Do I Have to Make up Missed Prayers During a Travel? (Hanbali)

Answered by Shaykh Sulayman Van Ael

Question: Assalam alaykum,

While travelling, sometimes it is impossible to offer even the shortened prayers due to the impossibility to perform wudu. Do I still have to make these prayers up?

Answer: Dear questioner about making up prayers,

YOU HAVE TO MAKE WUDU

Before answering your question I have to point out that the absence of water or being unable to perform wudu is not a reason not to perform prayer. If there is water, wudu is obligatory. If it is difficult, then one can just perform the obligatory actions of the wudu, and wash the limbs only once. If one is not able to perform ablution because of a valid reason then he or she prays after doing tayammum.

MAKING UP PRAYERS

You have to make up the prayers you have missed. Without regards being still on your journey or after the journey you will perform all of them – apart from Fajr and Maghreb – four raka’at, and should never miss them again and ask Allah swt to forgive you, as this is one of the major sins.

NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM ABLUTION AFTER MENSTRUATION

If a woman stops menstruating and she is not able to perform wudu because of a valid reason then she should clean her intimate parts in the best of ways, remove the traces of blood and perform tayammum and pray if she fears that the prayer-time will pass.

I ask Allah to make us of those who preserve and establish their prayers, amin.

Wassalam
[Shaykh] Sulayman Van Ael

Shaykh Sulayman Van Ael received ijazah from various luminaries in the ten Qoranic readings, in Ihya ulum ad din, in several books of hadeeth, in Matn abi Shuja’, in several books of Shaykh Abu Ghudda and in many different basic texts in grammar, fundamentals of fiqh, tajweed and other islamic sciences.