Missed Necessary Actions and Makeup Prayers

Ustadh Tabraze Azam answers a question regarding necessary (wajib) actions in the Hanafi prayer and whether prayers without them are valid.

Question:

I’m 20 years old and sometimes I pray Fajr on time, but mostly as a qada. I never used to recite any other sura after sura Fatiha. I’m not sure who told me to do this but I prayed that way for 2 to 3 years.

Do I need to start making those Fajr prayers again?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha Allah.

Your Fajr prayers are considered valid and you will be rewarded for them, insha Allah. Therefore, you do not need to repeat them.

According to the Hanafi school, it is necessary (wajib) to recite the extent of three verses or their equivalent after the Fatiha during the first two cycles (rak‘ats) of the prayer (which is another necessary action). (Shurunbulali, Maraqi al Falah; Ala al Din Abidin, Al Hadiyya al Ala’iyya)

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.