qaza or nawafil better

Question:

Is performing nawafil (voluntary) prayers better or qadha (missed) prayers?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Question (copy the entire email with header):

As Hakeemul Ummat Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi Alaih) has mentioned in the reference provided by you (Imdaadul Fatawa: 1/308), offering qadha prayers is better than offering nawafil prayers besides the Sunnah Mu’akkadah prayers, Salat ad-Duhaa, Salatul Tasbeeh and those optional prayers that have been specifically mentioned in the ahaadith such as Tahiyyatul Masjid, four rak’ats before Asr and six rak’ats after maghib (Salat al-awwabeen). However, this does not mean that one should be negligent in fulfilling his qadha prayers. Instead, it means that during the times of the aforementioned Sunnah and nawafil prayers, one should be prompt in offering these prayers; and at other times instead of offering general nawafil prayers, he should engage in offering his qadha prayers so that he can complete his qadha prayers as soon as possible.

If a person is particular about performing Sunnat and nawafil prayers, he will be more particular about performing his Fardh prayers.

في رد المحتار: وأما النفل فقال في المضمرات : الاشتغال بقضاء الفوائت أولى وأهم من النوافل إلا سنن المفروضة وصلاة الضحى وصلاة التسبيح والصلاة التي رويت فيها الأخبار ا هـ ط أي كتحية المسجد ، والأربع قبل العصر والست بعد المغرب

( رد المحتار: 2/74، سعيد )

وفي حاشية الطحطاوي: والاشتغال بقضاء الفوائت أولى وأهم من النوافل إلا السنة المعروفة وصلاة الضحى وصلاة التسبيح والصلاة التي وردت في الأخبار فتلك بنية النفل وغيرها بنية القضاء كذا في المضمرات عن الظهيرية وفتاوى الحجة ، ومراده بالسنة المعروفة المؤكدة وقوله : وغيرها بنية القضاء مراده به أن ينوي القضاء إذا أراد فعل غير ما ذكر فإنه الأولى بل المتعين

(حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح: ص 447 ، دار الكتب العلمية )

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

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