Question
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote in his Fatawa that the one who deliberately misses a prayer, his making up of that prayer is not accepted, and the sin of that forbidden act (abandoning the prayer) is not removed by making it up. What is the meaning of this statement?
Answer
The meaning of this statement is that if a person deliberately abandons prayer without any legitimate excuse and later tries to make it up, that make-up prayer will not remove the original sin from him. According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the sin of deliberately abandoning prayer is very great, and its expiation cannot be achieved merely by making up the prayer. This position is also held by some other scholars, who say that when a prayer has been deliberately abandoned, making it up afterwards does not eliminate that sin.
On this matter there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. The majority of scholars say that making up a prayer is obligatory, whether the prayer was missed without excuse or for some other reason. However, some scholars, such as Dawud al-Zahiri, Ibn Hazm and some Shafi’is, hold that the one who deliberately misses a prayer is not obligated to make it up; rather, he is sinful and his expiation is repentance and seeking forgiveness, not making up the prayer.
Hadrat Ibn Taymiyyah also supports the position that for the one who deliberately misses a prayer, making it up will not remove that sin. The majority of scholars base their argument on a hadith in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“فَدَیْنُ اللّٰہِ اَحَقُّ اَنْ یُّقْضٰی”
Translation: “The debt owed to Allah has a greater right to be paid.” This hadith generally commands the fulfilment of all obligations, and on this basis the majority of scholars regard making up prayer as obligatory.
Summary
◄ The one who deliberately abandons prayer does not have his sin removed by making it up.
◄ The majority of scholars regard making up the prayer as obligatory, while some scholars hold that for a deliberately abandoned prayer there is no making up, rather repentance is necessary.
◄ The position of Ibn Taymiyyah and the Zahiris is that sin is not forgiven by making up the prayer, and repentance and seeking forgiveness are required for it.
