Making Up Prayers During Forbidden Times


Hanafi Fiqh

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question:

Assalamu Alaykum

Is it permissible to make up prayers during the forbidden times (such as before sunset)?

For example, if I just miss Fajr prayer and the sun rises, am I permitted/expected to pray Fajr immediately, during the forbidden time, or should I wait 30 mins till the forbidden time ends?

Answer:

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Assalam’aleykum,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.

According to the Hanafi school, there are three times in the day when one is forbidden to offer any prayers, even make-up prayers, which are actually considered invalid if offered at these times.

These times are when the sun rises up until it is above the horizon by the length of a spear (about twenty minutes after sunrise), when the sun is at its zenith (the 5 minutes before Zuhr time) and when the sun turns dull in radiance such that one can look at it until it sets (about twenty minutes to half an hour before sunset). [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

If you have missed the Fajr prayer, you would have to wait 20 minutes after sunrise in order to make it up validly.

Caution

It is important to avoid bothering other Muslims about this issue as some people may leave the prayer altogether. Praying validly, according to one school of jurisprudence, at least is better than not praying at all. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani