HOW CAN WE PERFORM THE LAPSED (QADA) PRAYERS?

THE LAPSED (QADA) PRAYERS

To let the Prayer lapse without a valid legal reason is a grave sin. It is obligatory to offer such Prayers and also necessary to repent from such sins. True repentance will wipe out the sin of letting the Prayer lapse, but repentance is proper only if the lapsed Prayer is offered. If the lapsed Prayer is not offered, such a repentance will not be accepted.

If the Prayer lapses due to forgetting or due to sleeping, it is still obligatory to offer theQada (recapture) for it, although there is no sin for such a lapse. As soon as one remembers or gets up, the lapsed Prayer should be offered provided it is not an undesirable (Makrooh) time. Delaying it further without reason is disliked. If one is sleeping or has forgotten to offer Prayers, it is incumbent upon others to awaken or remind such a person. If one fears not being able to get up for the Dawn Prayer, such a person is not permitted to stay awake till late night without a valid legal reason.

If the “Takbeer Tahreemah” is offered within the time for any Prayer, then such Prayer has not lapsed but has been offered within time. However, the Dawn, Friday and Eid Prayers must be completed before the time for such Prayer ends - if the Salaam for these Prayer is said after the time has expired, such Prayer becomes invalid.

There is no fixed time of offering the lapsed Prayers – they can be offered at any time during one’s life. Whenever offered, it will free the person from this obligation.

A person who has lapsed Prayers for several years still un-offered, must calculate the number of Obligatory/Essential Prayers pending right from the time of attaining puberty to the time of regularly offering Prayers. And whenever one has spare time, these must be offered. Since offering the lapsed Prayers is more important than Voluntary (Nawafil) Prayers, it is better to offer them instead of the Non-Emphasised Sunnah (Ghair Muakkadah) and Voluntary (Nawafil) Prayers. However, the Taraweeh Prayers and the Emphasised Sunnah (Muakkadah) Prayers must not be left out. The intention (Niyah) for offering the lapsed Prayers can also be made like this – for example “I offer the first Dawn Prayer which was missed”. So the next time when offering another lapsed Dawn Prayer, the same intention (Niyah) can be made, as this has now become the first one still pending. Likewise, the intention can be made for other lapsed Prayers.

The Prayer of the sick

It is allowed to offer Prayers while sitting only if the sick person cannot stand on his own or feels giddy or the pain is unbearable or it will aggravate the illness or delay the cure. Standing (Qiyaam) is obligatory in Prayer, therefore it not allowed to forego it without a valid legal reason. If the sick person can stand with someone’s help or lean on a staff or against a wall, it is obligatory to offer the Prayer standing – even if he starts the Prayer standing for a short while and completes the rest of it while sitting – otherwise the Prayer will become void.

If one cannot sit on his own but someone else can help him up sit upright, it is necessary to offer the Prayer while sitting. If sitting is not possible, he can lean back on a pillow, wall etc., for support. If sitting is possible, Prayer will be void if offered while reclining.

If the patient can stand but cannot bend to offer the bow or prostration, it is better to offer the Prayer standing and offer the bow or prostration by gesturing. For the prostration, he must bow his head as far as possible and for the bow a little bit less than that.

If one cannot offer the prostration on the ground, but can offer it by keeping something on the ground (provided other conditions for prostrations are met), it becomes impermissible for such person to offer prostrations by only a gesture.

If the patient is incapable of sitting, the Prayer must be offered while lying down whether reclining on the left or right side but facing the “Qiblah” – or even with the body stretched out towards the “Qiblah” but with the knees folded. A pillow should be tucked under the head so that the face is towards the “Qiblah”.

Prayers on a journey

Islam has created ease for the travellers that during the journey they must reduce their Prayers. This reduction is called “Qasr”. That is, the Obligatory (Farz) Prayer consisting of 4 Cycles (Rakaats) should be reduced to two Cycles (Rakaats) only.

The Holy Prophet () has said: “This is a favour (Sadaqah) which Allah has bestowed upon you, therefore you must accept His favour.”

It is Essential (Wajib) upon the traveller to reduce the Obligatory Prayers. One who offers 4 Cycles on purpose will be sinning and must repent.

There is no reduction in Sunnah Prayers during travel, and they must be offered in full. It is reported that the Holy Prophet () used to offer the non-obligatory Prayers whilst sitting on his mount (Saheeh Bukhari & Saheeh Muslim).

In Islamic law, the traveller is one who has proceeded at least 57.375 miles (92.33 kilometers) out of his dwelling place, with the intention of travel. Till the time he does not return to his dwelling place, he must keep offering reduced obligatory Prayers. However, if he intends to stop at any place for 15 days or more during the journey, he will offer full Prayers at such place – even if due to some reason he later on stays there for less than 15 days. Likewise if the intention is to stay at a certain place for less than 15 days but stays on for 15 days or more, the traveller will offer reduced (Qasr) Prayers at such place.

If a traveller offers Prayers behind a Resident (Muqeem) “Imaam”, the traveller will offer full Prayers. However if residents offer their Prayers behind an “Imaam” who is a traveller, the “Imaam” must first inform the followers that he will offer only 2 Cycles (Rakaats). After 2 Cycles, the “Imaam” will say the Salaam, after which the followers must get up and complete the remaining two Cycles. However, in the 3^rd and 4^th Cycles, the followers need not recite Surah alFatehah or any other Surah, and remain silent during the Qiyaam.

Obligatory and Essential Prayers cannot be offered on a moving vehicle. However, if one fears that the time will lapse, it is better to offer them on time and then later re-offer them. Reduced Prayers that are missed out/lapsed or improperly offered during journeys should at the time of re-offering be offered with reduction (Qasr).