Qazai
umari
The five daily prayers are compulsory on every Muslim male and female,
from the time of reaching puberty. A child is reckoned to have reached
the age of puberty in the case of boys at the age of 15 and in the case
of girls at the age of 14.
Qazai Umari means the fulfillment of all prayers missed during one’s
lifetime, whatever intentionally or unintentionally. If a person has
missed any number of prayers in his lifetime it is compulsory on him
to perform the Qaza of those prayers. Of the prayers missed only the
Farz and the Wajib prayers need be fulfilled, there is no Qaza for Sunnat
and Nafil prayers.
A person can perform the Qaza of all prayers missed at any time during
the day or night, except during the prohibited times of sunrise, noon
and sunset. The Qaza can be performed at the convenience of a person,
they could be read one at a time, or a few at a time, or they could
be read one after another through the whole day or night, as suitable.
All Qaza must be completed personally, and there is no Kuffara (payment
in cash or kind) for the prayers missed. It is, however, component for
a person to direct in his/her will to pay the Kuffara for his/her missed
prayers from his/her assets. In such case of Kuffara can be accounted
for at the rate of one Sadakatul fitr for each prayer missed. By so
doing it is hoped that the Almighty Allah would forgive the person.