Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Someone read to me from Urdu a selection from Imam Ahmad Rida Khan’s Fatawa Razwiya dealing with Qada salat. The Imam mentions that for those people with alot of Qada salats, they can omit the surah fatiha in the last two rakas i.e. dhur, asr and just say subhan Allah and in the qunut of the witr salat it is enough to say rabbighfirli three times. Is it permissible to follow this? Have other great hanafi ulema expressed the same view?
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and all blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, his Folk, Companions and those who follow their noble way,
A similar question was answered a while back:
Walaikum assalam,
The issues mentioned from Imam Ahmad Raza Brelvi’s fatwa: [Allah have mercy on him]
1. One can miss Surah Fatiha in the last two rakats of a four-cycle prayer and in the last rakah of the maghrib prayer, and read Subhan Allah three times in the qiyam position instead.
2. Instead of reading the tasbihs three times in ruku and sujud, read them only once.
3. At the end of the prayer, instead of reading the full durood sharif, one can just read “Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa alaa alayhi” and do the salaam.
4. In the witr prayer, instead of reading dua-e-qunoot, one can read “rabbighfirli” again three times.
It appears from how scholars deal with makeups that there are two approaches
(a) to finish them as soon as possible, taking all valid shortcuts, even if it means leaving sunna acts within;
(b) to pray them quickly, but without haste and without leaving any confirmed sunnas.
Approach (b) rests on the idea that the makeup prayer (qada’) is obligatory by that which the current performance (ada’) was obligatory, the only difference being that it was delayed (generally sinfully) beyond its appointed time. As such, the makeup too is due for acceptance or rejection from Allah, and should therefore be performed in a way pleasing to him, though quickly, in order to clear one’s debts.
Shaykh Adib al-Kallas [daamat barakaatuhu] emphasized that if one repents from one’s non-performance or invalid performance, and then has a strong resolve, and a systematic, consistent makeup schedule one sticks to, then even if one dies, Allah will forgive one for any remaining makeups. [This is different from one who does not resolve to do this, or does not consistently make up their prayers.] There is a difference between the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation, for Allah is free of all need, while the latter are needy. As such, Allah has promised to forgive a truly repentant slave, whereas we have no such assurances about that which is due to others.
A few notes:
(1) One should note that Imam Kamal ibn al-Humam and other great Hanafi scholars considered the Fatiha to be wajib even in the final rak`as. Allama al-Maydani, author of the Lubab, notes this too, and it is certainly more precautionary, even in makeups, given that other schools deem it obligatory (fard). However, the transmitted position (dhahir al-riwaya) from our Imam (Allah be pleased with him) is that both reciting the Fatiha and doing three tasbihs are a confirmed sunna in the final rak`as, though the former has more reward. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas of Damascus, and other Hanafi fuqaha’ I have asked, emphasized that it is best to make up one’s prayer in a way that is unquestionably sound, and said it is therefore better to recite the Fatiha when making up prayers too.
(2) Ibn Abidin concludes in his Hashiya, after presenting the proofs and positions on the issue, that according to the principles of the Hanafi school, it would appear that reciting the tasbihs THREE TIMES would be a wajib; however, the transmitted position of our Imam and the school’s scholars is that it is a confirmed sunna.
(3) A reminder: We should not forget that we are not to leave our confirmed sunna prayers (2 before fajr, 4 before Zuhr and 2 after, 2 after both Maghrib and after Isha), even when making up prayers. Leaving a confirmed sunna even once without excuse is blameworthy and deserves reproach (from Allah), while leaving it repeatedly or making it a habit to leave it is sinful, for it is considered turning away from the Sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), who said, “Whoever turns away from my Sunna is not of me.”
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani