How can one overcome anxiety and worry about missed prayers and begin to commit to regular prayer, knowing that the questioner follows the Maliki school of thought?

Neglecting prayer is among the greatest major sins. Scholars have differed concerning the ruling on one who abandons prayer due to laziness. Some hold that such a person is a disbeliever, citing the Prophet's saying: "Between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer." Others, who constitute the majority, hold that such a person is not a disbeliever, even though they have committed a grave sin, and they interpret the hadiths concerning disbelief as referring to one who abandons prayer out of denial.

Based on the first opinion, a repentant person is not required to make up missed prayers, whereas, according to the second opinion, they are required to make them up.

It is advised to repent to Allah, maintain regular prayers on time and in congregation, increase in acts of obedience, and make up missed prayers if their number is known, or continue praying until it is highly probable that all missed prayers have been made up.