Question:

I saw a flyer concerning the performance of a lifetime of missed salahs. It said to perform ones missed prayers instead of optional ones. Similarly on blessed nights (for instance Baraat and Qadr) one should indulge more in making up his missed prayers.

My question is that I have never seen the method of performing a lifetime of missed prayers, so I would like its details.

Answer:  حامدا ومصليا ومسلما

If a person has missed a lot of prayers and he knows the amount that he has missed, then he will make up the missed prayers by intending each specifically. For example, I am performing the qadhaa of my Fajr prayer of so and so date.

One will make up all the remainder prayers in this manner.

However, if he does not know how many salahs he has missed, then the following method can be adopted to make up the missed prayers:

Firstly he makes up all of the Fajr salahs he missed. At the time of performing the qadhaa he should make the intention in this manner: I am performing the qadhaa of the first Fajr prayer that is necessary on me to make up.

Then he will make this same intention in the remainder Fajr prayers until his heart is at ease that he has completely made up all the Fajr prayers that were qadhaa on him.

After this he can make up the Zuhr prayer in the same manner. After that, make up the Asr, Maghrib, Esha and Witr prayers in the same manner.

Also remember that qadhaa is only for fardh salah (obligatory prayer) not the sunan or nawaafil. For instance, in Fajr they are two rakats of sunnah and two rakats of fardh, so qadhaa is only made of the fardh not the sunnah.

A person who has missed a lot of prayers in his life should make up the missed prayers instead of performing nawaafil (optional prayers). Because if he dies and there are fardh salah pending in his responsibility then he will be taken to task. On the other hand there is no punishment on the person who did not perform nafl prayers.

And Allah Ta’aalaa knows best.
Hazrat Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri Saheb (May Allah preserve him)
Mahmoodul Fataawaa 1/467-468