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Salah
I missed a prayer (overslept or forgot)
Your Situation
You missed a prayer — through oversleeping, forgetfulness, or being caught up in something — and you're not sure what to do now.
What to know
The Prophet ﷺ gave a direct, simple answer for exactly this: the expiation for missing a prayer is simply to pray it when you remember. There's no extra fasting, charity, or penalty attached.
What you can do
- Pray the missed prayer as soon as you remember it — this is what fulfils the obligation.
- If it's close to your next prayer's time, pray the missed one first, then the current one, unless doing so would cause you to miss the current prayer's time entirely.
- If you missed it due to genuine sleep or forgetfulness, there's no sin in the delay itself — the only requirement is to make it up.
- If it was skipped on purpose, sincere repentance (tawbah) matters alongside making it up, since the obligation to pray it remains either way.
Worth knowing: Scholars differ on some of the finer details — for example how to handle a long-standing backlog of missed prayers built up over years. If that's your situation, it's worth discussing a practical approach with a knowledgeable person rather than guessing.
Sources: Sahih Muslim 684 (Anas ibn Malik)
DeenGuide gives general, sourced guidance — it isn't a fatwa. For your specific personal situation, consult a qualified local scholar.
