How does one who abandons prayer make up for what he left?
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Question:
Ahmad Salman Zaidan, from the Iraqi Republic, from Baghdad, sent this question, saying: What is the ruling on one who abandons prayer for two years, then returns to prayer without interruption? And how does he make up for these two years during which he did not pray?
Answer:
If a Muslim abandons prayer for a year or more, or less, and then Allah turns to him in mercy, then repentance wipes out what came before it, and he is not required to repeat what he left. Rather, he must repent to Allah and be sincere in that, by feeling remorse for his past actions and resolving not to return to them, then increasing in righteous deeds, such as the remembrance of Allah, seeking His forgiveness, performing voluntary prayers, and other forms of charity and fasting, and the like. This is sufficient; for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said in His great Book, when He mentioned the polytheist, the one who kills without right, and the fornicator, He said after that: [Al-Furqan: 70]. And He said, Glorified is He: [Ta-Ha: 82]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 4250Da’if (Darussalam).
So, the one who abandoned prayer, and then Allah guided him and he returned to his religion and to his Islam, his repentance is valid if he is sincere, remorseful, and resolved not to return to it. His repentance is valid, and Allah, Glorified is He, wipes away his past sin with it and forgives it for him. He is not required to make up those prayers. This is the correct opinion among the scholars. Yes.
Ahmad Salman Zaidan, from the Iraqi Republic, from Baghdad, sent this question, saying: What is the ruling on one who abandons prayer for two years, then returns to prayer without interruption? And how does he make up for these two years during which he did not pray?
Answer:
If a Muslim abandons prayer for a year or more, or less, and then Allah turns to him in mercy, then repentance wipes out what came before it, and he is not required to repeat what he left. Rather, he must repent to Allah and be sincere in that, by feeling remorse for his past actions and resolving not to return to them, then increasing in righteous deeds, such as the remembrance of Allah, seeking His forgiveness, performing voluntary prayers, and other forms of charity and fasting, and the like. This is sufficient; for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said in His great Book, when He mentioned the polytheist, the one who kills without right, and the fornicator, He said after that:
Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good
إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍBut indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.
وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىRepentance wipes out what came before it
التوبة تجب ما قبلهاThe one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.
التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب لهSo, the one who abandoned prayer, and then Allah guided him and he returned to his religion and to his Islam, his repentance is valid if he is sincere, remorseful, and resolved not to return to it. His repentance is valid, and Allah, Glorified is He, wipes away his past sin with it and forgives it for him. He is not required to make up those prayers. This is the correct opinion among the scholars. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.