Ruling on abandoning an obligatory act out of laziness while acknowledging its obligation
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Fatwa No. ( 16974 )
Q: What is the ruling on one who abandons one of the five obligatory prayers—such as Fajr, for example—and says that he acknowledges them but abandons them out of laziness and negligence only? Is he rewarded for the four obligatory prayers he performs and punished only for abandoning the one obligatory prayer? And is he rewarded for the other good deeds he performs, such as dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, and other acts of righteousness?
A: It is obligatory to preserve all five prayers, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:238] And He the Exalted said: Whoever abandons one prayer intentionally is like one who abandons all the prayers, so the remaining prayers are not accepted from him, nor is any deed accepted from him until he establishes the prayer and preserves it all, even if he acknowledges its obligation. Acknowledging the obligation is not sufficient for performing the prayer, because by abandoning the prayer intentionally, he becomes a disbeliever with major shirk,
even if he acknowledges its obligation, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim (in his Sahih), and due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) , narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the four Sunan collections with a sound chain. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: What is the ruling on one who abandons one of the five obligatory prayers—such as Fajr, for example—and says that he acknowledges them but abandons them out of laziness and negligence only? Is he rewarded for the four obligatory prayers he performs and punished only for abandoning the one obligatory prayer? And is he rewarded for the other good deeds he performs, such as dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, and other acts of righteousness?
A: It is obligatory to preserve all five prayers, as Allah the Exalted said:
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَىAnd those who are constant in their prayers
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَeven if he acknowledges its obligation, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفر
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.