What should I do if I miss a prayer?

The short answer

If you missed a prayer by forgetting or oversleeping, pray it as soon as you remember; that is its only expiation. Missing prayers deliberately is a serious sin that the Prophet ﷺ described in the strongest terms, so the way back is sincere repentance, making up what was missed, and guarding the prayers from now on.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

For the one who forgets or sleeps through a prayer, the answer is simple and merciful: "If anyone forgets a prayer he should pray that prayer when he remembers it. There is no expiation except to pray the same" 1. The Prophet ﷺ then recited the verse "establish prayer for My remembrance" 2. So if you wake up after sunrise, do not panic or wait for the next day; make wudu and pray Fajr right away.

Deliberately leaving prayer is different. Allah made prayer "a decree of specified times" 3. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence of prayer" 4, and "The covenant between us and them is the Salat, so whoever abandons it he has committed disbelief" 5. The Quran warns of people "who neglected prayer and pursued desires" 6, and even says "woe to those who pray" but are heedless of their prayer 7.

These are hard words, and they are meant to shake us. But they are not a door closed in anyone's face. If you have not been praying, the best time to start is the next prayer. Islam also makes prayer possible in almost any situation: the Prophet ﷺ told a Companion who was unwell to pray standing, and if he could not, then sitting, and if he could not, then lying on his side 8. There is almost no situation in which salah falls away completely.

Practical steps: set alarms for Fajr, pray each prayer at the start of its time, make up missed prayers steadily, and ask Allah in your own words to make you someone who never lets go of prayer.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 597
    Sahih Bukhari

    Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers; there is no other expiation.

    Narrated Anas:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone forgets a prayer he should pray that prayer when he remembers it. There is no expiation except to pray the same." Then he recited: "Establish prayer for My (i.e. Allah's) remembrance

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، وَمُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ نَسِيَ صَلاَةً فَلْيُصَلِّ إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا، لاَ كَفَّارَةَ لَهَا إِلاَّ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ ‏{‏وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِذِكْرِي‏}‏ قَالَ مُوسَى قَالَ هَمَّامٌ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ بَعْدُ ‏{‏وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِذِكْرِي‏}‏‏.‏وَقَالَ حَبَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Quran Taa-Haa · 20:14

    Establish prayer for My remembrance.

    إِنَّنِيٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدۡنِي وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكۡرِيٓ ۝١٤

    Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance

  3. 3
    Quran An-Nisaa · 4:103

    Prayer is decreed at specified times.

    فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمࣰ ا وَقُعُودࣰ ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمۡۚ فَإِذَا ٱطۡمَأۡنَنتُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ كِتَٰبࣰ ا مَّوۡقُوتࣰ ا ۝١٠٣

    And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 82
    Sahih Muslim

    Between a person and shirk and disbelief is abandoning the prayer.

    It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that he heard the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) saying. Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence of prayer

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكَ الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  5. 5
    Hadith Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2621
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has disbelieved.

    Narrated Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated from his father:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The covenant between us and them is the Salat, so whoever abandons it he has committed disbelief

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، وَيُوسُفُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، وَمَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، وَمَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الْعَهْدُ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلاَةُ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏

  6. 6
    Quran Maryam · 19:59

    Later generations neglected prayer and followed desires, and will meet evil.

    ۞فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ أَضَاعُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَلۡقَوۡنَ غَيًّا ۝٥٩

    But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil

  7. 7
    Quran Al-Maa'un · 107:4–5

    Woe to those who pray but are heedless of their prayer.

    فَوَيۡلࣱ لِّلۡمُصَلِّينَ ۝٤ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَن صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُونَ ۝٥

    4 So woe to those who pray 5 [But] who are heedless of their prayer

  8. 8
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1117
    Sahih Bukhari

    Pray standing; if unable, sitting; if unable, lying on your side.

    Narrated `Imran bin Husain: I had piles, so I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the prayer. He said, "Pray while standing and if you can't, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray Lying on your side

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ طَهْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْحُسَيْنُ الْمُكْتِبُ، عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَتْ بِي بَوَاسِيرُ فَسَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ صَلِّ قَائِمًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْبٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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