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Fatwa CenterThe multiplication of offering the prayer in the holy mosque is affiliated to the reward, not to the substitution
Question
I transgressed in sins and abandoned the prayer. I wanted to repent but I could not. I continued to abandon the prayers to the extent that I have to make up for a numerous number of prayers. Then I heard that offering one prayer in the holy mosque is superior to offering one hundred thousand prayers in other mosques as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said. So, does offering the prayer in the holy mosque substitute for making up for the enormous number of prayers that I have missed?
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
May Allaah Guide you my dear brother. Please note that the right path to give up sinning and indulging in lusts starts with repenting sincerely to Allaah and seeking His Forgiveness then to rectify your past sins of neglecting the prayers and to resolve to not abandon it again.
Thus, you have to make up for all the prayers that you have missed. If you do not know their exact number, keep making up for them until it is most likely that you are released of their obligation.
There is no doubt that offering the prayer in the holy mosque is superior to offering one hundred thousand prayers in other mosques as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "One prayer in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam is better than one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere.” [Ahmad, Ibn Majaah and others] Such multiplication does not indicate that it substitutes offering the prayers; Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in Fat-h Al-Baari: "The mentioned multiplication is confined to the reward. It does not extend to substitution according to the consensus of scholars as stated by An-Nawawi and others. Therefore, if the individual has to offer two prayers and then he offered one of them in either of the holy mosques, it will not substitute except one prayer.”
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