Some colleagues pray at certain times and leave others, and they may not pray for two or three days, then they pray afterwards and leave some times.
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The questioner : There are some colleagues who pray at certain times and leave others, and they may not pray for two or three days, then they pray afterwards and leave some times, and they repeat this. When we tell them that this is not permissible, they say, "May our Lord guide us." What is the ruling on their action? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Their action is among the greatest acts of open sinfulness, but they do not thereby exit Islam according to the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars, because they have not left the prayer absolutely. The transmitted hadith is only about the one who leaves the prayer absolutely; it is he who is declared a disbeliever. As for the one who prays once and leaves it once, while believing in its obligation and that it is obligatory, he is not declared a disbeliever according to the stronger position, but he becomes an open sinner with a great open sinfulness. Therefore, it is obligatory for these brothers to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to establish the prayer, and not to leave anything of the obligations of Allah, because they were only created to worship Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and that is to carry out His obedience, as Allah said in the clear text of His Book:[Adh-Dhariyat 51:56-57]. As for their excuse by saying, "Allah will guide us," this is a sick excuse, rather it is an invalid excuse that does not benefit them with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For this reason, Allah invalidated the argument of the one who argued with it in His saying: [Al-An'am 6:148]. And we say to these people who argue with such an argument: Allah the Exalted has guided His servants with the guidance of knowledge, direction, and instruction, so no argument remains for one who argues. As for the guidance of success, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has placed in man reason, choice, and will. For this reason, you find that in the matters of his worldly life, he strives for everything he sees as being in his benefit, and he avoids everything he sees as being in his harm. And you do not find anyone arguing with such an argument in any of the matters of the world. But Satan teaches them it in the matters of the Hereafter and worship, and it is a refuted argument that does not benefit them with Allah the Exalted. So if they say, "Allah will guide us," we say: Allah the Exalted has guided you by clarifying the truth with evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is only upon you to seek help from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and to take a correct direction and to fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Their action is among the greatest acts of open sinfulness, but they do not thereby exit Islam according to the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars, because they have not left the prayer absolutely. The transmitted hadith is only about the one who leaves the prayer absolutely; it is he who is declared a disbeliever. As for the one who prays once and leaves it once, while believing in its obligation and that it is obligatory, he is not declared a disbeliever according to the stronger position, but he becomes an open sinner with a great open sinfulness. Therefore, it is obligatory for these brothers to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to establish the prayer, and not to leave anything of the obligations of Allah, because they were only created to worship Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and that is to carry out His obedience, as Allah said in the clear text of His Book:
(56) And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (57) I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ * مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِThose who associated with Allah will say, "If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything." Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, "Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying."
سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلا آبَاؤُنَا وَلا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّى ذَاقُوا بَأْسَنَا قُلْ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَThe questioner : May Allah bless you.