Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * He did not know that ghusl from janaabah is obligatory; should he repeat the prayers?

I did not know that it is obligatory to do ghusl from janaabah (full
ablution following sexual activity) in order to pray. Do I have to
repeat the prayers?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Every Muslim, male or female, has to learn the rulings of Islam,
especially those that have to do with the duties that Allaah has
enjoined upon him and that he is able to do. Whoever has wealth has to
learn the rulings on zakaah; whoever works in business has to learn
the rulings on buying and selling. And everyone has to learn the
correct beliefs and what is required of every accountable person, the
rulings on purification and prayer. Allaah has made it easy for us to
seek knowledge in various ways, so many people have no excuse for
saying that they did not know, except negligence.
With regard to this particular matter, which is not knowing that it is
obligatory to do ghusl from janaabah, and that you offered many
prayers whilst in this state, the scholars are of the view that this
is regarded as something that may be excused, so you do not have to
make up the prayers. But you have to do ghusl and repeat the prayer at
the time of which you hear of the ruling. They quoted several reports
as evidence for that:
1 - It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the mosque and a
man entered and prayed and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) with salaam and he returned the greeting. Then he
said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." So he went back and
prayed as he had prayed the first time. Then he came and greeted the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with salaam and he
said: "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." This happened three
times, then he said: "By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot
do any better; teach me." He said: "When you stand to pray, say
takbeer ("Allaahu akbar"), then recite whatever you can of Qur'aan,
then bow until you are at ease in bowing, then stand up until you are
standing straight. Then prostrate until you are at ease in
prostration, then sit up until you are at ease in sitting, and do that
throughout the whole prayer." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 724; Muslim,
367. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not
tell him to make up his past prayers, rather he told him to make up
the current prayer only.
2 - It was narrated that 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abza said: A man came to
'Umar ibn al-Khattaab and said: I have become junub but I cannot find
any water. 'Ammaar ibn Yaasir said to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab: "Do you
not remember when we were on a journey, you and I (and became junub)?
You did not pray, but I rolled in the dust and prayed. I mentioned
that to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'It
would have been sufficient for you to do this,' and the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) struck his palms on the ground
and blew onto them, then he wiped them over his face and hands."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 331; Muslim, 368.
'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) did not pray
because he did not know that tayammum is obligatory for the one who
cannot find water. 'Ammaar ibn Yaasir (may Allaah be pleased with him)
did tayammum in a different way because he did not know how to do
tayammum correctly. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not tell them to make up the prayers that they had
missed.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
Based on this, if a person did not purify himself as prescribed in
sharee'ah because the text had not reached him, such as if he ate
camel meat and did not do wudoo', then the text reached him and he
came to know that it is obligatory to do wudoo' after eating camel
meat, or if he prayed in a camel pen then the text reached him (which
says that it is not allowed to pray in camel pens), does he have to
repeat the past prayers? There are two opinions, both of which were
narrated from Ahmad.
A similar case is if a man touches his penis and prays, then he finds
out that the one who touches his penis has to do wudoo'.
The correct view in all these cases is that he does not have to repeat
the prayers, because Allaah has forgiven things done by mistake or out
of forgetfulness, and because He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)"
[al-Isra' 17:15]
If a person has not heard of the command of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning a particular
matter, then the obligation is not confirmed in his case. Hence when
'Umar and 'Ammaar became junub and 'Umar did not pray and 'Ammaar
prayed after rolling in the dust, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did not tell either of them to repeat the prayer.
Similarly he did not tell Abu Dharr to repeat the prayers when he was
junub and did not pray for several days. And he did not tell those of
his companions who had eaten until they could distinguish the white
thread from the black thread to make up their fasts, and he did not
tell those who had prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) before
news of the abrogation reached them to make up those prayers.
A similar case is that of the woman who was suffering from istihaadah
(non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) and had not prayed for some time
because she thought that she did not have to pray. There are two views
as to whether such a woman has to make up the prayers she missed. One
view is that she does not have to make up the prayers - as was
narrated from Maalik and others - because when the woman who was
suffering from istihaadah said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "I have been bleeding heavily for some time and
it prevents me from praying and fasting," he told her what she should
do in the future, and he did not tell her to make up the prayers of
the past.
It seems to me, based on mutawaatir reports, that with regard to women
and men living in the desert and elsewhere who have reached the age of
puberty and do not know that prayer is obligatory for them, and even
if it is said to such a woman, "You have to pray" and she says, "Not
until I grow up and become an old woman, thinking that the command to
pray is only addressed to old women, and even the followers of some
shaykhs (among the Sufis) groups do not know that prayer is obligatory
for them, according to the correct view, they do not make to make up
past prayers regardless of whether it is said that they were kaafirs
or they were excused for their ignorance.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 21/101, 102.
See also the answer to question no. 21806.
It may be noted here that if the questioner was in a place where the
means of acquiring knowledge were available but he was careless and
did not try to find out, then he has to make up the prayers that he
offered without ghusl from janaabah, so long as he is not very old. If
he is very old, he does not have to make them up because of the
hardship that that would cause, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"and [Allaah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship"
[al-Hajj 22:78]
And Allaah knows best.

Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * Praying Maghrib behind one who is praying‘Isha’

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I came back from a journey and I had not prayed Maghrib. I entered the mosque and found them praying ‘Isha’. Should I pray ‘Isha’ with them or pray Maghrib on my own and then pray ‘Isha’?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Rather you should join the imam in the prayer, with the intention of praying Maghrib, then you should sit in the third rak’ah and recite the Tashahhud and say the salaam, then join the imam in what is left of ‘Isha’ prayer. Or wait during the Tashahhud until the imam finishes the prayer and say the tasleem with him, then pray ‘Isha’.
This is the view of Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him), and is one of the two views narrated from Imam Ahmad. Al-Mardaawi stated inal-Insaaf(4/413) that this view was favoured by a number of the companions of Imam Ahmad, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and his grandfather al-Majd ibn Taymiyah.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Majmoo’, 4/143:
If he intends to pray Fajr behind one who is praying Zuhr and the congregational prayer is completed, if he wishes he may wait during the Tashahhud until the imam finishes, and say the tasleem with him, which is better, or if he wishes he may decide to leave him and say the tasleem. This leaving does not invalidate his prayer, and there is no scholarly dispute on this point, because he is excused from following the imam. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
Some worshippers were delayed in praying Maghrib, and they found that the imam had started to pray ‘Isha’. Should they pray Maghrib in a congregation on their own, or join the imam? And how should they pray?
He replied:
The correct view is that if a person comes (to the mosque) and the imam is praying ‘Isha’, whether he is with a group or not, he should join the imam, with the intention of praying Maghrib. It does not matter if the imam’s intention is different from that of one who is praying behind him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have but that which he intended.” If they join him in the second rak’ah, they can say the tasleem with him, because they will have prayed three rak’ahs, and it does not matter if they sit for the Tashahhud during their first rak’ah. If they join him in the first rak’ah, then when he stands up for the fourth rak’ah, they can sit and recite the Tashahhud and say the tasleem, then join him in what remains of ‘Isha prayer.
The second opinion concerning this matter is that they should join him with the intention of praying ‘Isha’, then pray Maghrib after that, and the obligation to offer the prayers in order is waived because of the duty to join the congregation.
The third view is that they should pray Maghrib on their own, then join him in whatever is left of ‘Isha’ prayer. The last two views involve something about which there is some reservation. The first view involves neglecting the order of prayers by putting ‘Isha’ before Maghrib. The second view involves having two congregations in one mosque at the same time, which is dividing the ummah.
But the first view which we mentioned is the correct one. Someone may say that there is something wrong, which is saying the tasleem before the imam. In fact there is nothing wrong with this. It is narrated in some places in the Sunnah that a member of the congregation may do something separately from the imam, such as in the fear prayer, where the imam leads them in one rak’ah, then they complete the prayer by themselves and leave.
Another example is the story of the man who joined Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) in prayer, but when he started to recite Soorat al-Baqarah or another similar soorah, he left him and did not complete the prayer with him.
And the scholars said that if a man is praying in congregation then he feels that is about to pass wind or that he needs to break his wudoo’ by urinating or defecating, then there is no sin on him if he decides to pray alone and completes his prayer and leaves. This indicates that praying alone in the case of need is not regarded as wrong. End quote.
Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh, 3/425
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: I entered the mosque and the ‘Isha’ prayer had started. Before I joined the prayer, I remember that I had not prayed Maghrib. Should I pray Maghrib and then catch up with ‘Isha’ with the congregation, or should I pray with the congregation and then pray Maghrib afterwards?
He replied: if you enter the mosque and ‘Isha’ prayer has started, then you remember that you did not pray Maghrib, then you should join the congregation with the intention of praying Maghrib. When the imam stands up for the fourth rak’ah, you should sit in the third rak’ah and recite the final tashahhud – i.e.,al-tahhiyaatuand the blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – and make du’aa’ after that, then wait for the imam to say the tasleem and say the tasleem with him. It does not matter if the imam and the member of the congregation have different intentions, according to the sound scholarly opinion. If you pray Maghrib on your own and then join the congregation in what is left of ‘Isha’ prayer, there is nothing wrong with that. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 12/189
The Standing Committee was asked: what should a man do if he forgets Fajr prayer, for example, and does not remember until the iqaamah is given for Zuhr, or he forgets Zuhr and does not remember until the time for ‘Asr begins. Should he join the imam with the intention of offering the obligatory prayer that he missed or with the intention of offering the prayer that is currently due, and make up the missed prayer after that?
He replied: He should offer the prayer that he forgot behind the imam, and it does not matter if his intention is different from that of the imam, according to the sound scholarly opinion. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/407.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * He does not remember the number of prayers and fasts that he owes. What should he do?

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If someone doesn't remember that how many prayers and fasts he/she has left, how should he/she proceed to make over them?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
If prayers have been missed, one of the following three scenarios must apply:
1 – The prayer was missed for a reason such as sleeping or forgetting. In that case it must be made up, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, the expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 572; Muslim, 684.
He should offer these prayers in order as enjoined, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah, according to which ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) came on the day of al-Khandaq after the sun had set, and started cursing the kuffaar of Quraysh and saying, “O Messenger of Allaah, I could hardly pray ‘Asr until the sun had almost set.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, I did not pray it either.” We went to Bat-haan and he did wudoo’ for prayer and so did we, then he prayed ‘Asr after the sun had set, then he prayed Maghrib after that. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (571) and Muslim (631).
2 – He omitted the prayer for a reason but he was not aware of it, such as unconsciousness. In this case the prayer is waived for him and he does not have to make it up.
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:
I was involved in a car accident and I stayed in the hospital for three months, where I did not wake up and I did not pray for all that time. Is it waived for me or do I have to make up all the missed prayers?
They replied:
The prayers during the period mentioned are waived in your case, so long as you were unconscious throughout that period. End quote.
They were also asked:
If a person remains unconscious for a month and does not pray throughout that period, then he regains consciousness after that, does he have to repeat the missed prayers?
They replied:
He does not have to make up the prayers that he missed during that period, because he comes under the same ruling as one who is insane, and the Pen is lifted from one who is insane (i.e., his deeds are not recorded). End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 6/21
3 – He missed the prayers for no reason. One of two scenarios applies in this case:
Either he denied and refused to accept that they are obligatory. In this case there is no dispute that this is kufr and he has nothing to do with Islam. He has to enter Islam and then do all the duties and obligations of Islam, but he does not have to make up the prayers he missed when he was a kaafir.
Or he did not pray because he was negligent and lazy. In this case the prayers are not valid if he makes them up, because he had no excuse at the time when he missed them. Allaah has enjoined prayers at certain, clearly-defined times, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”
[al-Nisa’ 4:103]
And the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2697; Muslim, 1718.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
I did not pray until the age of twenty-four. Now with every fard (obligatory prayer) I offer another fard. Is it permissible for me to do that? Should I carry on doing that, or is there something else I have to do?
He replied:
The one who missed prayers deliberately does not have to make them up, according to the correct scholarly view. Rather he has to repent to Allaah, because prayer is the foundation of Islam, and failing to pray is the greatest of sins. In fact, failing to pray constitutes major kufr according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because it is narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad and the authors ofal-Sunanwith a saheeh isnaad from Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Imam Muslim in hisSaheehfrom Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him). And there are other ahaadeeth which indicate the same thing.
What you have to do is repent sincerely to Allaah by regretting what you have done in the past, giving up not praying, and sincerely resolving not to go back to it. You do not have to make up anything, either with every prayer or otherwise. Rather all you have to do is repent. Praise be to Allaah, whoever repents, Allaah accepts his repentance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”
[al-Noor 24:31]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.”
You have to be sincere in your repentance, and take stock of yourself, and strive to offer prayers regularly on time in congregation. And you have to ask Allaah to forgive what you have done, and do a lot of righteous deeds, and be optimistic, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
After mentioning shirk, murder and zina (adultery) in Soorat al-Furqaan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and whoever does this shall receive the punishment.
69. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace;
70. Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Furqaan 25:68]
We ask Allaah to guide us and you, to make our repentance sound and help us to remain constant in doing good. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 10/329, 330
Secondly:
With regard to making up missed fasts, if you did not fast during the time when you did not pray, then you do not have to make up those fasts, because the one who does not pray is a kaafir in the sense of major kufr that puts him beyond the pale of Islam – as stated above. When a kaafir becomes Muslim, he is not obliged to make up acts of worship that he did not do when he was a kaafir.
But if you did not fast at a time when you were praying, then one of the following two scenarios must apply:
Either you did not form the intention to fast from the night before, and you decided rather that you would not fast. In this case making up the fasts would not be valid in your case, because you failed to do the act of worship at the time prescribed for it by Islam, with no excuse.
Or you started to fast then you broke the fast during the day. In this case you have to make it up, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded the one who had had intercourse during the day in Ramadaan to offer expiation for that, he said to him: “Fast one day in its stead.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2393; Ibn Maajah, 1671; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inIrwa’ al-Ghaleel, 940.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on breaking the fast during the day in Ramadaan with no excuse. He replied:
Breaking the fast during the day in Ramadaan with no excuse is a major sin, which makes a person a faasiq (disobedient, evildoer) who has to repent to Allaah and make up the day when he broke his fast. I.e., if he fasted then during the day he broke his fast with no excuse, then he has sinned, and he has to make up the day when he broke the fast, because when he started it, it became binding upon him, so he has to make it up, like a vow. But if he did not fast at all, deliberately, with no excuse, then it is most likely that he does not have to make it up, because that will not benefit him at all, for it will never be accepted from him. The basic principle with regard to every act of worship which is to be done at a specific time is that if it is delayed beyond that time with no excuse, it will not be accepted, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.” And he has transgressed the limits set by Allaah, and transgressing the limits set by Allaah is zulm (wrongdoing), and good deeds are not accepted from the wrongdoer. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever transgresses the limits ordained by Allaah, then such are the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)”
[al-Baqarah 2:229]
If he had done this act of worship ahead of time – i.e., before the time for it began – it would not have been accepted of him, and by the same token, if he does it after that it will not be accepted from him, unless he has an excuse. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen(19, question no. 45)
What he has to do is repent sincerely from all sins, and perform obligatory duties regularly and on time, and give up evil deeds, and do a lot of naafil deeds and acts of worship.
And Allaah knows best.

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