Answered by SunniPath Answer Service Team
I have missed about six years of salaat and am now regretting that I did. Can you please tell me if simple repentance is enough, or do I have to make up all the prayers I missed? Can you please provide me with a strong proof? I was told that a simple true repentance is enough, because Islam is supposed to make life easier, not harder.
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
From a previous question answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
The position of all four schools of Sunni law is that it is obligatory (fard) to make up all missed prayers, regardless of why they were missed. And prayer is the first thing we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgement, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) informed us.
The position held by some contemporary modernists about not having to make up missed prayers is a deviant (shadhdh) position that is absolutely unacceptable. For details, check Reliance of the Traveller, which is a book every Sunni household should have.
Please also see the following link in answer to your question:
Wassalam,
SunniPath Fiqh Team