Question Summary:
If many years of Salāh have been missed is Qadhā still required and is it just the Fardh that needs to be made up or the Sunnah as well?

Question Detail:

1.) If one has missed many years of Salāh, for example 5-10 years do they still have to make up these prayers by reading Qadhā or is it permissible to start praying again and seeking forgiveness for the missed prayers?
2.) If you read Qadhā, do we have to calculate how many Salāh were missed and if you don't remember how many were missed then what? 
3.) When reading Qadhā, do we have to make up just the missed Fardh Salāh or the Sunnah as well?

Answer :

Sister in Islam,
Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,
To perform five daily salah is fardh.
The obligation of performing salah is emphasized in Quran. In many places of the Quran Allah Ta’ala says “And establish Salah”. Establishing salah also means to perform salah on time. In another verse of the Quran Allah Ta’ala says :
 
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى
…Preserve Salah and (in particular) the middle Salah(Asr)… (Qur’ān 2:283)
 
Salāh is a mark of distinction between Iman and Kufr. The first thing a person will be questioned about on the day of Judgment will be about Salāh
 
One should ensure all his Salāh are on time. An adult muslim should never miss a single Salāh.
 
If for some reason a person missed Salāh he should repent sincerely and resort never to miss any Fardh Salāh in future. It is hoped that Allah Ta’āla will forgive one for making his Salāh Qadhā. Seeking forgiveness for a missed Salāh is not an alternative for the missed Salāh. One has to make Qadhā for a missed fardh and wājib Salāh
 
It also does not matter whether the missed Salāh were deliberate or unintentional.[i]
 
Qadhā Salāh can be offered anytime of the day except in the following 3 times:
 
a.) Sunrise.
b.) Midday (when the Sun is directly over it's central meridian, approximately 10 minutes before the time of Dhuhr begins.)
c.) As the Sun is setting (with the exception of the 'Asr Salāh of that same day, which may be offered even as the Sun is about to set.)
2.) Yes, you should try your best to calculate the number of Salāh that have been missed.
 
If you are not sure how many Salāh were missed, then it is better to use precaution and estimate a higher number than your best estimate.
 
The procedure of offering many missed Salāh, where one is not aware how many Salāh he missed is to make the following intention: “I'm making up my 1^st missed Salāh of Fajr.”
 
Every time one makes up a missed Fajr he will make the same intention “I'm making up my 1^st missed Salāh of Fajr Salāh,” and likewise for all the other missed Salāh: “I'm making up my 1^st missed Salāh of Dhuhr Salāh,” and so on. [ii] [iii]
 
This is because since the exact dates are not known, every time a Qadhā  Salāh is made up the next missed Salāh moves into the 1^st position hence the repetition of the intention always being for the “1^st missed Salāh of....”
 
3.) Qadhā Salāh will only be offered for the Fardh and the Witr as indicated below: [iv]
 

 
*If a person missed a Salāh while travelling then he will make up 2 rakāhs for the Salāh of Dhuhr, 'Asr and 'Ishā which he missed while traveling. The rakāhs of Fajr, Maghrib and Witr do not change.
 
There is no Qadhā for the Sunnah Salāh.
 
Example: A person missed the 4 Sunnah rakāhs prayed before the Dhuhr Salāh and prayed the Fardh first instead. He should still make up the Sunnah as long as the time of Dhuhr remains. After the time of that Dhuhr expires, there is no Qadhā for those Sunnah. [v]
 
Exception: The only exception to the rule is the Sunnah of the Fajr of the same day. If it is missed, you have from the time of Ishrāq (approximately 15 minutes after the Sunrise) to midday (approximately 10 minutes before the time of Dhuhr begins) to make up the Sunnah of the Fajr of the same day. After midday, there is no Qadhā of the Sunnah of the Fajr. [vi] [vii]
 
And Allāh knows best.
 
Ml. Sohail Bengali
Student, Darul Iftaa
 
Checked and Approved by:
 
Muftī Ebrahim Desai
www.daruliftaa.net
 
أما الثاني فهو لزوم قضاء الفائتة فالأصل فيه أن كل صلاة فاتت عن الوقت بعد ثبوت [i]
 وجوبها  فيه فإنه يلزم قضاؤها سواء تركها عمدا أو سهوا أو بسبب نوم وسواء كانت الفوائت كثيرة أو قليلة
البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق، كتاب الصلاة: ٢ /١٤٠-١٤١ دار الكتب العلمية
ذكر في «فتاوى أهل سمرقند»: أنه ينوي أول ظهر لله عليه، وكذلك كل صلاة [ii]
 يقضيها،  وإذا أراد ظهر آخر ينوي أيضاً أول ظهر لله عليه؛ لأنه لما قضى الأول صار الثاني أول ظهر لله عليه، ورأيت في موضع آخر أنه ينوي آخر ظهر لله عليه، وكذلك كل صلاة يقضيها، وإذا أراد ظهراً آخر أيضاً أول ظهر لله عليه؛ لأنه لما قضى الأول صار الثاني أول ظهر لله عليه
الميحط البرهاني كتاب الصلاة، الفصل الثامن والعشرون في قضاء الفائتة
١/ ٥٣٩ دار الكتب العلمية
فتاوى محمودية كتاب الصلاة، ٢/ ١٦٦-١٦٧ كتب خانة مظهري [iii]
آب كي مسائل أور أن كا حل، ٢/ ٣٥٠ مكتبة لدهيانوي [iv]
فتاوى محمودية كتاب الصلاة، ٢/ ١٨٦-١٨٧ كتب خانة مظهري [v]
فتاوى محمودية كتاب الصلاة، ١٠/ ٢٦٣ كتب خانة مظهري [vi]
بهشتي زيور، دوسرا حصة: ص. ٣٦ تعميري كتب خانة [vii]