15th February 2014
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: If the parents missed many Salāhs during their lifetime, is there any payment that must be given to compensate for their missed Salāhs?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Generally, any Salāh missed during one’s lifetime whilst being capable of performing them must be performed as Qadha and if not then a Will must be made before passing away to pay for each missed Salāh, including Witr. For each Salāh missed an equivalent amount of Sadaqatul-Fitr must be given into charity. The payment must be taken out from one-third of the deceased’s total estate.
The Fuqahā state;
“It is necessary upon him to make a Will for which he was capable of performing (i.e. the missed Salāh and Fasts) that remained due upon him which (his) beneficiaries will take out from one-third of his total estate, an equivalent value of half Sa of wheat (similar to Sadaqatul-Fitr) for every Fast and Salāh (missed) including Witr.”[1]
If the deceased didn’t make a Will at the time of his death and the beneficiaries paid on his behalf an equivalent of Sadaqatul Fitr for every missed Salāh then Inshā-Allāh that would suffice.
“If he didn’t make a will and his legal inheritors paid it off voluntarily then that would be permissible.”[2]
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Shurunbalali, Noorul-Iydhah, Kitābus Salāh, p104
[2] ibid