Is it obligatory for the repentant person to make up the missed prayers?
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His Eminence, our father, the Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom and the President of the Committee of Senior Scholars and the Department of Islamic Research and Ifta
(may Allah preserve him and assist him in all good) Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. And after that:
A question was presented to some of the attendees in one of the weekly lessons, and I was instructed to submit it to Your Eminence for a detailed answer. It reads: I did not pray from a young age. I prayed at some times when it was convenient and left most of them. My leaving of the prayer was due to ignorance and negligence. After a period following my marriage, I began to pray, and I continue to do so, praise be to Allah. My wife's situation was the same as mine. She now prays and makes up what she is able of the missed prayers daily. However, I do not make up the prayers I owe from the age of maturity. We have differed on this matter. So, is it obligatory for us to make up the missed prayers, or is repentance sufficient? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you, and may Allah reward you with good.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Your loving son: M. R. A. H
A: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
The Book and the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicate that Islam demolishes what came before it, and that repentance demolishes what came before it. Allah the Exalted said: [Surah al-Zumar: 53]. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) agreed that this noble verse was revealed regarding the repentant, and that it indicates that Allah the Exalted forgives all sins for the repentant, and that they are not required to make up any prayer, fasting, or anything else. It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Riyad as-Salihin 710. It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. It is also authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 4250Da’if (Darussalam).
The people embraced Islam on the Day of the Conquest, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to make up anything of the obligations of Islam that they had left. Likewise, the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the era of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), when many of the Arabs, including Banu Hanifah and others, apostatized after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and then many of them embraced Islam and repented to Allah the Exalted, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not order them to make up the prayers and fasting they had left. This is a point of consensus among the people of knowledge.
And success is from Allah.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
(may Allah preserve him and assist him in all good) Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. And after that:
A question was presented to some of the attendees in one of the weekly lessons, and I was instructed to submit it to Your Eminence for a detailed answer. It reads: I did not pray from a young age. I prayed at some times when it was convenient and left most of them. My leaving of the prayer was due to ignorance and negligence. After a period following my marriage, I began to pray, and I continue to do so, praise be to Allah. My wife's situation was the same as mine. She now prays and makes up what she is able of the missed prayers daily. However, I do not make up the prayers I owe from the age of maturity. We have differed on this matter. So, is it obligatory for us to make up the missed prayers, or is repentance sufficient? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you, and may Allah reward you with good.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Your loving son: M. R. A. H
A: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
The Book and the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicate that Islam demolishes what came before it, and that repentance demolishes what came before it. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ(embracing) Islam wipes out all that has gone before it (previous misdeeds). Verily, emigration wipes out all the previous sins
الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله والتوبة تهدم ما كان قبلهاThe one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.
التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب لهThe people embraced Islam on the Day of the Conquest, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to make up anything of the obligations of Islam that they had left. Likewise, the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the era of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), when many of the Arabs, including Banu Hanifah and others, apostatized after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and then many of them embraced Islam and repented to Allah the Exalted, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not order them to make up the prayers and fasting they had left. This is a point of consensus among the people of knowledge.
And success is from Allah.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.