How can one make up for deliberately missing fasting and prayers due to neglect over a period of years?

1-8-2024 | IslamWeb

Question:

I missed 13-15 fasting of ramadan intentionally in previous 6-7 year. Some of the fasting was broken by musterbation and some are by eating.I missed salah for 14 years cause of laziness. Now I am 24 years old. I am upset and felt depression for this. How can I make up this fast and salah according to most authenticate opinion?

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Praise be to Allah, the Exalted, who has enabled you to recognize the grave peril you faced. It is now obligatory on you to promptly repent before death overtakes you while you are heedless of Allah’s religion. Be aware that Allah, the Exalted, accepts the repentance of His servants and forgives their sins. Indeed, one who repents sincerely from a sin is as if he has not sinned at all, and is dear to Allah, the Most Merciful, the Exalted.

The majority of jurists (Fuqaha’) have the opinion that part of your complete repentance involves making up for missed prayers and fasts to the best of your ability. Given the huge number of missed prayers, it is generally sufficient, according to the majority of jurists, to make up for two days’ worth of prayers every day and night. However, if being involved in making up for that number of prayers everyday conflicts with your ability to earn a livelihood for your children, you may restrict yourself to making up only for one day’s worth of prayers each day.

Allah knows best.