Can we offer qadha salat for sunnah prayers (for instance, if I miss the four rakat sunnah salat before Zuhar, can I offer it after the fard salat

1. There is no Qadhaa Salaat for Sunan and Nafl Salaats out of the actual Salaat time, e.g. one cannot perform the 4 Rakaat Sunnah of Dhuhr in the Asr time as Qadhaa. However, if, for example, the 4 Rakaat of Sunnah before Dhuhr were omitted, they should be performed after the 2 Rakaat Sunnah of the Dhuhr Salaat. If one performed the Fajr Salaat and omitted the performance of the 2 Rakaat Sunnah before it, then Qadhaa of this 2 Rakaats Sunnah will not be performed before sunrise nor after sunrise.

2. If one has less than 6 Salaats, i.e. 6 or less, in one’s responsibility which has to be made Qadhaa of such a person is called Saahib-e-Tarteeb. This person enters the Musjid, in the condition that he has missed his Asr Salaats, and the Jamaat for Maghrib has commenced, then one will be obliged to perform his Asr Salaat first and then only be permitted to join the congregation. If this person (Saahib-e-Tarteeb) commences his Maghrib Salaat with the congregation without performing his Asr, then he will be obliged to perform the Asr Salaat first and then to repeat the Maghrib Salaat.

3. The concept of performing Salaat in the dark can be established from many Ahaadith. One of these are: On the authority of Sayyidah Aaisha [radhiallaahu anha] who says, ‘I could not find the Messenger of Allah while he was with me on the same bedding. Then I found him (after searching for him) prostrating in the condition of his heels being together…’ This shows that the place was dark as there was a need to search for Nabi [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] and finally managing to place her hands on the blessed legs of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. In fact, for many a people, the darkness also assists in better concentration and sincerity in Salaat.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai