I May Have Missed Prayers. What Should I Do? – Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

I recall a time from my youth when I went several months without praying. However, I am uncertain whether I had reached puberty during that period, as I lack sufficient information to estimate accurately. While my intuition suggests that I had not yet hit puberty, I remain uncertain. What course of action would you recommend for me in this situation?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.

Please visit this detailed answer about calculating your missed prayers. In addition, I advise that you err on the side of caution about whether you had hit puberty at that time and about the number of months of prayer you owe, and Allah knows best.

I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.

[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.