- The same applies when prayers are combined: he would combine the two prayers, beginning with the first (1).
All these proofs indicate that maintaining the proper sequence is obligatory when making up missed prayers.
But is the proper sequence waived due to one excuse or another? …
The proper sequence is waived if it is forgotten, or if one fears that the preferred time of the current prayer will expire. …
The author, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The proper sequence is waived if it is forgotten, or if one fears that the preferred time of the current prayer will expire.” Thus, he mentioned two cases in which it is waived:
The first is forgetfulness. If a person owes five obligatory prayers, beginning with the noon prayer, but forgets and begins with the dawn prayer—even though it is the last of them—we say: his making them up is valid, because he forgot. If he begins with the afternoon prayer before the noon prayer out of forgetfulness, his make-up prayers are valid, because the proper sequence is waived through forgetfulness.
The evidence is the general meaning of Allah’s saying: “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.” [2:286]
The second is “fearing that the preferred time of the current prayer will expire.” This expression contains four successive possessive constructions. According to rhetoricians, wording of this kind falls short of eloquence because of the excessive number of such constructions. But we say: if the meaning cannot be made clear except in this manner, then it does not fall short of eloquence. The author’s wording could be revised to read: “if he fears that the preferred time of the current prayer will expire.” In any case, the meaning is that if he fears that the preferred time of the current prayer will expire,