Making up missed prayers
Missed a prayer because you overslept or forgot? Then pray it as soon as you remember. Here is what the Sunnah says and how to make up many missed prayers step by step.
فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمٗا وَقُعُودٗا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمۡۚ فَإِذَا ٱطۡمَأۡنَنتُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ كِتَٰبٗا مَّوۡقُوتٗا ﴿١٠٣﴾
Faitha qadaytumu alssalata faothkuroo Allaha qiyaman waquʿoodan waʿala junoobikum faitha itmanantum faaqeemoo alssalata inna alssalata kanat ʿala almumineena kitaban mawqootan
And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times
Quran 4:103 · Surah An-Nisa · Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration: Tanzil.net
Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps through it, its expiation is to pray it when he remembers it.
Sahih Muslim
A missed prayer
- Pray it as soon as you remember, with the same number of rak'ahs. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions once slept through Fajr while travelling and prayed it after sunrise (Muslim).
- Order: pray the missed prayer before the current one, as long as there is time for both.
- Recitation: a prayer recited aloud (Fajr, Maghrib, Isha) is recited aloud when made up in congregation; on your own you may choose.
Years of missed prayers
Someone who did not pray for years and has turned back to Allah owes, according to the four schools, the obligatory prayers of those years. Some scholars, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, held that sincere repentance and many voluntary prayers are what is required. Most advise making them up as far as possible.
A practical plan
- Estimate how many years you missed, and round up rather than down.
- Add one make-up prayer to each current prayer, for example a qada Fajr with the current Fajr. That clears one day of missed prayers every day.
- Count: the salah tracker in the Hadaff app shows your progress.
- Do not despair: Allah loves those who turn back to Him, and every prayer made up counts.
Keep it up with Hadaff
Prayer times with athan reminders, a salah tracker, habits with streaks, athkar with a counter and a khatma plan for the Quran. Free, no ads, no ad tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make up prayers at the disliked times?
Yes, according to most scholars, an obligatory prayer that was missed can be prayed at any time. In the Hanafi school even make-up prayers are not prayed at sunrise, noon and sunset.
Do I make up the sunnah prayers too?
No, only the obligatory ones (and witr in the Hanafi school). The two rak'ahs before Fajr may be made up with Fajr if both were missed.
This article was written with the help of AI. Quran verses are inserted directly from the Quran text (translation: Saheeh International); it is general information, not a religious ruling (fatwa). For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar. Found a mistake? Write to support@hadaff.de.