First: Whoever Slept Through the Prayer or Forgot It

Whoever was overcome by sleep without intentional negligence, or forgot the prayer until its time ended, must pray it immediately when he wakes up or remembers.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

Agreed upon, and the wording is Muslim’s.

In the hadith of Abu Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

Narrated by Muslim.

The meaning of the end of the hadith is that he prays the missed prayer when he wakes up, then prays the prayer of the following day at its usual time. It does not mean that he delays the missed prayer until the next day or prays it twice.

Should He Pray It Immediately When He Remembers, Even During a Prohibited Time?

Yes. If he wakes up after sunrise, or remembers the prayer after Asr, he prays the missed obligatory prayer immediately and does not wait until the prohibited time ends, because the command to make it up upon remembering is general.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions prayed Fajr after sunrise when sleep overcame them during travel. Therefore, missed obligatory prayers may be prayed during prohibited times according to the majority of scholars.

Is the Sleeping Person Excused in Every Case?

Sleep itself removes sin from the one who was overcome by it, but the Muslim is commanded to take the means to wake up. Whoever knows that he usually does not wake up for Fajr, then deliberately stays up late without need, does not set an alarm, and does not ask someone to wake him, may be sinful because of negligence in taking the means.

In all cases, he must pray when he wakes up, then fix the cause of missing it: by sleeping earlier, setting enough alarms, and asking someone who can wake him.

What Should He Do If He Wakes Up Minutes Before the Time Ends?

If enough time remains for him to purify himself and pray, he must begin the prayer and not become busy with what can be delayed.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

Agreed upon.

Whoever catches one complete rakah before the time exits has caught the prayer in its time, and he completes it after the time exits. This is not permission to deliberately delay until the final minutes; rather, it is a ruling for one who caught the time late.

Third: Whoever Missed Several Prayers Due to an Excuse

If someone missed several prayers because sleep overcame him, or because of forgetfulness, or because of an excuse that requires making them up, he prays them when the excuse is removed, and he orders them according to their times: Fajr, then Dhuhr, then Asr, then Maghrib, then Isha.

Ordering missed prayers is obligatory according to the Hanafis, Malikis, and Hanbalis in general, and recommended according to the Shafiis. There is disagreement over the details of when ordering is waived.

Whoever missed Dhuhr and Asr prays Dhuhr first and then Asr. If he forgot the order or was ignorant of it, his prayer is valid according to a group of scholars.

Which Comes First: The Missed Prayer or the Current Prayer?

If the time of the current prayer is wide, he begins with the missed prayer and then prays the current prayer, preserving the order.

But if he fears that the current prayer’s time will end if he begins with the missed prayer, he gives priority to the current prayer according to the majority of scholars so that both prayers do not become missed, then he makes up the previous prayer.

If the congregation for the current prayer has been established, he should not leave the congregation and cause himself to miss it without asking, because ordering the missed prayer with the current congregation has detail, and he can ask people of knowledge about his case.

What If He Does Not Know the Number of Missed Prayers?

Whoever is required to make up prayers but does not know the number should strive to estimate what he most likely needs in order to clear his liability. He is not required to reach an impossible certainty, but he should not suffice with a number he knows is less than what he missed.

If the missed prayers are few, he hastens to make them up and does not spread them over days without need. If they are many and he acts upon the view that making them up is obligatory, he sets a serious and consistent program, such as praying one or more missed prayers with each current obligatory prayer, increasing according to his ability, without neglecting the current prayer or his basic needs and livelihood that are necessary. He should not make the program an excuse for procrastination.

As for someone who deliberately left prayer for years, making up those years falls under the earlier disagreement, so he should not begin an exhausting program on his own before knowing the ruling he will act upon from a trustworthy scholar.

Are Work or Study an Excuse to Take Prayer Out of Its Time?

Work, study, shopping, or watching programs are not excuses to take the prayer out of its time. The Muslim organizes his work and breaks so that he prays on time, and he looks for a suitable pure place.

Allah says:

If a recognized hardship exists, such as illness or travel, he learns the rulings of valid combining. As for making combining or making up prayers a habit because of busyness, that is not permissible. The exception is an unavoidable sudden necessity, such as saving an inviolable life or caring for a critical case when there is no one else to do it. The Muslim does what he is able to do, then prays when the necessity ends, and he does not treat ordinary situations as necessities.

Do Not Delay Prayer Because You Cannot Perform It in the Complete Form

Whoever cannot stand prays sitting. Whoever cannot sit prays on his side. Whoever cannot find water, or would be harmed by using it, makes tayammum. Whoever cannot face the qiblah or get down from a plane or vehicle, and fears the time will end, prays according to his ability.

Allah says:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Imran ibn Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him:

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

It is not permissible for a sick person who is sane to leave the prayer until its time exits with the excuse that he is waiting until he can stand or perform complete wudu.

What Should Someone Do If He Missed Jumuah Prayer?

Whoever missed Jumuah, or did not catch one rakah of it, prays Dhuhr as four rakahs, because Jumuah is not made up in its Jumuah form after it is missed.

As for whoever catches one rakah with the imam, he has caught Jumuah and completes one rakah after it.