The Ruling on Making Up Missed Prayers for One Who Repents from Abandoning Them
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Question:
If a person prays or begins the prayer at a late time, is it obligatory for him to make it up? Or is it sufficient for him to repent with a sincere repentance and never leave the prayer again? What is the evidence for this?
Answer:
If he prayed and then it became clear that he prayed before the time, he must repeat it within the time. However, if he prayed after the time, he has done wrong, and he must repent to Allah for that and not return to delaying it. His prayer is valid, and it is called making up the obligatory prayer. He must repent to Allah for that. Many scholars say that if he intentionally delays it past its time, he becomes a disbeliever by doing so. In that case, he must repent to Allah for that, and he does not have to make it up, because his sin is great, and making up applies to acts that are not extremely major. But if the matter is great, he has nothing but repentance. For this reason, there is no expiation for intentional murder; there is only blood money or retaliation by execution. Expiation is only for accidental killing and quasi-intentional killing.
Likewise, if a person forgets and does not pray, or sleeps through the prayer, he makes it up afterwards, and he owes nothing. But if he intentionally delays Fajr until after the sun rises, or delays 'Asr until after Maghrib, he has committed a great evil, and he must repent to Allah for that.
Does he make it up or not? There is disagreement among the scholars. Those who declare him a disbeliever say: he does not make it up. And those who say he is not a disbeliever order him to make it up if he left it until the time passed. The obligatory thing for men and women is to be cautious about delaying the prayer past its times and to repent to Allah for that. There is no making up for the one who left it; rather, he must repent. This is the most correct and the true position if he left it intentionally and negligently until its necessary time appeared.
As for its preferred time, it does not prevent making it up. So if he delayed 'Asr until the sun turned yellow, he must make it up along with repentance and seeking forgiveness. But if he delayed it until the sun set, this is the place of disbelief for the one who delayed it intentionally and aggressively, according to some scholars. Many scholars say that he makes it up and must repent to Allah for that.
Therefore, the believer should be extremely cautious in such matters about delaying the prayer past its time, and he should have complete care for the prayer in its time such that it makes him preserve it and perform it in congregation with his brothers in the mosques in its time. The woman should also take care of it in its time and perform it in its time in her house, and she should be cautious about negligence in that. There is no difference between Fajr and the others, but the ones that are combined with others are easier than the one that is not combined. So Zuhr with 'Asr and Maghrib with 'Isha' are easier than delaying Fajr until after the sun rises, and easier than delaying 'Asr until after the sun sets. And although it is obligatory for all Muslims to pray every prayer in its time—Zuhr in its time, 'Asr in its time, Maghrib in its time, and 'Isha' in its time—except for one who has an excuse, such as the sick person and the traveler, there is no harm in combining the two prayers: Zuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha'. We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
If a person prays or begins the prayer at a late time, is it obligatory for him to make it up? Or is it sufficient for him to repent with a sincere repentance and never leave the prayer again? What is the evidence for this?
Answer:
If he prayed and then it became clear that he prayed before the time, he must repeat it within the time. However, if he prayed after the time, he has done wrong, and he must repent to Allah for that and not return to delaying it. His prayer is valid, and it is called making up the obligatory prayer. He must repent to Allah for that. Many scholars say that if he intentionally delays it past its time, he becomes a disbeliever by doing so. In that case, he must repent to Allah for that, and he does not have to make it up, because his sin is great, and making up applies to acts that are not extremely major. But if the matter is great, he has nothing but repentance. For this reason, there is no expiation for intentional murder; there is only blood money or retaliation by execution. Expiation is only for accidental killing and quasi-intentional killing.
Likewise, if a person forgets and does not pray, or sleeps through the prayer, he makes it up afterwards, and he owes nothing. But if he intentionally delays Fajr until after the sun rises, or delays 'Asr until after Maghrib, he has committed a great evil, and he must repent to Allah for that.
Does he make it up or not? There is disagreement among the scholars. Those who declare him a disbeliever say: he does not make it up. And those who say he is not a disbeliever order him to make it up if he left it until the time passed. The obligatory thing for men and women is to be cautious about delaying the prayer past its times and to repent to Allah for that. There is no making up for the one who left it; rather, he must repent. This is the most correct and the true position if he left it intentionally and negligently until its necessary time appeared.
As for its preferred time, it does not prevent making it up. So if he delayed 'Asr until the sun turned yellow, he must make it up along with repentance and seeking forgiveness. But if he delayed it until the sun set, this is the place of disbelief for the one who delayed it intentionally and aggressively, according to some scholars. Many scholars say that he makes it up and must repent to Allah for that.
Therefore, the believer should be extremely cautious in such matters about delaying the prayer past its time, and he should have complete care for the prayer in its time such that it makes him preserve it and perform it in congregation with his brothers in the mosques in its time. The woman should also take care of it in its time and perform it in its time in her house, and she should be cautious about negligence in that. There is no difference between Fajr and the others, but the ones that are combined with others are easier than the one that is not combined. So Zuhr with 'Asr and Maghrib with 'Isha' are easier than delaying Fajr until after the sun rises, and easier than delaying 'Asr until after the sun sets. And although it is obligatory for all Muslims to pray every prayer in its time—Zuhr in its time, 'Asr in its time, Maghrib in its time, and 'Isha' in its time—except for one who has an excuse, such as the sick person and the traveler, there is no harm in combining the two prayers: Zuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha'. We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.