Missed Ritual Prayers (Salat Al-Qadha)

What does Salat al-Qada mean?

Performing a prayer on time is termed “adaa”, and performing a make-up prayer at a later time than the original due time is called “Salat al-Qada.”

What is the ruling on missing a prayer?

As it is obligatory (fardh) to perform our prayers on time, it is also obligatory (fardh) to perform the prayers that we have missed later. Missing a prayer without excuse is a grave sin. Women in menses do not incur a sin for missing their prayers while in that state, and they do not have to make them up later.

How do we perform Salat al-Qada?

A missed Morning Prayer (Salat al-Fajr) can be made up with its sunnah on the same day, be-fore the sun is at its highest point. The sunnah parts of the Morning Prayers that are missed on earlier days cannot be made up. When mak-ing up the prayers, only the missed obligatory ones (fardhs) are performed, not the sunnahs.

How do we form an intention (al-niyyah) for the Salat al-Qada?

When forming an intention (al-niyyah) for Salat al-Qada, for example for the same day’s missed Morning Prayer, one says as “I intend to make up the obligatory part (fardh) of the Morning Prayer (Salat al-Fajr) that I could not per-form today.” If we do not remember the day of the prayer that we have missed, one makes intention (al-niyyah) by saying “I intend to make up the obligatory part (fardh) of the last Morning Prayer that I could not perform on time.”

When can we perform make-up prayer (Salat al-Qada)?

We can perform Salat al-Qada anytime except the three times that are not permitted for ritual prayer (Waqt al-Karahah or disliked times): dur-ing sunrise, when the sun is at its zenith, and during sunset.

Call of Time

Catechism