Source: Ahkam wa Masā’il – The Chapter of Salah, Vol. 1, p. 108
If a person misses four or five prayers, or even just one Ẓuhr prayer, should the Sunnah prayers also be performed with the missed obligatory prayers, or is it sufficient to only make up the obligatory ones? If Sunnah is not necessary, what is the evidence?
Additionally, if someone misses Ẓuhr and the time of ʿAṣr arrives while the ʿAṣr congregation is in progress, should he perform the missed Ẓuhr with the congregation and later offer ʿAṣr, or should he first join the ʿAṣr congregation and then make up Ẓuhr? Which is the correct method?
Alhamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
When making up missed prayers, it is necessary to maintain the order.
During the Battle of Khandaq, several prayers were missed, and the Prophet ﷺ offered them in proper sequence.
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (RA) narrated:
"We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Battle of Khandaq. The disbelievers prevented us from performing Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib, and ʿIshāʾ. When the opportunity came, the Prophet ﷺ instructed Bilāl (RA) to give Iqāmah, and he led us in Ẓuhr. Then Bilāl (RA) gave Iqāmah and he led us in ʿAṣr, then Iqāmah was given and he led Maghrib, then Iqāmah was given and he led ʿIshāʾ.”
(Musnad Aḥmad, al-Nasāʾī, al-Tirmidhī – Bāb mā jāʾa fī al-rajul tufūtuhu al-ṣalawāt bi-ayyihinna yabdaʾ)
When making up missed prayers, the Sunnah prayers should also be performed.
The evidence is from the incident when the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions overslept during a journey and missed Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ made up not only the obligatory prayer but also its Sunnah.
(al-Bukhārī – Mawāqīt al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Adhān baʿd dhahāb al-waqt, Muslim – al-Masājid, Bāb Qaḍāʾ al-ṣalāh al-fāʾitah)
Similarly, if only the Sunnah is missed but the obligatory prayer was offered on time, the Sunnah can still be made up, as proven from the Prophet ﷺ.
It is narrated:
"Once the two rakʿahs after Ẓuhr were missed by the Prophet ﷺ, so he offered them after ʿAṣr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb Mawāqīt al-Ṣalāh, Bāb mā yuṣallī baʿd al-ʿAṣr min al-fawāʾit wa-naḥwihā)
If a person missed Ẓuhr and arrives when the ʿAṣr congregation is taking place, he should:
This ruling is based on the principle of maintaining order in Qadā prayers, as demonstrated by the Prophet ﷺ in the incident of the Battle of Khandaq.
❀ Sunnah should also be performed when making up missed prayers.
❀ If only Sunnah was missed, its Qadā is also established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
❀ Maintaining order in Qadā prayers is necessary.
❀ If Ẓuhr was missed and ʿAṣr time arrives, one should first make up Ẓuhr and then offer ʿAṣr, as long as time permits.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ The Question
If a person misses four or five prayers, or even just one Ẓuhr prayer, should the Sunnah prayers also be performed with the missed obligatory prayers, or is it sufficient to only make up the obligatory ones? If Sunnah is not necessary, what is the evidence?
Additionally, if someone misses Ẓuhr and the time of ʿAṣr arrives while the ʿAṣr congregation is in progress, should he perform the missed Ẓuhr with the congregation and later offer ʿAṣr, or should he first join the ʿAṣr congregation and then make up Ẓuhr? Which is the correct method?
❖ The Answer
Alhamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
① Maintaining Order in Qadā Prayers
When making up missed prayers, it is necessary to maintain the order.
During the Battle of Khandaq, several prayers were missed, and the Prophet ﷺ offered them in proper sequence.
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (RA) narrated:
"We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Battle of Khandaq. The disbelievers prevented us from performing Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib, and ʿIshāʾ. When the opportunity came, the Prophet ﷺ instructed Bilāl (RA) to give Iqāmah, and he led us in Ẓuhr. Then Bilāl (RA) gave Iqāmah and he led us in ʿAṣr, then Iqāmah was given and he led Maghrib, then Iqāmah was given and he led ʿIshāʾ.”
(Musnad Aḥmad, al-Nasāʾī, al-Tirmidhī – Bāb mā jāʾa fī al-rajul tufūtuhu al-ṣalawāt bi-ayyihinna yabdaʾ)
② Performing Sunnah Along with Missed Prayers
When making up missed prayers, the Sunnah prayers should also be performed.
The evidence is from the incident when the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions overslept during a journey and missed Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ made up not only the obligatory prayer but also its Sunnah.
(al-Bukhārī – Mawāqīt al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Adhān baʿd dhahāb al-waqt, Muslim – al-Masājid, Bāb Qaḍāʾ al-ṣalāh al-fāʾitah)
Similarly, if only the Sunnah is missed but the obligatory prayer was offered on time, the Sunnah can still be made up, as proven from the Prophet ﷺ.
It is narrated:
"Once the two rakʿahs after Ẓuhr were missed by the Prophet ﷺ, so he offered them after ʿAṣr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb Mawāqīt al-Ṣalāh, Bāb mā yuṣallī baʿd al-ʿAṣr min al-fawāʾit wa-naḥwihā)
③ The Case of Missing Ẓuhr at the Time of ʿAṣr
If a person missed Ẓuhr and arrives when the ʿAṣr congregation is taking place, he should:
- First make up Ẓuhr, and then
- Perform ʿAṣr, provided that time remains.
This ruling is based on the principle of maintaining order in Qadā prayers, as demonstrated by the Prophet ﷺ in the incident of the Battle of Khandaq.
❖ Summary
❀ Sunnah should also be performed when making up missed prayers.
❀ If only Sunnah was missed, its Qadā is also established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
❀ Maintaining order in Qadā prayers is necessary.
❀ If Ẓuhr was missed and ʿAṣr time arrives, one should first make up Ẓuhr and then offer ʿAṣr, as long as time permits.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
