When a person converts to Islam and realizes that they have missed many years of obligatory prayers (*salah*), it is important to approach this situation with sincerity and commitment to fulfilling their religious duties. In Islam, the concept of missed prayers is addressed with the understanding that, once someone embraces Islam, their past sins and mistakes are forgiven by Allah, provided they sincerely repent and commit to following the faith.

Here’s what a new Muslim should do regarding the missed prayers:

### 1. **Repentance (Tawbah)**

First, they should seek forgiveness from Allah for the missed prayers and any shortcomings in their previous life. The act of repentance is crucial, as it allows the person to start anew. Allah says in the Quran:

> “Say, ‘O My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own actions, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Allah forgives all sins. He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'” (Quran 39:53)

The repentance process includes:

– **Sincerely regretting** missing the prayers.

– **Making a firm intention** not to miss any prayers in the future.

– **Asking Allah for forgiveness** and committing to fulfilling the religious obligations.

### 2. **Making Up Missed Prayers (Qada)**

Islam requires that missed prayers be made up, but the way this is handled can vary depending on the circumstances:

– **General Principle:** If the missed prayers are many, scholars agree that a new Muslim should try to make up for them as best as they can, but they are not required to make up each and every missed prayer in a literal sense. The primary focus should be on **starting with the regular prayers** and ensuring they are performed correctly from that point onward.

– **Making up missed prayers:** Scholars are divided on how many missed prayers a person should make up. Some scholars say it’s sufficient to begin praying regularly and to try making up some of the missed prayers over time, especially if the person has converted relatively recently. Others suggest making up missed prayers with a plan, such as performing extra prayers in addition to the daily required ones, like performing one or two prayers a day in addition to the regular five.

**Example**: If someone converted to Islam and has missed years of prayers, they can start by praying the current obligatory prayers and, alongside them, make up the missed prayers gradually. This doesn’t have to be done all at once, as it could be overwhelming.

There is no fixed rule on the exact number of missed prayers that must be made up. The key is to make an effort to compensate for missed prayers while focusing on consistent prayer going forward. Some scholars recommend that the individual **perform voluntary prayers** (like *sunnah* prayers) to make up for the missed obligations.

### 3. **Focus on the Present and Future**

The most important thing is to establish consistency in the present. Missing prayers in the past is unfortunate, but the priority should be to **perform the prayers properly now** and **continuing to build a consistent habit of prayer** moving forward.

Allah says in the Quran:

> “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” (Quran 4:103)

This emphasizes the importance of regular prayers and making a fresh commitment to observe them.

### 4. **Guidance from a Scholar**

If the person feels overwhelmed or unsure about how to approach making up the missed prayers, they may want to seek guidance from a knowledgeable Islamic scholar or a local imam. Many scholars suggest a balanced approach, where the individual focuses on the present prayers while gradually catching up on the missed ones, depending on their capacity.

### Conclusion:

For someone who converts to Islam and has missed many years of prayers, the key steps are:

– **Sincere repentance** for the missed prayers.

– **Commitment to starting regular prayer** from the point of conversion.

– **Gradual compensation (qada) for missed prayers**, if desired or possible, but it’s not obligatory to make up every single missed prayer.

– **Seeking forgiveness from Allah** and trusting in His mercy.

The most important part is the sincerity in turning to Allah and starting a new chapter of worship and devotion in Islam.