Some People Say There Is No Qadā’ (Make-Up) for Sunnah Prayers — Is This Correct?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
❖ Question:
Is it true that missed Sunnah prayers should not be made up (qadā’)?
✿ Answer:
No, this statement is incorrect. It is permissible and Sunnah to make up missed Sunnah prayers (Sunan Rawātib).
❀ Example from the Prophet ﷺ:
Sayyidah Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها saw the Prophet ﷺ performing two rakʿāt after ʿAṣr, so she inquired about them. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“O daughter of Abū Umayyah! You asked about the two rakʿāt after ʿAṣr. The truth is that a group from the tribe of ʿAbd al-Qays came and preoccupied me from offering the two rakʿāt after Ẓuhr, so I am now making them up.”
📚 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1233, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 833)
❀ Scholarly Commentary:
✅ Imām al-Khaṭṭābī رحمه الله (388 AH) stated:
“This ḥadīth proves that missed nawāfil (non-obligatory prayers) should be made up and not left out.”
📚 (Aʿlām al-Ḥadīth: 1/655)
✅ Ḥāfiẓ al-Nawawī رحمه الله (676 AH) said:
“If Sunan Rawātib are missed, it is recommended to make them up (qadā’). This is the correct view in our madhhab.”
📚 (Sharḥ al-Nawawī: 6/121)
✅ ʿAllāmah al-Ṭayyibī رحمه الله (743 AH) noted:
“This ḥadīth indicates that time-bound nawāfil can be made up just like obligatory prayers.”
📚 (Sharḥ Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ: 4/1121)
✅ ʿAllāmah Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī رحمه الله (792 AH) said:
“This ḥadīth is proof that Sunan Rawātib can be made up. It is permissible to do so even after ʿAṣr, and similarly after Fajr — there is no difference between the two.”
📚 (al-Tanbīh ʿalā Mushkilāt al-Hidāyah: 2/694)
❀ Example from the Sunnah: Fajr Sunnah Made Up After Sunrise
Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ was on a journey and rested during the last part of the night. He and the companions overslept, and Fajr was delayed until after sunrise. Upon waking, the Prophet ﷺ performed wuḍū’, prayed the two Sunnah rakʿāt of Fajr, then led the congregation in the Fajr prayer.”
📚 (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 680)
➡️ Ḥāfiẓ al-Nawawī رحمه الله said about this incident:
“This ḥadīth is evidence that missed Sunan Rawātib should be made up.”
📚 (Sharḥ Muslim: 5/183)
✅ Conclusion:
✔ It is permissible and recommended (mustaḥabb) to make up missed Sunnah Mu’akkadah prayers.
✔ This practice is supported by authentic ḥadīths, the actions of the Prophet ﷺ, and the consensus of major scholars.
✔ The notion that Sunnahs have no qadā’ is incorrect and contradicts clear evidences.
