The Ruling on Associating with One Who Abandons Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
One of the sisters says she used Fatimah as a code for her name. She is from Jeddah. She says: My husband’s brother does not pray except a little, and he is negligent. I live with my husband’s family, and they sit with him even if he is the imam who leads the prayer. What must I do? I am not one of his mahram (relatives one may not marry). Is there a sin on me for that, since I am unable to advise him?
The Shaykh:
If he intentionally abandons prayer entirely, that is one matter. But if he abandons the congregational prayer while he prays at home, then he is one who has abandoned an obligatory duty, which is the congregational prayer. So a distinction must be made in this. If he abandons prayer entirely and does not pray, neither with the congregation nor alone, then he is a disbeliever in Allah. It is not permissible for him to remain in the house. Rather, the owner of the house and the one in charge of the house must expel him from his house. And if the house belongs to him, do not live with him; you go out, or you, O questioner, go out. This is the distinction in this issue. Yes.
The presenter:
Is he considered a relative by marriage? Is he considered, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, a relative by marriage? Yes.
The Shaykh:
And a relative by marriage, if he is a close relative of the husband, but this relative by marriage is a sufficient relative by marriage. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
One of the sisters says she used Fatimah as a code for her name. She is from Jeddah. She says: My husband’s brother does not pray except a little, and he is negligent. I live with my husband’s family, and they sit with him even if he is the imam who leads the prayer. What must I do? I am not one of his mahram (relatives one may not marry). Is there a sin on me for that, since I am unable to advise him?
The Shaykh:
If he intentionally abandons prayer entirely, that is one matter. But if he abandons the congregational prayer while he prays at home, then he is one who has abandoned an obligatory duty, which is the congregational prayer. So a distinction must be made in this. If he abandons prayer entirely and does not pray, neither with the congregation nor alone, then he is a disbeliever in Allah. It is not permissible for him to remain in the house. Rather, the owner of the house and the one in charge of the house must expel him from his house. And if the house belongs to him, do not live with him; you go out, or you, O questioner, go out. This is the distinction in this issue. Yes.
The presenter:
Is he considered a relative by marriage? Is he considered, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, a relative by marriage? Yes.
The Shaykh:
And a relative by marriage, if he is a close relative of the husband, but this relative by marriage is a sufficient relative by marriage. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/216 — archive.org (8:53)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.