Q 1: I would like to inform Your Eminence that
I have not offered Salah (Prayer) since I reached the age of puberty, i.e. for one year. Allah guided me and I started to offer Salah regularly. What is the ruling on the Salahs that I did not offer in the past?
Do I still have to offer them? Don't the supererogatory Salahs I offer compensate them? If I have to make up for them, how do I do so?
A: Whoever intentionally abandons Salah is judged to be a disbeliever. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
What makes one a disbeliever and a polytheist is abandoning Salah.
(Related by
Muslim) Accordingly, if such a person repents to Allah (Exalted be He), he may not make up for the Salahs he missed. Rather, he will have to be punctual in performing future Salah. Moreover, it is recommended for him to offer a lot of supererogatory Salahs so that Allah might accept his repentance. (Part No. 5; Page No. 41) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.