How Do I Make Up Seven Years of Missed Prayers?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question
I spent about seven years not praying, or praying without meaning it. I am a Muslim, and I want to repent. If I start praying now, do I have to pray all seven years of missed prayers, or can God forgive me?
I had bad friends who led me into a lot of wrong, and I only understood too late, after I lost my family.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Read this first, before anything else: Allah has already turned to you. The wanting you are feeling is not you reaching for Him. It is Him reaching for you.
You asked two questions in one breath, and I want to separate them, because you are hearing them as one thing, and they are not.
Can Allah forgive you? Yes. Completely, and already, the moment you turned.
Do you make up the prayers? Yes. And that is not a refusal of the forgiveness. It is what forgiven people do.
He Has Forgiven You
Allah Most High says, “Whoever commits an ill deed or wrongs himself, then even at length asks forgiveness of Allah while there is still time, shall find Allah all-forgiving, all-compassionate” [Quran 4:110; Keller, The Quran Beheld]. Note the words “even at length.” Seven years is inside that.
And He says, “And verily I am ever-forgiving to whoever repents and believes and works righteousness, then ever after remains firmly guided” [Quran 20:82; Keller, The Quran Beheld].
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) reported that Allah Most High says, “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I forgive you for what is in you, and I do not mind.
O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and then you sought My forgiveness, I would forgive you and not mind.” [Mishkat al-Masabih, no. 2336]
And he said, “Allah extends His hand by night that the wrongdoer of the day may repent, and extends His hand by day that the wrongdoer of the night may repent — until the sun rises from its place of setting.” [Riyad al-Salihin, no. 16; Muslim] That hand has been out for all seven of your years. It is out now.
And he said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul — if you were not to sin, Allah Most High would take you away and bring a people who sin and then seek His forgiveness, and He would forgive them.” [Riyad al-Salihin, no. 1871; Muslim]
You are not an exception to His mercy. You are the reason it was described.
“Every son of Adam is prone to error, and the best of those who err are the oft-repentant” [Mishkat al-Masabih, no. 2341; Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja and Darimi, graded good].
Your Repentance Is Not Waiting on a Verdict
You asked whether God can forgive you, as though the answer were still being decided somewhere.
Imam Ghazali settles that. Where repentance meets its conditions, he writes, it is accepted without question — and then, with characteristic bluntness, “one who imagines that repentance can be sound and yet not accepted is like one who imagines that the sun rises and the darkness does not lift.” [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din, with Zabidi, Ithaf al-Sada al-Muttaqin]
And there is a story he relates that I want you to have. A young man among the Children of Israel worshipped Allah for twenty years, then disobeyed Him for twenty years. One day, he looked in a mirror, saw grey in his beard, and was grieved.
He said, “My Lord, I obeyed You twenty years, then disobeyed You twenty years. If I return to You, will You accept me?” And he heard a voice, seeing no one: “You loved Us, and We loved you. You left us, and we left you. You disobeyed Us, and We gave you respite. And if you return to Us, We will accept you” [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din, with Zabidi, Ithaf al-Sada al-Muttaqin].
Twenty years. And the respite was itself the mercy, not the absence of it.
Do Not Let the Size of It Stop You
Imam Qushayri writes that repentance “is the first station of the wayfarers and the first stage of the seekers” [Qushayri, al-Risala al-Qushayriyya]. His glossator adds that it is “like the ground is to a building — whoever has no ground has no building.” [Arusi, Nata’ij al-Afkar al-Qudsiyya]
You are not behind. You are standing exactly where every traveler starts.
And there is a line in that same commentary I want you to hold: “Five things in a sin are graver than the sin — making light of it, persisting in it, flaunting it, being emboldened by it, and despairing of its forgiveness.” [Arusi, Nata’ij al-Afkar al-Qudsiyya]
Of those five, only the last one is still available to you. Do not take it.
Ibn Ata’illah put it this way: “If a sin occurs from you, let it not be a cause of your despairing of uprightness with your Lord, for it may well be the last sin decreed for you.” [Ibn Ata’illah, al-Hikam, no. 148]
Ibn Abbad al-Rundi explains that what contradicts uprightness is not the lapse but the persisting in it [Ibn Abbad al-Rundi, Ghayth al-Mawahib al-Aliyya]. You have stopped persisting. That is the whole difference.
And he wrote: “Among the signs of success at the end is turning back to Allah at the beginning” [Ibn Ata’illah, al-Hikam, no. 26].
Now the Make-Up
You follow the Shafi’i school, and its position is that the missed prayers are made up. All four schools hold this.
The school itself understands this as a mercy, for two reasons worth knowing. It does not treat a person who left prayer through laziness as having left Islam for those years. And it gives you a definite way to repair what happened, rather than leaving you with a debt and no means of paying it.
Our answer here sets that out: How to Make up Years of Missed Prayers? (Shafi’i), by Shaykh Shuaib Ally.
So hear it as it is meant. You are not being told that forgiveness is withheld until you finish. You are being handed a way back.
A Schedule You Can Actually Keep
Do not calculate the total and stare at it. That number stops people, and it has no religious function.
Start here instead. Pray today’s five prayers on time. Then add one make-up prayer alongside each of them. That is five today’s and five made up, ten prayers, and it is not a hard day. Keep that for a few weeks until it feels ordinary, then add a second if you can.
“The most beloved of deeds to Allah is the most constant of them, even if little.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Be upright, though you will not be able to encompass it; and know that the best of your deeds is the prayer.” [Malik, Ahmad, Ibn Maja and Darimi] He is telling you that you will not manage it perfectly and to go on anyway.
He also taught, “Make things easy and do not make them hard; give glad tidings and do not drive people away” [Bukhari and Muslim]. If that is how we are told to treat others, do not treat yourself the opposite way.
If you keep to a schedule you can sustain, and Allah takes you before you finish, you go to Him as a man who was praying and repairing. Do not be afraid of that.
You Do Not Need an Exact Number
You will not be able to reconstruct seven years, and you are not required to.
Imam Ghazali gives the method. One looks back over the years since reaching puberty, and “if he is uncertain of the number of prayers he has missed, he reckons from the time of his coming of age, sets aside the amount he is certain he performed, and makes up the rest — and he may proceed in this on the preponderant opinion he arrives at by careful estimation and diligence.” [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din, with Zabidi, Ithaf al-Sada al-Muttaqin]
Estimate honestly, round upward a little to be safe, and then stop counting and start praying.
One Thing to Check
You wrote “fake praying,” and I am not sure what you mean. If you were praying but without concentration, those prayers count and are not made up. If you were going through the motions without wudu, or without intending prayer at all, those are made up.
Write back and tell me, and I will tell you exactly which years you are counting.
And About Your Family
You mentioned losing them almost in passing, and I do not think it was a small thing. Whatever the door back to them looks like, ask Allah for it in your prostration. That is where the asking belongs, and He is nearer to you now than He has been in years.
Begin Tonight
Allah Most High says, “And keep well the prayer at the open and close of day, and first reaches of the night: Verily good deeds do away with ill deeds” [Quran 11:114; Keller, The Quran Beheld].
Read that closely. It is a verse about prayer, and the promise attached to it is that the good will wear away the bad. The very thing you are afraid of owing is the thing that clears the account.
Do not wait for the next Ramadan, or for a better week, or for the feeling to be stronger. Pray the next prayer that comes. Then the one after it. That is the whole of it.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Related SeekersGuidance Answers
How to Make up Years of Missed Prayers? (Shafi’i) — Shaykh Shuaib Ally. The Shafi’i position, and why the school understands it as a mercy.
The Door of Repentance and Return to Allah Is Always Open — Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. For the days when the fear returns.
How Do I Overcome My Guilt Over Past Sins? — For carrying the past without being crushed by it.
How Do I Find My Way Back to Allah and Discipline Myself? — Practical structure for someone rebuilding a routine from nothing.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.
Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.
In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.
Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.
Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.
His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.
النصوص
[الترمذي؛ مشكاة المصابيح، رقم ٢٣٣٦ — لم تتمّ دراسته]
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي يَا ابنَ آدمَ إِنَّك لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ لَوْ لَقِيتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتَنِي لَا تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَأَتَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِهَا مغْفرَة . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ
[مسلم؛ رياض الصالحين، باب التوبة، رقم ١٦]
وعن أبي موسَى عبدِ اللهِ بنِ قَيسٍ الأشْعريِّ – رضي الله عنه – عن النَّبيّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قَالَ: «إنَّ الله تَعَالَى يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بالليلِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ النَّهَارِ، ويَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيلِ، حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِها». رواه مسلم
[مسلم؛ رياض الصالحين، رقم ١٨٧١]
وعنه – رضي الله عنه – قال: قال رسولُ اللهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم: «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا، لَذَهَبَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِكُم، وَلَجَاءَ بِقَومٍ يُذْنِبُونَ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللهَ تَعَالَى، فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ». رواه مسلم
[الترمذي وابن ماجه والدارمي؛ مشكاة المصابيح، رقم ٢٣٤١ — حسن]
وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ والدارمي
[متفق عليه؛ مشكاة المصابيح، رقم ١٢٤٢]
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «أَحَبُّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى الله أدومها وَإن قل»
[مالك وأحمد وابن ماجه والدارمي؛ مشكاة المصابيح، رقم ٢٩٢ — صحيح]
عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «اسْتَقِيمُوا وَلَنْ تُحْصُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ أَعْمَالِكُمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَلَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى الْوُضُوءِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ» . رَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ وَأَحْمَدُ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ
[متفق عليه؛ رياض الصالحين، رقم ٦٣٦]
وعن أنس – رضي الله عنه – عن النبيِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قَالَ: «يَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا، وَبَشِّرُوا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرُوا». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ
