How to Make Up Years of Missed Prayers (Salat)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

In Islam, the five daily prayers (Salat) are an obligatory act of worship for all Muslims. If someone has missed years of prayers, the responsibility to make up (Qada) for these missed prayers is a serious matter, but it is not impossible to fulfill. Here’s how Muslims can approach making up missed prayers:

Steps to Make Up (say 15 years) of Missed Prayers:

1. Sincere Repentance (Tawbah):
   - First and foremost, the individual should sincerely repent to Allah (Tawbah) for neglecting the obligation of prayer. Tawbah involves:
     - Regretting the missed prayers.
     - Making a firm intention (Niyyah) not to miss prayers in the future.
     - Asking for Allah’s forgiveness.

2. Start with the Current Obligations:
   - Begin performing the five daily prayers consistently from now on, ensuring that no more prayers are missed. This establishes the habit of regular prayer and brings the individual back into a state of spiritual discipline.

3. Plan for Making Up Missed Prayers:
   - Begin making up (Qada) the missed prayers in addition to performing the current obligatory prayers. Scholars recommend that a person creates a schedule for catching up on these prayers, doing so consistently over time.

4. Making Up Missed Prayers:
   - Perform each Qada prayer just as you would perform the regular prayer (with the same number of Rak'ahs), but with the intention of making up a missed prayer. You can start with the Fajr prayers and work through each prayer in chronological order, or you can focus on making up a particular prayer (e.g., Dhuhr) until they are complete.
   
5. Organize a Plan:
   - Break the 15 years of missed prayers into manageable parts:
     - There are 5 daily prayers. For 15 years, this equals about 27,375 prayers (15 years × 365 days × 5 prayers per day).
     - Decide how many Qada prayers you will do each day in addition to your current obligatory prayers. For example:
       - If you do 5 Qada prayers a day, it will take about 15 years to complete.
       - If you do 10 Qada prayers a day (5 current + 5 Qada), it will take around 7.5 years to complete.
       - If you do 15 Qada prayers a day, it will take about 5 years to complete.

6. Prioritize and Be Consistent:
   - Consistency is key. It’s better to create a realistic schedule that you can stick to rather than overwhelming yourself and burning out. Regular effort is the most important part of catching up on missed prayers.

7. Seek Scholarly Guidance:
   - Scholars may provide different rulings based on your school of thought and circumstances. Some may suggest alternative methods such as performing additional Sunnah and Nafl prayers with the intention of seeking forgiveness for missed prayers.
 
General Advice:
- Never Skip Current Prayers: Continue to perform the current obligatory prayers on time and add Qada prayers gradually.
- Du’a: Regularly ask Allah for strength, forgiveness, and the ability to fulfill this obligation.
- Hope and Perseverance: Islam encourages hope and effort. Making up missed prayers is a way to demonstrate your commitment to fulfilling your obligations.

Every step toward making up missed prayers is an act of sincere worship, and Allah is most Merciful and understanding of the sincere efforts of His servants.

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