Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
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
MMVIII © Faraz Rabbani and SunniPath.
All rights reserved
No part of this article may be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of both copyright holders. For permission, please submit a request at our Helpdesk.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.
Through joining an online class at SunniPath Academy, you can benefit from convenient, online courses that will give you access to reliable scholars and our popular curriculum learning tracks. Knowledge gained in these courses will both build your iman and assist you in putting into practice what you learn. Don't give yourself less than you deserve, register today.
| Feb 5 | Spring Late Registration Ends |
| March 16 | Summer Registration Begins |
| April 23 | Summer Financial Aid Deadline |
| April 25 | Spring Semester Ends |
| May 11 | Summer Semester Begins |
| May 28 | Late Registration Ends |
| View entire academic calendar |
