Do I Have to Reperform My Make-Up Prayers Because of Two Words?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I have about four years of qadas left to pray, but it is proving extremely difficult for me to pray them due to not finding enough time in my day as I am a college student.

How can I make qadas easier for me?

Initially, I had six years of qada, and I prayed two. However, I did not say the complete darud al-shareef (blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the final sitting). Instead, I was saying “Allahuma salli ‘ala Muhammad” as I was told that was sufficient.

However, looking at a previous answer, I see that one has to say Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala alihi.

Are my qadas valid, or do I have to redo them? Please help!

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your diligent hard work and intention to fulfill your missed duties.

Making up Prayers

When I lived in Jordan, our Hanafi teachers highly recommended that one pray their make-up prayers (about five days’ worth) at fajr time. That way, their quota for the day would be done, and they could still fulfill their other duties. In the Shafi’i school, one should devote as much as possible toward obligatory make-up prayers, so one should calculate what is doable in a day and stick to that schedule. I am certain that, by Allah’s grace, you will finish before you know it.

The Integrals of The Prayer

Generally speaking, teachers advise students who must make up prayers, to first take a basic course of Fiqh in order to learn what invalidates and validates worship. That way, one rectifies their current performances and doesn’t make mistakes during their make-up prayers.

Saying “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad” in the final tashahhud  (testification of faith) is sufficient, and your prayers were valid. [Reliance, f8.45] Adding the words “wa ‘ala alihi” is sunna, and I recommend that you add it in.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.