He repented and became regular in prayer, so is it obligatory for him to make up what he missed?

Question:
If there is a person who prayed or started 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 after that? What is the evidence for this?

Answer:
If he prayed, then it became clear that he prayed before the time, he has to repeat it within the time. But if he prayed it 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 delayed it past its time, he becomes a disbeliever by doing so. So 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 deeds that are not very 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 owes nothing. But if he intentionally delays the obligatory prayer until after the sun rises, or delays the afternoon prayer until after sunset, he has committed a great evil. So 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, because he left it until the time passed. The obligatory duty for men and women is to be careful 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 the necessary time for it appeared. As for the preferred time, it does not prevent him from making it up. So if he delayed the afternoon prayer 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 he must repent to Allah for that. The believer should, in such matters, be extremely careful about delaying the prayer past its time. He should have complete care for the prayer in its time, such that he preserves it and performs it in congregation with his brothers in the mosques, in its time.
The woman must also be careful about it in its time, and perform it in its time in her house, and be careful about negligence in that. There is no difference between the dawn prayer and the others, but combining it with another is easier than the one that is not combined. So the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer, and the sunset prayer with the night prayer, is easier than delaying the dawn prayer until after the sun rises, and easier than delaying the afternoon prayer until after the sun sets. And although it is obligatory for all Muslims to pray every prayer in its time—the midday prayer in its time, the afternoon prayer in its time, the sunset prayer in its time, and the night prayer in its time—except for one who has an excuse, such as the sick person and the traveler, there is nothing wrong with combining the two prayers: the midday and afternoon, and the sunset and night. We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone.

The presenter: O Allah, amen.