It is essential for a person performing a qada prayer to make a specific intention by identifying the prayer being offered. However, if one has numerous qada prayers to perform, they may make a general intention for previous prayers, such as: ‘to perform the first Fajr/Dhuhr/‘Asr/Maghrib/‘Isha prayer that I missed’ or ‘to perform the last Fajr/ Dhuhr/‘Asr/Maghrib/‘Isha prayer that I missed.’

May one establish a prayer by making intention for both qada and sunnah?

One prayer cannot be performed with the intention of both qada and sunnah. We should clearly specify the prayer for which the qada prayer will be established, and make our intention for it. If we make an intention for both qada and sunnah of that time’s prayer, the prayer will be counted as a qada prayer. It will not substitute for both qada and sunnah of that time’s prayer (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, I, 73).

Can we perform sunnah prayers when we have qada prayers to be performed?

In the Hanafi school, individuals who have missed prayers are expected to continue observing the rawatib (sunnah) prayers preceding and following the fardh prayers, while striving to compensate for their missed obligations at the earliest opportunity.. According to the Shafi’i school, those who have missed prayers cannot perform any nafl prayers, including rawatibs, Eid, and witr prayers, before performing the qada prayer for all the missed prayers. A person who has missed prayers needs to spend all his/her time to perform the qada prayer for them. Moreover, it is not permissible for such people to deal with nafl prayers as they need to establish qada prayers for the missed prayers in all their time remaining after doing important daily affairs such as sleeping and providing sustenance for their home (Dimyati, Hashiyatu i’anat al-talibin, I, 39-40).

Is it necessary to make up the missed sunnah prayers?

Qada prayers are established for fardhs of the missed daily prayers and the wajib witr prayer. There is no qada for the missed sunnah prayers after their time ends. However, qada prayer is established with its sunnah for the missed fajr prayer when it is established within the same day before dhuhr prayer time (Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, I, 223). This is because the Prophet Muhammad established qada prayer with its sunnah for a missed fajr prayer before dhuhr prayer time (Abu Dawud, Salat, 11). Moreover, a person who begins performing the fardh units of the dhuhr prayer in order to join the congregation should perform any missed first sunnah after completing the fardh. This missed sunnah may be performed either before or after the final sunnah.

May other people perform the qada prayers for us?