How to Make Up a Missed Rak‘ah in Salat al-Khusūf

How to Make Up One Missed Rak‘ah of Salat al-Khusūf (Eclipse Prayer)


Taken from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām

Question​

If someone misses one rak‘ah of Salat al-Khusūf (lunar eclipse prayer), how should they make it up?

Answer​

Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd:


If a person misses one rak‘ah of Salat al-Khusūf, the method of making it up is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.


The Prophet ﷺ said:


«إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْإِقَامَةَ فَامْشُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ، وَعَلَيْكُم بِالسَّكِينَةِ وَالْوَقَارِ، وَلَا تُسْرِعُوا، فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا، وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, al-Adhān, Bāb Lā Yas‘ā ilā al-Ṣalāh, Ḥadīth 636;
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, al-Masājid, Bāb Istihbāb Ityān al-Ṣalāh bi-Waqār wa-Sakīnah, Ḥadīth 602)


Meaning:
“When you hear the iqāmah, walk to the prayer with calmness and dignity, and do not rush. Pray whatever part you catch, and complete whatever you missed.”

Method of Making Up the Missed Rak‘ah​

• If someone misses one rak‘ah, they must make it up exactly in the same way the Imam prayed it.
• This is based on the general command of the Prophet ﷺ:
  “…and complete whatever you missed.”

If the First Rukūʿ is Missed​

• In Salat al-Khusūf, each rak‘ah has two rukūʿs.
• If the first rukūʿ of a rak‘ah is missed, the entire rak‘ah is considered missed.
• Therefore:
  ◈ After the Imam says salām, the person will pray one complete rak‘ah in the same manner as the Imam prayed — with two rukūʿs.
  ◈ This is in accordance with the Prophet’s ﷺ statement:
  “Whatever you missed, complete it.”