Neglecting the Prayer

Question: During my youth I would sometimes perform the prescribed prayers and at other times leave them, though I continued to attend the Friday prayer. About three years ago I began to observe all five prayers regularly, feeling deep remorse for my former negligence. I have also started making up what I missed: for example, at Fajr I now pray four rakʿahs—two rakʿahs as the current obligatory prayer and two rakʿahs as make-ups—followed by the two sunnah rakʿahs. I do the same for the other obligatory prayers. Is this procedure correct, or is something else required of me?

Answer:

First: To treat the prayer lightly or be lazy about it is extremely serious and reprehensible.

Second: We thank Allah, may He be exalted, for having granted you repentance and regret over what occurred. It is incumbent on every Muslim that when he commits a sin he returns to Allah with a sincere repentance; Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents and forgives all sins, and repentance erases whatever came before it. All praise is due to Allah for guiding you to repent, and we ask Him to keep both you and us firm upon the truth.

As for making up the prayers, the sound position is that whoever deliberately abandons the prayer thereby falls into disbelief, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Between a servant and disbelief or associationism lies the abandonment of the prayer.” Since you have repented to Allah and now maintain the prayers, that is sufficient; according to the sound view, no make-up prayers are required of you. Allah, the Exalted, knows best.