516. I Didn’t Pray My Salaah When I Was Younger. Can I Make Them Up Now?

By Asma bint Shameem 

If someone has missed a lot of fardh Salaah for no valid reason and it’s been a while, then there’s *no making up for it*. 

It’s *too late* and what’s gone is *gone*. 

That’s because Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has prescribed *specific times* for specific Salaah and once the time is gone, that Salaah is also gone. 

Allaah says:

“Verily, As‑Salaah is enjoined on the believers at *fixed hours*” 

(Surah al-Nisaa :103)

*Just think about it.*

Allaah and His Messenger Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam have told us SPECIFIC times when a particular Salah will *start* and and when it will *END*. 

*So how can any prayer that’s done after the times ends be valid?* 

Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen said: 

“If a person misses a Salah without any Shar’ee excuse, then *even if he prays that Salah a THOUSAND times, he won’t be able to pray it.”*

Subhaan Allaah!

And he said:

“Prayer is an act of worship that is to performed at specific times, and whoever does not do an act of worship that is tied to a specific time – such as prayer and fasting – until that time is over, with no excuse, then repents, does not have to make up what he omitted, because this act of worship has been limited by the Lawgiver to the beginning and ending of that time.” 

(Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/322)

*SO NOW WHAT TO DO*?

1.Make sincere, heartfelt Taubah to Allaah. 

2. Have deep, DEEP regret in your heart for missing Salaah. 

3. Make firm resolve never EVER to miss your Salaah again.

4. Be EXTREMELY VIGILANT about your Salaah. 

Guard it with your LIFE. 

5. Do as many good deeds as possible in the hope that the good deeds will outweigh the bad deeds and cancel them out with the Mercy of Allaah. 

“Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds” (Surah Hood :114)

BUT if you genuinely forgot, or overslept and missed the Salaah *unintentionally*, or you’re a doctor saving someone’s life or something like that, and you missed your Salaah, then in that situation you should make it up as soon as possible. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, let him pray it when he remembers, and there is no other expiation for it but that.” 

(Al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Also notice that this “missing” of the Salaah would be something RARE, here and there, in certain specific situations ONLY. 

it’s not something ROUTINE. 

May Allaah enable us to be regular in our Salaah and enable us to guard it with our lives. Ameen. 

And Allaah knows best