Prayer (salah) is mandatory in Islam; nevertheless we sometimes miss our prayers. So what should we do if we missed prayers?

As life goes on, some of us are missing regularly their prayers, and don’t see the point in praying after a while.

Though one day, we have a wake-up call and we want to start praying again.

Since we missed days, months or years of prayers, do we have also to catch up?

Listen to Shaykh Yaser Birjas to understand the 2 opinions:

A major one is that you have to make up for each prayer you missed. That is easier when you missed a few. Then what about a long period?

Indeed it can be discouraging because of the amount of missed prayers. Moreover one might think: why to even bother to try?!

Now the first opinion is that you don’t have to repeat every prayer that you missed. Instead you have to do repent (tawbah) and add more optional prayers (nafl salah).

Finally, you have to understand 2 things from this lecture:

For one taking the step to sincerely plan to pray all of the prayers to come is part of your repentance. Secondly, performing extra prayers, shows your good intention (neyya)

Regarding the optional prayers, here are a few of them as examples to help you in your worship (Ibadah):

Salat al-Taubah: prayer to repent for any of your sins

Salat al-Witr (means unique): It is easy to concentrate during that one since it can be only 1 rakah.

Tahajjud or Qiyaam al-Layl(the prayer of the night): is a highly recommended prayer.

Taraweeh: night after the Isha prayer during the holy month of Ramadan

Tahiyyat-ul-Masjid (greeting the mosque): offered after you entered the mosque.

Any of the 12 optional prayers offered before and/or after the mandatory prayers.

May Allah accepts our repentance and keep us in the straight path, ameen.