--- title: "How to Make Up Missed Prayers (Qada)" description: "The meaning and ruling of qada prayer, which prayers must be made up, how to form the intention, how to perform it, and the question of order (tartib)." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-make-up-missed-prayers" locale: "en" published: "2026-08-25" updated: "2026-08-25" author: "VAAZ Theology Review Board" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # How to Make Up Missed Prayers (Qada) The rush of a deadline, sleep, illness, or simple heedlessness — for whatever reason, a fard prayer that could not be offered at its time is not waived. It remains a debt, and it is fulfilled by making it up: this is qada. This guide walks through what a qada prayer is, which prayers must be made up, how to form the intention and perform it, and the question of order (tartib), all grounded in the sources. ## What Is a Qada Prayer? In the language of fiqh, performing an act of worship within its appointed time is called ada, while performing it after its time has passed is called qada. A qada prayer, then, is an obligatory (fard) or necessary (wajib) prayer that could not be offered at its time and is performed afterward. That prayer is tied to fixed times is stated plainly in the Qur'an: > …And when you are secure, establish the prayer. Indeed, the prayer has been decreed upon the believers at fixed times. Surah al-Nisa, 103 Because the prayer is "decreed at fixed times," each prayer has an appointed window in which it is meant to be offered. A prayer not offered in that window remains as a debt and must be discharged afterward. You can reach the current times from our [prayer times](https://getvaaz.com/en/prayer-times) page. ## The Basis in the Sunnah The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that whoever misses a prayer through sleep or forgetfulness should pray it when he remembers: > Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray it when he remembers it; there is no expiation for it other than that. Narrated by Anas ibn Malik and reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim (agreed upon, muttafaqun 'alayh), this authentic hadith was followed by the Prophet reciting, "…and establish prayer for My remembrance" (Taha, 14). The report shows clearly that the expiation for a missed prayer is to pray that very prayer — that is, the prayer is made good through qada. > The hadith mentions sleep and forgetfulness specifically to make clear that these do not incur sin. According to the majority of scholars, deliberately abandoning a prayer without excuse is a grave matter; such a person should both make a sincere tawbah and make up those prayers. The prayer debt is a responsibility to be discharged in deed, alongside repentance. ## Which Prayers Are Made Up? Qada applies to fard and wajib prayers: - **The five daily fard prayers:** the fard of Fajr (2 rak'ahs), of Zuhr (4), of Asr (4), of Maghrib (3), and of Isha (4) are made up. - **The witr prayer:** in the Hanafi school the witr is considered wajib, so when missed it too is made up, as 3 rak'ahs. The sunnah prayers that accompany the five daily prayers are, as a rule, **not** made up. The one exception is the sunnah of Fajr: if it is missed together with the fard until that same day's Zuhr time, it may be made up. So in reckoning a prayer debt, it is the fard prayers and the witr — not the sunnahs — that are counted. ## How to Perform a Qada Prayer A qada prayer is performed no differently from the on-time prayer: the same number of rak'ahs, the same recitation, the same bowing and prostrations. The only difference is in the **intention (niyyah)**. Step by step: 1. **Wudu and qibla:** As with any prayer, make wudu and face the qibla. See our [wudu guide](https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-perform-wudu) for how to purify yourself. 2. **Intention:** Intend the missed prayer. For example: "I intend, for the sake of Allah, to perform the fard of the (first or last) Zuhr prayer that I owe as qada." If you owe several of the same prayer, use "first" or "last" to avoid confusion, so that you consistently pray the oldest or the most recent and keep an order. 3. **Performance:** Pray the prayer normally, according to the number of rak'ahs of that fard. No adhan or iqamah is required for a qada prayer; performing it quietly at home has been considered more fitting. 4. **Completion:** End the prayer with the salam, as with the on-time prayer. If you are unsure about the general method of prayer, see our [how to perform salah guide](https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-perform-salah), and for the witr our [how to pray witr guide](https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-pray-witr). ## Order (Tartib) and Sahib al-Tartib In the Hanafi school, a person with only a small number of missed prayers must make them up **in order** and must offer them before that day's current prayer. This obligation to keep order is called **tartib**, and the person bound by it is called **sahib al-tartib**. The measure is this: if a person owes **fewer than six** prayers including the witr (that is, less than a full day), he is sahib al-tartib; he must both pray the missed prayers in their sequence and complete them before the prayer of the current time. Once the missed prayers reach **six or more**, the obligation of order lapses, and they may be prayed in any sequence. > For those who owe many prayers accumulated over years, the condition of order lapses, so the missed prayers may be prayed alongside the current prayers at suitable times. Praying one missed prayer after each daily fard, for instance, is a practical way to steadily reduce the debt. What matters is to sustain the effort with resolve and without neglect. ## When Can a Qada Prayer Be Prayed? A qada prayer may be offered at any time except the three **disliked (makruh) times** of the day: the brief moments when the sun is rising, when it is at its zenith (midday), and when it is setting. In these times neither a fard nor a qada prayer should be offered (the sole exception being that same day's Asr fard while the sun is actually setting). Otherwise a qada prayer may be prayed at any hour, day or night. Discharging a missed prayer promptly is praiseworthy — it follows the hadith's command to "pray it when you remember" and avoids delaying the debt. ## Conclusion The qada prayer is the servant's means of settling a prayer debt to the Lord; a missed prayer can be made good, and it is made good by praying that very prayer. What matters is to begin discharging the debt with a sincere intention and steady effort, without falling into despair over the past. For a deeper reflection, read our [sermon on salah](https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/sermon-on-salah), and reach the verse and hadith sources from our [Quran](https://getvaaz.com/en/quran) and [Hadith](https://getvaaz.com/en/hadith) sections. This content is general information based on the sources; for a binding ruling on your particular situation, it is appropriate to consult a competent religious authority such as the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). ## References 1. Surah al-Nisa, 103 — kuran.diyanet.gov.tr (Presidency of Religious Affairs translation). 2. Surah Taha, 14 — kuran.diyanet.gov.tr (Presidency of Religious Affairs translation). 3. Sahih al-Bukhari, Times of the Prayers, Hadith no. 597 — narrated by Anas ibn Malik, agreed upon (sahih); hadeethenc.com. 4. "How are missed prayers made up?" — Diyanet Haber (diyanethaber.com.tr): the qada intention, rak'ah counts, and rules of order. 5. "Sahib al-Tartib" entry, Turkish Religious Foundation Encyclopedia of Islam (TDV) — islamansiklopedisi.org.tr. --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. 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