How to Make Up Missed Prayers (Qada): A Complete Muslim Guide
Many Muslims carry a heavy weight: years of missed prayers from before they started practicing, or from periods of weakness. The size of the qada can feel paralyzing. Here's a practical, scholarly guide.
Step 1: Sincere tawbah
Before you make up a single prayer, make sincere tawbah. Acknowledge what was missed. Feel the regret. Resolve never to miss again. Tawbah is the foundation — without it, qada is just mechanical motion.
Step 2: Lock in your daily prayers first
Don't try to make up qada while still missing daily prayers. Build a 30-day streak of all 5 fard daily first. Use Just Pray to track. Once the foundation is solid, add qada.
Step 3: Estimate the volume
Be honest. How many years did you miss prayers? How many of the 5 prayers per day on average? Multiply.
Example: 5 years of missing 3 of 5 prayers per day = 5 × 365 × 3 = 5,475 prayers to make up.
The number will be huge. Don't panic.
Step 4: Build qada into your daily routine
The most sustainable method:
- After every fard, pray the qada version of the same prayer (e.g., after today's Fajr, pray a qada Fajr)
- Or set aside one block per day for 4-6 qada prayers
- Mark them in Just Pray with the qada flag so you can track progress
At 5 qada prayers per day, you'll knock out 1,825 per year. Multi-year qada projects are realistic.
Step 5: Don't add Sunnah Rawatib while doing qada
Most scholars say you can substitute Sunnah Rawatib time for qada. So instead of praying 12 sunnah rakat plus 5 fard, pray 5 fard plus 12 qada rakat. Same total, different intent.
What if I can't finish before I die?
Allah is the Most Merciful. The Prophet ﷺ said sincere intention to make up qada that you couldn't complete is rewarded. Keep going. Don't despair.
The scholarly debate
Some modern scholars (like Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi) have argued that sincere tawbah from a long period of missing prayers may be sufficient, especially if the volume is overwhelming. The classical four madhabs say to make up. Consult your scholar; pick a sustainable path.
Track your daily prayers AND qada in Just Pray — both habits, one app.
Frequently Asked Questions
›Do I need to make up prayers I missed before becoming practicing?
Scholars differ. The mainstream view of all four schools is yes, but many modern scholars say sincere tawbah covers what was missed if you commit to consistency going forward. Consult your local scholar.
›Can I do qada at the same time as my daily prayers?
Yes. Pray your daily fard first, then add qada prayers — typically by praying the qada version of each fard immediately after it. Some scholars recommend praying qada in pairs in the late morning.
Ready to transform your prayer life?
Join 100,000+ Muslims building consistent prayer habits with Just Pray. Free to download.