Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question:
I just wanted to ask how do I make up for missed or invalid prayers (salahs). After I calculate the approximate number, what is the method or procedure to make up for that? I read somewhere that you can’t make up intentionally missed prayers. If this is true, then does that ruling apply to prayers that I led or prayed but were invalid due to the impure state I was in. And for the people that prayed behind me while I was in an impure state, are their prayers accepted? Since they didn’t know
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Assalam’alaykum,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Making Up Missed Prayers: A Point of Scholarly Consensus
The position of all four Sunni schools is that it is obligatory (fard) to make up all missed prayers, regardless of why they were missed. Prayer is the first thing we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgement, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) informed us in sound narrations.
Imam Nawawi stated:
“There is consensus (ijma’) of the scholars whose opinion counts that whoever leaves a prayer intentionally must make it up. Abu Muhammad Ali Ibn Hazm differed with them on this, saying that such an individual cannot ever make them up, and it is not at all valid to make them up. Rather, he said, one must do as much good works and voluntary prayer so that one’s scales be heavied on the day of judgment, and one must seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent. This position of his, along with being in opposition to scholarly consensus (ijma’), is invalid in terms of the proof.
Among the proofs for the obligation to makeup is: that if makeup prayers are obligatory for the one who left the prayer forgetfully, then doing so for the one who left the prayer deliberately is more obviously incumbent.” [Majmu` Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (3.86)]
How to make up prayers
Calculate how many missed prayers you have to make up and set a consistent, sustainable schedule to make them up. This way, you will get them done quickly without overwhelming yourself.
Informing others
The default ruling is that it is obligatory on you to tell the congregation of what happened.
However, scholars do mention that when there is fear of confusion or fitna, one doesn’t need to inform the followers in such situations. Given the prevalence of ignorance, this is the position that is generally followed in our times.
Please see: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/prayer/how-do-i-make-up-my-missed-prayers/ and: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/what-should-i-do-if-i-lost-my-wudu-while-leading-others-in-prayer-and-i-neglected-to-inform-them/
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani