The Ruling on Making Up Missed Prayers for One Who Repents from Abandoning Them

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Question:
The questioner says in her final question: "I used to neglect some of the prayers and delay them past their time, but now I have repented to Allah with a sincere repentance and I am careful to perform the five daily prayers. What must I do regarding what came before? Do I have to make up what I left?"

Answer:
Repentance is sufficient. A person who does not pray, or who prays at times and neglects it at others, if he repents, that is sufficient for him and he does not have to make up the missed prayers. Allah the Exalted said:

Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them

قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ

[Al-Anfal: 38], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Repentance wipes out what came before it

التوبة تجب ما قبلها

, and in another hadith:

The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.

التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له

Sunan Ibn Majah 4250Da’if (Darussalam)

So there is no obligation on one who abandoned prayer and then Allah guided him and Allah accepted his repentance to make up what has passed; his repentance is sufficient. And praise be to Allah, repentance and righteous deeds, and striving in good, as He the Exalted said in His great Book:

But 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 اهْتَدَى

[Ta-Ha: 82]. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you and bless you.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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