Making up for qadha salaah
Q: I am confused on how to proceed with missed prayers. I am very ashamed of my past as I missed a ton of prayers due to laziness and ignorance. I have repented and I am trying to not miss any more prayers. I have been given 2 different instructions regarding the missed prayer.
1. All missed prayers should be made up with Qadha. One should calculate estimate of all prayers missed and offer qadha as much as one can.
2. It is not necessary to make up the missed prayers as Qadha as since prayer has a set time and once the time limit for the prayer has gone it cannot be done. One should repent and pray more sunnah prayers such as tahajjud and sunnahs of the fard prayers.
Which one is correct? Most people who gave me advice have advised 2 and quoted Al-Muhalla, 2/235.
A: The first opinion is correct, and this opinion conforms to the mazhab of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum), the Taabi'een and the four Imaams (rahimahumullah).
The second opinion is the opinion of Ibnu Hazm Zaahiri (rahimahullah), the author of Al-Muhalla. This opinion is a shaaz opinion (isolated opinion) that opposes the mainstream view of the ummah. The author, Ibnu Hazm (rahimahullah), though we respect him, however since he did not subscribe to the following of any mazhab, his isolated opinion cannot be followed. In all matters of deen, one will not follow the isolated opinion of scholars, but rather one is obligated to follow the mainstream view of the ummah. Even in worldly affairs, e.g. in medicine, one will not follow an isolated opinion of any scholar which opposes the mainstream view of the doctors as this could prove fatal to one's health.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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