Question 293: Should Qadha (missed) prayers be performed at their specific time?

Answer
✅Answer: Consider the following narrations:
1 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَرْبَعُ صَلَوَاتٍ يُصَلِّيهَا الرَّجُلُ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ صَلَاةٌ فَاتَتْكَ فَمَتَى مَا ذَكَرْتَهَا أَدَّيْتَهَا وَ صَلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْ طَوَافِ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَ صَلَاةُ الْكُسُوفِ وَ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ هَذِهِ يُصَلِّيهِنَّ الرَّجُلُ فِي السَّاعَاتِ كُلِّهَا
📚 Al-Faqih, vol.1, p.434
Translation: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: There are four prayers a person can perform at any time: the missed (Qadha) prayers, the two rak’ahs of obligatory Tawaf, the eclipse prayer, and the funeral prayer. These prayers can be performed at any hour.
2 حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ فَاتَهُ شَيْ ءٌ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ فَذَكَرَ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ أَوْ عِنْدَ غُرُوبِهَا قَالَ فَلْيُصَلِّ حِينَ يَذْكُرُ
📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol.1, p.360
Translation: Hammad asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about someone who missed a prayer and remembered it at sunrise or sunset. The Imam replied: 'Whenever you remember it, perform that prayer.'
3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ حَبِيبٍ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا تَكُونُ عَلَيَّ الصَّلَاةُ النَّافِلَةُ مَتَى أَقْضِيهَا فَكَتَبَ أَيَّ سَاعَةٍ شِئْتَ مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol.3, p.454
Translation: Habib wrote to Imam Reza (peace be upon him): 'I have missed Nafl prayers. When should I perform them?' The Imam wrote: 'At any hour of the night or day you wish.'
4 عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ فَاتَتْهُ صَلَاةُ النَّهَارِ مَتَى يَقْضِيهَا قَالَ مَتَى شَاءَ إِنْ شَاءَ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol.3, p.452
Translation: Halabi asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about someone who missed a daytime prayer. The Imam replied: 'Whenever you wish; if you want, after Maghrib, or after Isha.'
5 جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلَ عَنْ قَضَاءِ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ إِلَى طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ فَهُوَ مِنْ سِرِّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَخْزُونِ
📚 Tahdhib, vol.2, p.173
Translation: Jamil asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about performing Qadha of night prayers between Fajr and sunrise. The Imam said: 'Yes, you can, and also after Asr until night. This is among the hidden treasures of the Ahl al-Bayt.'
6 مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ تَفُوتُنِي صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ فَأُصَلِّي الْفَجْرَ فَلِي أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ مَا فَاتَنِي مِنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَ أَنَا فِي مُصَلَّايَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنْ لَا تُعْلِمْ بِهِ أَهْلَكَ فَيَتَّخِذُونَهُ سُنَّةً
📚 Tahdhib, vol.2, p.272
Translation: Mufaddal asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'I miss night prayers. After praying Fajr, can I perform the missed night prayers before sunrise while in my prayer place?' The Imam replied: 'Yes, but do not tell your family so that this does not become a permanent practice.'
7 عَنْ نُعْمَانَ الرَّازِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ فَاتَهُ شَيْ ءٌ مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ فَذَكَرَ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَ عِنْدَ غُرُوبِهَا قَالَ فَلْيُصَلِّ حِينَ ذَكَرَهُ
📚 Tahdhib, vol.2, p.171
Translation: Nu'man Razi asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about someone who missed prayers and remembers them at sunrise or sunset. The Imam said: 'Whenever you remember, perform it.'
✅According to the Shia jurisprudence reflected in the above narrations, both obligatory and Nafl missed prayers can be performed at any time; there is no need to perform a missed Maghrib prayer at the Maghrib hour, for example. They can be performed at any hour.
✅However, if the Qadha prayer overlaps with the time of a current obligatory prayer, special rules apply.