Qada-e-Umri

Question: Can somebody tell me if one can take dispensations within the makeup prayers to make it easier, if one has many years of prayers to make up. i've only heard/read of only one fatwa, that by Shaykh Ahmed Rida Khan concerning this. He said:
1. One can miss Surah Fatiha in the last two rakats of a four-cycle prayer and in the last rakah of the maghrib prayer, and read Subhan Allah three times in the qiyam position instead.
2. instead of reading the tasbihs three times in ruku and sujud, read them only once.
3. At the end of the prayer, instead of reading the full durood sharif, one can just read "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala aalayhi" and do the salaam.
4. In the witr prayer, instead of reading dua-e-qunoot, one can read "rabbighfirli" again three times.

assalamu alaikum

Just an observation re Shaykh Ahmad Rida's (RA) fatwa.

I have been personally told by learned ulema, both Shaykh Rida's lovers and arch enemies,  that he was a "master faqih".  Therefore, one can be sure that the fatwa has been issued by a scholar of profound knowledge in the area at issue here.

Secondly, I have seen the fatwa in his volumous fatwa work, we read the details of the fatwa as mentioned by brother Atiq to a well known Shafi Faqih, who said the "fatwa is sahih", however, this Shaykh preferred a recitation of the fatiah as he said "the hadiths relating to it are mutawatir" (I don't know what the Hanafis would say about the latter comment).

As I mentioned at the outset these are just some observations and not an order telling anyone to practice the fatwa or an approval of it: I am simply not qualified to do either !!!
Wassalam, Rashid

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Al-Salam alaykum

To quote from Shaikh Faraz in a recent e-mail:

"One should not excessively hasten the performance of one's makeups in such
a way that one is completely inattentive of one's Lord: makeups are also up
for acceptance or rejection, and Allah does not accept an act performed by
the heedless."

Abu Usamah

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ANSWER:

Walaikum assalam,

The issues mentioned from Imam Ahmad Raza Brelvi's fatwa:

1. One can miss Surah Fatiha in the last two rakats of a four-cycle
> prayer and in the last rakah of the maghrib prayer, and read Subhan
> Allah three times in the qiyam position instead.
>
> 2. instead of reading the tasbihs three times in ruku and sujud, read
> them only once.
>
> 3. At the end of the prayer, instead of reading the full durood
> sharif, one can just read "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala
> aalayhi" and do the salaam.
>
> 4. In the witr prayer, instead of reading dua-e-qunoot, one can
> read "rabbighfirli" again three times.

This is no doubt valid; even people critical of Imam Ahmad Raza, such as Sh. Abd al-Hayy al-Hasani in his biography history of the notables of the Indian sub-continent, Nuzhat al-Khawatir, declares that he was a phenomenal faqih, Allah be pleased with him.

It appears from how scholars deal with makeups that there are two approaches:
(a) to finish them as soon as possible, taking all valid shortcuts, even if it means leaving sunna acts within;
(b) to pray them quickly, but without haste and without leaving any confirmed sunnas.

Approach (b) rests on the idea that the makeup prayer (qada') is obligatory by that which the current performance (ada') was obligatory, the only difference being that it was delayed (generally sinfully) beyond its appointed time. As such, the makeup too is due for acceptance or rejection from Allah, and should therefore be performed in a way pleasing to him, though quickly, in order to clear one's debts. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas emphasized that if one repents from one's non-performance or invalid performance, and then has a strong resolve, and a systematic, consistent makeup schedule one sticks to, then even if one dies, Allah will forgive one for any remaining makeups. [This is different from one who does not resolve to do this, or does not consistently make up their prayers.] There is a difference between the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation, for Allah is free of all need, while the latter are needy. As such, Allah has promised to forgive a truly repentant slave, whereas we have no such assurances about that which is due to others.

A few notes:
(1) One should note that Imam Kamal ibn al-Humam and other great Hanafi scholars considered the Fatiha to be wajib even in the final rak`as. Allama al-Maydani, author of the Lubab, notes this too, and it is certainly more precautionary, even in makeups, given that other schools deem it obligatory (fard). However, the transmitted position (dhahir al-riwaya) from our Imam (Allah be pleased with him) is that both reciting the Fatiha and doing three tasbihs are a confirmed sunna in the final rak`as, though the former has more reward. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas of Damascus, and other Hanafi fuqaha' I have asked, emphasized that it is best to make up one's prayer in a way that is unquestionably sound, and said it is therefore better to recite the Fatiha when making up prayers too.

(2) Ibn Abidin concludes in his Hashiya, after presenting the proofs and positions on the issue, that according to the principles of the Hanafi school, it would appear that reciting the tasbihs THREE TIMES would be a wajib; however, the transmitted position of our Imam and the school's scholars is that it is a confirmed sunna.

(3) A reminder: We should not forget that we are not to leave our confirmed sunna prayers (2 before fajr, 4 before Zuhr and 2 after, 2 after both Maghrib and after Isha), even when making up prayers. Leaving a confirmed sunna even once without excuse is blameworthy and deserves reproach (from Allah), while leaving it repeatedly or making it a habit to leave it is sinful, for it is considered turning away from the Sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), who said, "Whoever turns away from my Sunna is not of me."

Wassalam,
Faraz