ANSWERED: Sunnah prayers vs Qada prayers in the hanafi madhab

[Abu Usama]

Salam,

I ask because i find that this is something which troubles my heart. If someone has over 4 and a half years of qaza prayers to make up (which is over 10,000 prayers!!!) and these are *fardh* to make up, then how come in the hanafi madhab one is still told to continue doing the superrogatroy nafl prayers, even though it is known that doing these nawafil prayers will considerably delay the completion of the qaza prayers. Surely, the fardh takes precedence over the sunnah muakkadah? I know that in the other school this is the case where one makes up all their fardh qaza prayers before continuing with their sunnahs and i just wanted to know if there were any hanafi scholars at all who have said that this is the preferred opinion, or who have said that one would not be sinful for missing sunnah muakkadah in this case as there is a need for it?

[muslim786]

Salam,

I ask because i find that this is something which troubles my heart. If someone has over 4 and a half years of qaza prayers to make up (which is over 10,000 prayers!!!) and these are *fardh* to make up, then how come in the hanafi madhab one is still told to continue doing the superrogatroy nafl prayers, even though it is known that doing these nawafil prayers will considerably delay the completion of the qaza prayers. Surely, the fardh takes precedence over the sunnah muakkadah? I know that in the other school this is the case where one makes up all their fardh qaza prayers before continuing with their sunnahs and i just wanted to know if there were any hanafi scholars at all who have said that this is the preferred opinion, or who have said that one would not be sinful for missing sunnah muakkadah in this case as there is a need for it?

This would appear to be the only view held. Even if some scholars have said otherwise, you have to stick to the official view of the madhab on these matters. For example some scholars have stated that you can recite behind the Imam in silent prayers BUT the madhab position is that this should not be done, and we follow the official view of the madhab. As far as I am aware it is only the confirmed sunnah prayers that have precedence over the Qada NOT all nafl.

[muslim786]

Makeup Prayers: Performing Sunna Prayers When One Has Makeup Prayers

Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani


Can one pray salat at-tawbah, salat al-istikhara, salat al-hajah and other specific nafl prayers if one has qadas? If not, can one intend to pray the nafl prayer along with a qada prayer? For example, when one is praying a qada of Fajr after a fard Maghrib, can they intend it to also be part of the six rak`aat of salat al-awwabeen? If intending a qada along with salat al-istakhara would one simply read the dua of istikhara afterwards?




Assalamu alaikum,

It is permitted to pray the specific voluntary (nafl) prayers that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) encouraged even when one has makeup ( qada) prayers with one condition: that performing such prayers does not delay one’s schedule of makeup prayers.

Imam Tumurtashi (Allah have mercy on him) stated in his Tanwir al-Absar:

“It is permitted to delay making up missed prayers [Haskafi: even if they are initially immediately obligatory] for the excuse of providing for one’s dependants, and in one’s needs, according to the sounder opinion.”

Imam Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) explained:

“(His saying, ‘and in one’s needs’)… Means everything one needs for oneself in terms of attaining benefits and avoiding harm [f: such as seeking religious or worldly knowledge, visiting the righteous, one’s family members, or the sick, for example].

As for voluntary prayers, it is mentioned in al-Mudmarat that:

‘Busying oneself with makeup prayers is more incumbent and more important than voluntary prayers, except for: the [f: confirmed and non-confirmed] sunnas prayers related to the obligatory prayers, Duha prayer, Tasbih prayer, and other prayers mentioned in hadiths.’



Such as the prayer for greeting the mosque ( tahiyyat al-masjid), the four rakats before Asr, and the six rakats [f: of the Awwabin prayer] after Maghrib.” [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar Sharh Tanwir al-Absar]

One should take note about how Muslims were in the past from this passage:

a) even the common people performed these sunna prayers;

b) in general, people lived their worldly lives around their religion (instead of squeezing in a little religion around their worldly life).

In our times, with weaker wills, difficult environments, and often years of prayers to make up or repeat:

a) what certainly should not be left (in normal situations) are one’s confirmed sunna prayers;

b) we should make a schedule of making up our missed prayers that is as much as we can commit to and reasonably expect to sustain;

c) with these, one should attempt to perform a little night prayer, though most of one’s night worship should be devoted to making up missed prayers;

d) other sunnas may be performed when there is a need for them (such as the prayer of seeking guidance ( istikhara)) or if these do not interfere with making up one’s missed prayers at a reasonable rate.

And Allah alone gives success.



Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani

from sunnipath

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

assalamu alaikum wr wb

jazakuAllahkhairun.

[muslim786]

There is always a good reason why things are done in a certain way. Allhamdulilah we are in good hands brother Abu Usama, I hope your query was resolved.