My missed obligatory prayers feel overwhelming, and I'm struggling to catch up – seeking advice

As-salamu alaykum. I've fallen behind on some obligatory prayers in the past, and now that I'm looking at how many I need to make up, I feel completely overwhelmed (I won’t share the exact number, but it’s a lot). I know I could pray extra units alongside my current ones until they're all done, like doing another Dhuhr after the first, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I'm dealing with depression and self-harm, so even standing for prayer feels like a huge weight. When I get up to pray and remember all those missed ones, my legs give out, I put it off, and then I end up missing even more. Is there any hope for me? Can I just make sincere tawbah and focus on praying the next salah on time?

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brother2d

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Your legs giving out isn't weakness, it's the weight of a soul that still cares. Many scholars say sincere tawbah and committing to the future is enough, but also that substituting slowly helps the heart. Pick a tiny habit and guard it like a treasure.

brother2d

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I was in a similar hole years ago. A sheikh told me to just start with one day's qadha quietly, no pressure. Write down a tiny plan that doesn't suffocate you. And akhi, please talk to someone about the self-harm - professional help is a gift from Allah too.

brother2d

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Don't let the past break your present, bro. The shaytan wants you to feel crushed so you quit altogether. Focus on today - pray each salah on time even if it's hard. Tawbah is real and Allah's mercy is wider than every missed prayer. One step at a time.

brother2d

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Ameen to all the duas here. The fact you wrote this means you haven't been abandoned. Depression lies to you and makes mountains out of moles. Pray even if you cry through it, and know a broken prayer is better than a missed one.