The Ruling on Students Who Are Lax About Praying Without Ablution

Question:
I saw Shaykh Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) that some students in the schools, among whom were those who resorted to them, had major matters occurring with them, such as praying without wudu, eating during prayer, and praying while in a state of major ritual impurity. So, do you rule against the evidence or not?

Answer:
No, he does not rule that they are apostates, but he clarifies it to them. Who establishes this, that they are praying without wudu? Who knows this? We have only the apparent, we have only the apparent. As long as they prayed, we base our judgment on the apparent. We say they prayed, and that is it. This is a matter between them and Allah the Exalted. Yes.