QADA SALATS

Translation of the above fatwa into English:

Topic: Performing Sunnat Salats with the Intention of Qada Salats

Everybody knows that abandoning fard salats or deferring the performance of them until beyond its prescribed time is a major sin, and it is fard to do qada of a salat that one missed (abandoned). It is a major sin not to do qada of it or delay its qada. However, it is not sinful to abandon nafila acts of worship. These statements were declared unanimously [that is, all scholars stated so unanimously]. If especially a person who has a fard salat to make up performs a nafila salat before making it up, the nafila salat will not be accepted, and it will not bring thawab.

Our Messenger's blessed words were reported from Majma'-ul Fatawa. Read the marginal notes. [Scenario:] if Zayd, while performing the five daily salats, performs the sunnat salats of the five daily salats with the intention of making up his qada salats, will he be considered to have made up his qada salats? The answer: Yes, he will. Will Zayd, in this way, earn the thawab for sunnat and qada salats in question? The answer: Yes, he will. This is the fatwa of Muzmarat. If Zayd has fard salats to make up and if he performs sunnat salats before making up his qada salats, will he be deserving of punishment? The answer: Yes, he will. Will he be deserving of punishment due to abandoning sunnat salats in the aforesaid way? The answer: No, he will not. [Najat-ul-Mu'minin, p. 90] [This book was written according to the Hanafi Madhhab.]

Qada Salats Are Performed in the Following Way:

Qada salats can be performed at any time except the times when it is makruh to perform salat. For an easy calculation of one's qada salats, it will be better to stick to this schedule:

You must perform the initial sunnat salat of Salat az-Zuhr, which consists of four rak’ats, by intending also to do qada of the earliest omitted Salat az-Zuhr. For the final sunnat salat of Salat az-Zuhr, you must intend also to do qada of the earliest omitted Salat al-Fajr. For the sunnat salat of Salat al-Asr, you must intend also to do qada of the earliest Salat al-Asr omitted. For the sunnat salat of Salat al-Maghrib, you must intend also to do qada of the three-rak’at fard salat of the earliest Salat al-Maghrib omitted. For the initial sunnat salat of Salat al-Isha, you must intend also to do qada of the earliest Salat al-Isha omitted. When performing the final sunnat salat of Salat al-Isha, you must intend also to do qada of the earliest omitted Salat al-Witr and perform three rak’ats. Thus each day you will pay the debt of an entire day’s qada salats. If you make a secondary intention of performing the sunnat salat in addition the intention of a qada salat, you will earn thawab for your sunnat intention as well. As there were scholars who said that the sunnat salat of Salat al-Fajr was wajib, you must not make any change in your intention for the sunnat salat of Salat al-Fajr.