Difficult making up for thousands of missed prayers
15-12-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
Tell me that I'm 35 years and have some fatty body, I'm praying my Qadha prayers, as they are in thousands in number, so I do pray these by sitting and by Ishaara, as I'm bulky so could not perform so many prayers well, can it is allowed me to pray these prayers by Ishaara, I'm praying some time 50 prayers, as now Ramadhaan is going, and I have time to do, so please tell me that is it ok for me to pray in Ishaara, do Sajida with Ishaara, and Rukoo' too.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
One of the most important Fiqh principles is that hardship necessitates exemptions. The example of this principle in the Sunnah of the Prophet 
is his saying: "Pray standing, and if you can’t do so, then pray sitting. And if you cannot, then pray lying on one of your sides." [Al-Bukhari] To be unable to pray standing does not necessitate total disability to do so. On the other hand, a small difficulty to pray standing does not give permission not to pray standing, but a person should experience great difficulty when standing in prayer, like severe pain, or the fear that a disease could occur, or a disease could become chronic. Therefore if you are in a great difficulty and unable to observe some of the pillars of the prayer, then pray according to your capacity while observing those pillars and conditions of the prayer that you can. It should be noted that it is not permissible to delay the prayer from its prescribed time without a sound and valid excuse. Indeed there is a severe threat about delaying prayers from their prescribed times. Allaah Says (which means): {So woe unto those performers of prayers (hypocrites), who delay their prayers from their stated fixed times.}[107:4-5]. Moreover, the Prophet said: "Whoever neglects it (the prayer), he will not have any light nor evidence or safety (on the Day of Judgement). But he will be resurrected on that Day with Qaaroon, Phir'awn (Pharaoh), Haaman and Ubay Ibn Khalaf." [Ad-Daarimee] So if you had neglected those prayers without a sound and valid evidence then you have to repent and not be negligent in the future.
Allaah knows best.