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Qaza-e-Umri Namaz Ka Tarika: Niyat, Rakat Chart aur Asaan Plan

قضائے عمری نماز کا طریقہ، نیت اور رکعات

2026-10-08 · Hanafi · Print / save as PDF

Qaza-e-umri namaz ka tarika is simpler than most people think: you pray each missed fard prayer (and witr) exactly as you would pray it on time, with a niyat for "the first one I owe". What makes it feel heavy is the number. This guide gives you the rules, a printable rakat chart and a plan that actually finishes the job.

Quick answer: Make up every missed fard prayer and witr (Hanafi). Pray them like normal fard prayers, with the niyat "the first Fajr (or Dhuhr, etc.) qaza that I owe". Pray them at any time except sunrise, zawal and sunset. Use the qaza calculator to estimate your total, then pray a few with each daily namaz.

What is qaza-e-umri?

A prayer prayed after its time has ended is qaza. Qaza-e-umri (lifetime qaza) means all the prayers you missed since you became baligh (reached puberty; at the latest at 15), whether you remember each one or not.

Is making up missed prayers necessary?

Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray it when he remembers it" (Sunan an-Nasa'i 613, graded sahih). The four Sunni schools agree that a missed fard prayer remains owed until it is made up. Sincere tawbah (repentance) for having missed them goes together with praying them.

Which prayers are made up?

Only the fard prayers and, in the Hanafi school, witr (which is wajib). Sunnah and nafl prayers are not made up as qaza.

Qaza-e-umri rakat chart

PrayerRakats to pray as qazaRecitation
Fajr2Fatiha + surah in both
Dhuhr4Fatiha + surah in the first two
Asr4Fatiha + surah in the first two
Maghrib3Fatiha + surah in the first two
Isha4Fatiha + surah in the first two
Witr3Fatiha + surah in all three, dua-e-qunoot in the third
One full day20

One day of missed prayers is 20 rakats, and one year is about 7,300 rakats.

Qaza-e-umri chart: rakats and niyat for each prayer
Qaza-e-umri chart: rakats and niyat for each prayer

Download the chart as PDF · print it and keep it at your prayer place.

Qaza namaz ki niyat

The niyat is in the heart; saying it is optional. Because you can't name the exact date of each missed prayer, intend the first (oldest) or the last (most recent) one you owe:

Each time you pray one, the "first" moves to the next one, so you never need to count dates. In Urdu many say: "Niyat karta hoon sab se pehli Fajr ki jo mujh par qaza hai."

How to pray a qaza namaz, step by step

  1. Make wudu and face the Qibla, as for any prayer.
  2. Make the niyat as above and say Allahu Akbar.
  3. Pray the rakats exactly like the fard prayer: Fatiha and a surah where the fard has them, ruku, two sajdahs, tashahhud, durood and salam.
  4. For witr, recite dua-e-qunoot in the third rakat before ruku (see witr namaz ka tarika).
  5. Recite Fajr and Maghrib/Isha qaza aloud or quietly when alone; both are allowed. Dhuhr and Asr are quiet.

See the full method in namaz ka tarika step by step.

When can you pray qaza namaz?

At any time, except the three makrooh (forbidden) times:

In the Hanafi school, qaza of fard prayers may be prayed after Fajr and after Asr (only nafl are disliked then). Check today's sunrise, Ishraq and Zawal times for your city, and read makrooh auqat for details.

In what order?

If you owe fewer than six prayers in total, you must pray them in order, before the current prayer (this is called being sahib-e-tarteeb). With six or more owed, as in qaza-e-umri, the order is no longer required: pray them in any order and at any time you can.

A plan that finishes qaza-e-umri

Big numbers stop people from starting. Break it down:

Qaza per dayOne year of qaza takesTen years of qaza take
1 full day (with each namaz, one of the same)1 year10 years
2 full days6 months5 years
3 full days4 monthsabout 3.3 years

The easiest habit: with every daily prayer, pray one qaza of the same prayer (after Fajr a Fajr qaza, after Dhuhr a Dhuhr qaza, and so on). That alone clears one day of qaza every day.

  1. Estimate your total with the qaza calculator.
  2. Choose a pace you can keep: consistency beats big starts.
  3. Track each one. The Yaad-e-Namaz tracker keeps count for you, and on WhatsApp you can simply reply "2 qaza parh li".

A worked example

Ahmed became baligh at 13 and started praying regularly at 25. He thinks he missed about half his prayers in those 12 years.

  1. His estimate: 12 years × 365 days × ½ = about 2,190 of each prayer (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Witr), or 13,140 prayers in all.
  2. His pace: with each of his five daily prayers he prays one qaza of the same prayer, and one witr qaza after Isha. That is one full day of qaza every day, about 20 extra rakats, or 15 to 20 minutes spread over the day.
  3. His finish date: 2,190 days, or about 6 years. On weekends he adds a second round, which brings it under 5 years.
  4. His record: he logs each one in the tracker, so after a year he can see 365 of each prayer done, and the remaining number shrinking.

Your own numbers will differ; the calculator works them out in seconds.

Qaza for travellers, the sick and women

Common mistakes with qaza-e-umri

  1. Waiting to "start properly". The best day to start is today, even with one qaza.
  2. Counting sunnah prayers. Only farz and witr are made up.
  3. Praying at the forbidden times. Not at sunrise, zawal or sunset.
  4. Believing one special prayer wipes out all qaza. Hanafi muftis reject the popular claim that a special "qaza-e-umri namaz" on the last Friday of Ramadan clears a lifetime of missed prayers: every missed prayer must be prayed.
  5. Losing count. Write it down or use a tracker so you always know how many remain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a short way to pray qaza-e-umri?

Hanafi muftis allow a shortened form for people with very many qaza: in the 3rd and 4th rakats of the fard, say "Subhan Allah" three times instead of Fatiha; say the tasbeeh of ruku and sajdah once each; and in the last sitting, after attahiyyat, shorten the durood to Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa alihi. In witr, the qunoot may be replaced with Rabbighfir li. The number of rakats can never be reduced. Ask your local mufti before relying on it.

Can I pray qaza instead of sunnah prayers?

The sunnat-e-muakkadah (like the 2 before Fajr) should still be prayed. Many scholars advise that someone with a lot of qaza use their nafl time for qaza instead.

Can I pray qaza namaz after Asr?

Yes, in the Hanafi school qaza of fard prayers may be prayed after Asr, as long as the sun is not yet setting.

How many qaza do I owe for one year?

About 365 of each prayer: 1,825 fard prayers plus 365 witr, which is 7,300 rakats.

What if I don't know how many I missed?

Make a careful estimate that is more likely to be too many than too few, and keep praying until you are confident it is complete.

Conclusion

Qaza-e-umri is a debt that Allah makes easy for the one who starts. Work out your number today, pick a pace you can keep, and pray your first qaza with the very next namaz.

References

Written by the Yaad-e-Namaz team from the Quran, the major hadith collections and standard Hanafi references; every hadith links to its full text on this site. For a ruling on your own situation, please ask a qualified mufti.

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