What is the ruling on the one who abandons prayer, and what do his family do with him?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question : Another question. What is the ruling on the one who abandons prayer, and what does one do if his father, brother, or son is one who abandons his prayer?
Answer : The answer to this has also been given previously, but I do not think the first part was [clear]. Abandoning prayer has two states: either he abandons it out of laziness, or he abandons it by denying its legitimacy. If he abandons it out of laziness, the majority of scholars also hold that he does not become a disbeliever.
And the madhhab of Ahmad, in a narration from him that contradicts the other narration which agrees with the majority, states that he becomes a disbeliever by abandoning prayer, even if out of laziness. But the narration preferred by the great jurists of the Hanbali school, such as Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in al-Mughni and others, is the other narration that agrees with the narration of the majority, which is that the one who abandons prayer out of laziness commits open sinfulness (fisq) but does not become a disbeliever. As for if he abandons it by denying its legitimacy, then he is a disbeliever by consensus. But here is a scenario that must be pointed out, because it is mentioned in the branches of the majority who do not declare the one who abandons prayer a disbeliever because he abandoned it out of laziness.
So yes. What is the punishment for the one who abandons prayer out of laziness? There are two madhhabs: the madhhab of Abu Hanifa is that he is imprisoned until he repents, and the madhhab of Imam al-Shafi'i and others is that he is asked to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is killed. The error is in the completeness of the answer: if he does not repent, he is killed. They said, and he is washed, prayed over, and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. This is an error.
No, they do not say he is a disbeliever; there is no precision here. What will be explained is as follows.
In response to the statement of the people of knowledge that most students of knowledge in this time have neglected, one of the blessings of knowledge is that every statement is attributed to its speaker. So I have benefited from what follows from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah, to which no one before him had ever proceeded.
He says: If one is presented with the choice between the mat and killing, and he is one who abandons prayer, and it is said to him, "Either repent and pray, or we will kill you," and he prefers killing to prayer, this person dies as a disbeliever, because it is inconceivable that he would affirm the legitimacy of prayer by Allah the Exalted, and in the face of killing, he would be stubborn and choose killing over prayer. This is impossible. Therefore, this statement is an error, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman. This statement is an error.
He is not killed as a hudud punishment, like this man—may Allah forgive you—and I say, what? I say: They are only saying a false statement. It is not permissible to rule that the one who abandons prayer out of laziness is a disbeliever, but he is asked to repent. If he repents, well and good. What is the difference between the two statements: the one who rules that he is a disbeliever, and the one who says he is not a disbeliever? If the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever, his wife is divorced from him, so he must contract a new marriage and renew his faith anew. As for the one who says the one who abandons prayer out of laziness does not become a disbeliever, these other consequences do not apply to him. But if he is brought before the legal judge and it is said to him, "Pray, or we will kill you," and he prefers killing to prayer, this person dies as a disbeliever. It is inconceivable that he would mean, as they say today, that he does not see the prayer [as obligatory]. This person dies as a disbeliever, certainly. It has become his [state]. So now, since the time for 'Isha' has entered, even according to the calendar, even according to the calendar, we take the opportunity when we hear the adhan to pray with you, and we entrust you to Allah with your religion, your trust, and the last of your deeds.Bulugh al-Maram 2:67 We have promised
Answer : The answer to this has also been given previously, but I do not think the first part was [clear]. Abandoning prayer has two states: either he abandons it out of laziness, or he abandons it by denying its legitimacy. If he abandons it out of laziness, the majority of scholars also hold that he does not become a disbeliever.
And the madhhab of Ahmad, in a narration from him that contradicts the other narration which agrees with the majority, states that he becomes a disbeliever by abandoning prayer, even if out of laziness. But the narration preferred by the great jurists of the Hanbali school, such as Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in al-Mughni and others, is the other narration that agrees with the narration of the majority, which is that the one who abandons prayer out of laziness commits open sinfulness (fisq) but does not become a disbeliever. As for if he abandons it by denying its legitimacy, then he is a disbeliever by consensus. But here is a scenario that must be pointed out, because it is mentioned in the branches of the majority who do not declare the one who abandons prayer a disbeliever because he abandoned it out of laziness.
So yes. What is the punishment for the one who abandons prayer out of laziness? There are two madhhabs: the madhhab of Abu Hanifa is that he is imprisoned until he repents, and the madhhab of Imam al-Shafi'i and others is that he is asked to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is killed. The error is in the completeness of the answer: if he does not repent, he is killed. They said, and he is washed, prayed over, and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. This is an error.
No, they do not say he is a disbeliever; there is no precision here. What will be explained is as follows.
In response to the statement of the people of knowledge that most students of knowledge in this time have neglected, one of the blessings of knowledge is that every statement is attributed to its speaker. So I have benefited from what follows from the words of Ibn Taymiyyah, to which no one before him had ever proceeded.
He says: If one is presented with the choice between the mat and killing, and he is one who abandons prayer, and it is said to him, "Either repent and pray, or we will kill you," and he prefers killing to prayer, this person dies as a disbeliever, because it is inconceivable that he would affirm the legitimacy of prayer by Allah the Exalted, and in the face of killing, he would be stubborn and choose killing over prayer. This is impossible. Therefore, this statement is an error, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman. This statement is an error.
He is not killed as a hudud punishment, like this man—may Allah forgive you—and I say, what? I say: They are only saying a false statement. It is not permissible to rule that the one who abandons prayer out of laziness is a disbeliever, but he is asked to repent. If he repents, well and good. What is the difference between the two statements: the one who rules that he is a disbeliever, and the one who says he is not a disbeliever? If the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever, his wife is divorced from him, so he must contract a new marriage and renew his faith anew. As for the one who says the one who abandons prayer out of laziness does not become a disbeliever, these other consequences do not apply to him. But if he is brought before the legal judge and it is said to him, "Pray, or we will kill you," and he prefers killing to prayer, this person dies as a disbeliever. It is inconceivable that he would mean, as they say today, that he does not see the prayer [as obligatory]. This person dies as a disbeliever, certainly. It has become his [state]. So now, since the time for 'Isha' has entered, even according to the calendar, even according to the calendar, we take the opportunity when we hear the adhan to pray with you, and we entrust you to Allah with your religion, your trust, and the last of your deeds.
O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Kindly give Muhammad (ﷺ) the right of intercession and superiority, and send him (on the Day of Judgement) to the best and highest place in Paradise which
اللهم رب العالمين الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة، آت محمدا المسيلة والفضيلة، وابعثه مقاما محمودا الذي
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، المجلس 642 — d3watuna.com (24:01)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.