Missed Prayers (Qaḍāʾ)

According to the fatwas of the Grand Religious Authorities: Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Sistani, and Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi (may Allah prolong their blessings):

Fatāwā presented without citing a differing opinion or a specific reference are the common rulings shared by all of the three respected Marāji‘. In cases where the ruling of one Marjaʿ differs from that of the other two, it is indicated in a footnote under the same number, mentioning the Marjaʿ by name.

General Rulings on the Obligation of Making Up Missed Prayers (Qaḍāʾ)

1. If a person does not perform a daily obligatory prayer within its prescribed time — whether intentionally, out of forgetfulness, or due to ignorance — or if they later realize after the time has passed that their prayer was invalid, they must perform its qaḍāʾ (make-up prayer).
2. If a non-daily obligatory prayer, such as Ṣalāt al-Āyāt, is not performed within its proper time, its qaḍāʾ becomes obligatory.
3. Qaḍāʾ prayer becomes obligatory only when the legally responsible person is certain that the prayer was missed or invalid. However, if there is merely doubt or assumption, performing qaḍāʾ is not obligatory.
4. If a person was unconscious throughout the entire prayer time, qaḍāʾ is not obligatory upon them, unless the state of unconsciousness was caused by their own choice. In that case, based on obligatory precaution, they should perform the qaḍāʾ prayer.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani: A person who remained asleep throughout the entire prayer time, or missed the prayer due to intoxication, must perform its qaḍāʾ.

1. A non-Muslim who embraces Islam is not required to make up the prayers missed before becoming Muslim. However, an apostate who repents and returns to Islam must make up the prayers missed during the period of apostasy.
2. Prayers whose entire time passed while a woman was in menstruation (ḥayḍ) or postnatal bleeding (nifās) do not require qaḍāʾ.

Cases That Make Qaḍāʾ Obligatory

1. If a person performs prayer without ritual purity due to ignorance of the subject or the religious ruling — for example, someone who did not know they had become in a state of janābah and therefore did not perform ghusl, or someone who prayed with an invalid wuḍūʾ or ghusl — they must make up those prayers (perform qaḍāʾ).

The Method and Manner of Performing Qaḍāʾ Prayer

1. A qaḍāʾ prayer must be performed in the same manner that was obligatory upon the person at the time the prayer was missed. Therefore:

• If a four-rakʿah prayer was missed while residing at home (ḥaḍar), its qaḍāʾ must also be performed as four rakʿahs, even if the person is travelling at the time of making it up.
• If the prayer was missed during travel and the person’s duty at that time was to perform qaṣr prayer, then its qaḍāʾ must also be performed shortened, even if the person is now in their hometown.

1. Qaḍāʾ prayers may be performed at any time during the day or night, and it is not necessary for each prayer to be made up during its corresponding prayer time. For example, the qaḍāʾ of Ṣalāt al-Fajr does not have to be performed specifically at dawn.
2. The criterion for determining whether a qaḍāʾ prayer should be performed as qaṣr or complete is the person’s condition at the end of the prayer time. Therefore:

• If the person was a traveller at the end of the prayer time, the qaḍāʾ prayer must be performed shortened, even if they were at home at the beginning of the time.
• If the person was not a traveller at the end of the prayer time, the qaḍāʾ prayer must be performed complete, even if they were travelling at the beginning of the time.

1. Maintaining order between qaḍāʾ prayers is not obligatory, except between the dhor and ʿaṣr prayers of the same day, and between the maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers of the same day.

Rulings Related to the Number and Timing of Qaḍāʾ Prayers

1. A person who has qaḍāʾ prayers is not required to perform them immediately; however, they should not be negligent or careless in delaying them.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani: However, if due to a particular circumstance a person is not confident that they will later be able to perform their qaḍāʾ prayers — for example, someone who is ill and fears they may die — then they must perform their qaḍāʾ prayers immediately.

2. A person who does not know the exact number of missed prayers may suffice with performing the amount they are certain they have missed.

The Relationship Between Qaḍāʾ Prayers, Current Prayers, and Recommended Prayers

1. A person who has qaḍāʾ prayers may still perform their current obligatory prayers (adāʾ prayers). However, based on obligatory precaution, if they only have one qaḍāʾ prayer, they should perform that qaḍāʾ prayer first — especially if it belongs to the same day.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani: If a person has qaḍāʾ prayers from previous days, and one or more prayers from the current day have also become qaḍāʾ, then if they do not have enough time to perform all of them, or do not intend to perform all of them that day, it is recommended (mustaḥabb) to perform the qaḍāʾ prayer of the current day before the current adāʾ prayer.

2. A person who has qaḍāʾ prayers may also perform nāfilah prayers and other recommended prayers.
3. Making up the missed daily nāfilah prayers is recommended (mustaḥabb).