What do I do about Salah observed in the state of Impurity?

21 Sep 2020 -

What do I do about Salah observed in the state of Impurity? Question: I prayed in the junubi (impure state) for nearly 2 years as I did not know that ghusl is required after wet dreams. Now that I know I perform ghusl and pray. What about my salah of these 2 years?   Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Purity is a prerequisite for salaah. The method of purification prescribed by shari’ah for a person who is in the state of janabah (greater impurity) is ghusl (bathing).[1] Thus, if a person does not undertake this method to purify himself, his salaah will be invalid. Hence, for every salaah one has missed, he will be required to make up for it, regardless of the number of salaahs accumulated.[2] Therefore, it will be necessary for you to make up for the salaahs of the two years which were deemed invalid as a result of not being in a state of purity. If one is unsure of exactly how many salaahs need to be fulfilled then he should fulfil as many salaahs as he can until he is certain that there are no more to fulfil.[3] Only the 5 fardh salaahs and witr are required to be made up for.[4] There are no fixed times in which qadha salaah must be prayed; it can be fulfilled in any time of the day besides the three times in which salaah in general is prohibited: sunrise, noon, and sunset.[5] One should seek to make up for his salaahs as quickly as possible; however, one can be recommended to pray each qadha salaah in its time (e.g. making up for the dhuhr salaah in the time of dhuhr) as this would assist in keeping track of how many salaahs, and which salaahs, are left to be fulfilled. It is necessary to specify exactly which salaah is being fulfilled, however if one is incapable of doing so, then he should vaguely indicate to which salaah he is praying when making intention[6] (e.g. ‘I intend to do qadhaa of the first Dhuhr salaah I missed’).[7] This would be sufficient.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Abdullah Desai Concurred by: Hanif Patel Mu‘adh Chati Asmar Akram Approved by: Mufti Siraj Sitponi Falahi