"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about a man who slept and missed the prayer, or forgot it. He said: 'The expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers it.'"
The Book of the Times (of Prayer) - Sunan an-Nasa'i
Hadith Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 614
Hadith Text
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about a man who slept and missed the prayer, or forgot it. He said: 'The expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers it.'"
Commentary on the Ruling of Missed Prayers
This hadith establishes the fundamental principle that whoever misses a prayer due to sleep or forgetfulness must make it up immediately upon remembering. The term "expiation" (kaffārah) indicates that this missed prayer requires compensation to atone for the deficiency.
Sleep and forgetfulness are considered valid excuses in Islamic jurisprudence for missing prayers, as they are beyond human control. However, the obligation remains and must be fulfilled when one becomes aware of the omission.
Scholarly Interpretation
Classical scholars emphasize that this ruling applies specifically to unintentional omission. Deliberate abandonment of prayer without valid excuse constitutes a major sin requiring repentance.
The phrase "when he remembers it" indicates urgency - the missed prayer should be performed immediately upon recollection, without delay for the current prayer time unless necessary. This demonstrates the seriousness with which prayer obligations are treated in Islam.
This hadith also establishes that the order of prayers may be disrupted when making up missed prayers - one performs the missed prayer first, then the current prayer if its time is still available.