Qada prayer is a prayer that is performed to make up for a prayer that was not offered at its prescribed time or was not performed correctly.
Rulings on Qadha Prayer
Anyone who misses their obligatory prayer within its prescribed time must perform its Qadha (make-up). This applies even if they miss it due to sleeping through the time or because of laziness. However, a woman who misses her daily prayers during menstruation or postpartum bleeding does not have to perform Qadha for those prayers.
If someone realizes after the prayer time has ended that their prayer was invalid, they must perform Qadha for it. One who has missed prayers should not delay in making them up, but it is not obligatory to do so immediately. A person with missed prayers can perform voluntary (mustahabb) prayers. If someone suspects that they have missed prayers or that their previous prayers were invalid, it is recommended to make up the prayer as a precaution.
For someone who is obliged to perform the Friday prayer, if they fail to do so within its time, they must perform the noon (Dhuhr) prayer. If they also neglect the Dhuhr prayer, they must make up for it. Qadha for obligatory prayers can be performed at any time of the day or night, whether in travel or in residence. However, if someone wishes to make up a prayer from a journey while in residence, they must perform it as Qasr (shortened), and vice versa—if they wish to perform a missed prayer from residence during a journey, they must perform it as full (tamām).
If a prayer is not performed in places like the Haram Mosque, where one is free to choose between Qasr and full prayers, it is obligatory to perform the missed prayer as Qasr if done outside of these places. In the same places, one is free to choose between Qasr and full.
Qadha of the Father and Mother's Prayer on the Elder Son
If a father did not perform his prayers due to a valid excuse, the elder son is obliged to perform Qadha for him after his death. This is also the case if the father neglected prayers due to disobedience, as a precaution. If the father missed fasting due to illness or travel and could have made up the fasts during his life but did not, the elder son must make up the fasts. The elder son must also perform Qadha for his deceased mother’s prayers and fasts.
The elder son is obliged to make up the prayers for both parents, but it is not obligatory to make up for those prayers that were missed due to a contract (like an act of hiring someone to perform the prayer) or those that the father or mother owed due to a personal obligation. The elder son is also not obliged to make up for the prayers of the father or mother if they were missed by a grandson, unless the deceased had no children, in which case the grandson should make them up as a precaution.
The elder son does not need to be a direct heir to the deceased; even if they are prevented from inheritance due to reasons like murder or disbelief, it remains obligatory for them to make up the prayers. If it is unclear which son is the elder, none of them are required to perform Qadha, but it is recommended that they divide the responsibility or use a lottery to determine who will do it.
If the deceased has willed for someone to be hired to make up their prayers and fasts, the elder son has no further obligation once the prayers are correctly performed by the hired person. The same applies if someone voluntarily performs the Qadha for the deceased.
When reciting a missed prayer, the elder son must recite the prayers aloud—such as Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha—whether the Qadha is for the father or mother. If two sons are twins, the one who is born first is considered the elder, even if the other’s conception was earlier.
If someone dies halfway through the prayer time, leaving enough time to perform the prayer before their death, the elder son is obliged to make up the missed prayer. If the deceased has no son, others are not obliged to perform the Qadha, but if they have willed it, it must be done using one-third of their estate.
If the elder son dies before completing the Qadha of the father’s prayers, it becomes the responsibility of the younger son to complete them.
Traveler’s Prayer
A traveler must perform shortened prayers (Qasr) for the Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers under eight conditions:
Condition One: The journey must be at least 8 Farsakh (approximately 45 kilometers). If the total journey is 8 Farsakh, the traveler must perform shortened prayers. If the journey is less than 8 Farsakh, the prayer should be recited in full.
Condition Two: The traveler must intend the 8 Farsakh journey from the start. If they initially planned a shorter journey and later decide to go further, they must perform the Qasr prayer if the total distance reaches 8 Farsakh.
Condition Three: The traveler must not abandon their journey before reaching 4 Farsakh. If they turn back before reaching 4 Farsakh, they must perform the full prayer.
Condition Four: The traveler should not leave their homeland before reaching 8 Farsakh or planning to stay somewhere for 10 days or more. If they decide to leave before this or stay less than 10 days, they should perform the full prayer.
Condition Five: The journey must not be for unlawful purposes. If a journey is undertaken for an unlawful reason, the prayer should be performed in full.
Condition Six: The traveler must not be someone who usually travels in the desert, wandering from place to place without a permanent residence. Such individuals must perform the full prayer.
Condition Seven: The traveler’s occupation should not be travel itself. Those whose occupation requires constant travel, such as drivers or traders, should perform full prayers unless they are on their first journey of the season.
