Must a person prioritize making up missed obligatory prayers (Qada)?

Chapter on the Description of Prayer

Al-Mughni

Book of Prayer

Book 3 · Issue 1 · Bab 5

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If a person has many obligatory prayers missed (Fawa'it), they must occupy themselves with making them up. This obligation ceases only if making them up causes hardship (Mashaqqah) to their body or wealth. Bodily hardship includes becoming weak or fearing illness. Financial hardship includes being prevented from managing wealth or livelihood, leading to harm in earning. Imam Ahmad affirmed this principle. If the exact number of missed prayers is unknown, one must continue making them up until certainty of absolution (bara'at al-dhimmah) is achieved. Imam Ahmad stated that the person repeats prayers until they are certain they have performed what was missed.