make-up, and so on with the other obligatory prayers? Or do I have to be regular in performing them in the future without making them up, along with sincere repentance and not returning to what I missed? She says: The same applies to the obligatory fast, as I used to fast, but in an intermittent manner, without making up the days I broke my fast due to the legal excuse for women. What is the ruling in Islam regarding this, and what must I do?
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The questioner : She says: I am a young Muslim woman, twenty-four years old, and throughout this period I have performed the obligatory prayer, but in an intermittent manner, and what confuses me is that I want, with Allah’s help, to be regular in my prayer, but I do not know how to make up the prayers I have missed. Do I have to make up what I missed by performing each obligatory prayer as a make-up alongside the current obligatory prayers? That is, when I pray Fajr, for example, do I pray the obligatory prayer and then the make-up, and so on with the other obligatory prayers? Or do I have to be regular in performing them in the future without making them up, along with sincere repentance and not returning to what I missed? She says: The same applies to the obligatory fast, as I used to fast, but in an intermittent manner, without making up the days I broke my fast due to the legal excuse for women. What is the ruling in Islam regarding this, and what must I do?
The Shaykh : As for the first issue, which is her not praying, she does not make up what she missed because she intentionally delayed the prayer beyond its time. One who intentionally delays the prayer beyond its time does not make it up. This is because a time-bound act of worship, whose time is specified by the Shari'ah, is not permissible to perform before its time, nor is it permissible to delay it beyond its time. If a person delays it beyond its time without an excuse, it is not accepted from him, even if he prays it. This does not mean that we say he does not pray out of mercy for him, but rather out of abandoning him and not being pleased with him, because he delayed it intentionally without an excuse. We do not say: If the Shari'ah has made it obligatory for him to make up the prayer when he sleeps or forgets, then if he delays it intentionally, the obligation to make it up is even more so. This is because we say: The one who left it for sleep or forgetfulness left it for an excuse, so he is excused, and the time for him is the time of his remembrance or the time of his waking up. But this person intentionally, without an excuse, did not pray the prayer in the time that Allah specified for it. Therefore, he does not make up what he missed if he delayed it without an excuse, because it is not accepted from him. However, this woman, and others like her whom Allah has blessed and who have returned to righteous deeds, should repent to Allah, the Exalted, with regret for what has passed, and resolve not to do such a thing in the future, and they should rectify their deeds. And Allah, the Exalted, takes care of the righteous.
As for fasting, and not making up the days she used to break her fast for the sake of an excuse, she must make up these days because she delayed them beyond their time while being excused, and it was obligatory for her to make them up. This is not tied to a specific time, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:185] Since it is not restricted to a specific time, making it up now is what is obligatory for her. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : What if she does not count the days she broke her fast?
The Shaykh : If she does not count them, she must be cautious.
The questioner : She should strive to estimate.
The Shaykh : And she should seek the truth. If it is most likely in her opinion that it is three years, for example, seven days each year, she fasts twenty-one days, and so on.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : As for the first issue, which is her not praying, she does not make up what she missed because she intentionally delayed the prayer beyond its time. One who intentionally delays the prayer beyond its time does not make it up. This is because a time-bound act of worship, whose time is specified by the Shari'ah, is not permissible to perform before its time, nor is it permissible to delay it beyond its time. If a person delays it beyond its time without an excuse, it is not accepted from him, even if he prays it. This does not mean that we say he does not pray out of mercy for him, but rather out of abandoning him and not being pleased with him, because he delayed it intentionally without an excuse. We do not say: If the Shari'ah has made it obligatory for him to make up the prayer when he sleeps or forgets, then if he delays it intentionally, the obligation to make it up is even more so. This is because we say: The one who left it for sleep or forgetfulness left it for an excuse, so he is excused, and the time for him is the time of his remembrance or the time of his waking up. But this person intentionally, without an excuse, did not pray the prayer in the time that Allah specified for it. Therefore, he does not make up what he missed if he delayed it without an excuse, because it is not accepted from him. However, this woman, and others like her whom Allah has blessed and who have returned to righteous deeds, should repent to Allah, the Exalted, with regret for what has passed, and resolve not to do such a thing in the future, and they should rectify their deeds. And Allah, the Exalted, takes care of the righteous.
As for fasting, and not making up the days she used to break her fast for the sake of an excuse, she must make up these days because she delayed them beyond their time while being excused, and it was obligatory for her to make them up. This is not tied to a specific time, as Allah the Exalted said:
and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days
وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَThe questioner : What if she does not count the days she broke her fast?
The Shaykh : If she does not count them, she must be cautious.
The questioner : She should strive to estimate.
The Shaykh : And she should seek the truth. If it is most likely in her opinion that it is three years, for example, seven days each year, she fasts twenty-one days, and so on.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.