Intention for Making up Missed Prayer

2-9-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum,Is this intention valid for qada umri: “Qada of Fajr prayer that I did not validly perform for 1 Muharram 1448”? I want it to cover either case: (1) I missed the prayer entirely, or (2) I prayed it but it was invalid, e.g. due to invalid wudu. Does this wording ("that I did not validly perform") discharge the obligation in either case without knowing which case occurred? The exact prayer and Hijri date would always be specified. If the answer varies on madhab, please explain.

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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 is His slave and Messenger, may Allah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

What appears [from your question] is that you are afflicted with waswasah (obsessive whispering/doubts). If that is indeed the case, you must disregard these whispers, for the effective remedy for them is to ignore them and turn away from them.

In any case, if you prayed a prayer with invalid ablution, then it is invalid, based on the statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: “Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you who has broken [his ablution] until he performs wudu.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Thus, you must repeat the prayer within its [prescribed] time; and if you do not do so until its time has passed, it becomes a missed prayer. And if you did not pray that prayer at all until its time passed, it is likewise a missed prayer. The mere intention to make it up (qada') suffices when you wish to make it up.

Allah Knows best.