The obligation to rebuke one who abandons congregational prayer, and the choice given to his wife between remaining with him or leaving him
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
After this, a message from one of the listening brothers from Riyadh, whose initials are Sh-M-N-Y, asks and says: I married one of my daughters to a man who was described as upright and fulfilling his obligations, based on the knowledge of one of the brothers. But after the marriage, we found the opposite of what was told to us about him before the marriage. That is because he does not know the mosque, even though the mosque is next to his house. I went to him to advise him, and I repeated that several times. He would swear that he prays. After that, I asked his wife, and she said, yes, he prays at home and does not leave her. For Jumu'ah, he goes to the mosque. She has been blessed with three sons and a daughter from him. So I am now confused about what to do regarding this person? And is there anything required of me toward Allah the Exalted? I have asked my daughter to leave him, but because of the children, she hesitates greatly. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
May Allah reward you with good for this zeal, and for this good initiative in forbidding evil regarding your daughter's husband. Abandoning the congregational prayer is a major sin, because he has abandoned a great obligation incumbent upon him, and he has adopted the characteristics of the hypocrites, for the hypocrites are those who do not strive for the congregational prayer, and they do not come to the prayer except[An-Nisa 4:142]. He said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:306
He (peace and blessings be upon him) saidSahih Ibn Hibban 10:352 So the danger is severe, and this is one who abandons a great obligation. It is not permissible for him to remain and continue in this danger. So you must advise him. As long as he prays and has not abandoned the prayer, he has fulfilled the obligation, which is performing the prayer. But he has abandoned an obligation attached to it, which is attending congregational prayer. It is obligatory to rebuke him and be severe with him, so that perhaps he will repent to Allah Mighty and Majestic. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. Since he is inciting his daughter to leave him, Shaykh Salih, and his situation, as you have mentioned, is that he prays at home, but he is not zealous for congregational prayer in every tier?
The Shaykh:
This is up to the woman. If the woman dislikes this thing.
The presenter:
Let us review.
The Shaykh:
And if she does not want to continue with him, she has the right to demand separation. And if she remains with him, she remains with the rebuke, and with the repetition of rebuke and advice. As long as he prays and has not abandoned the prayer, the marriage is valid, and praise be to Allah. But this is from the category of forbidding evil.
The questioner:
Okay, may Allah reward you with good and do you good, but does the matter reach this level, Shaykh Salih?
The Shaykh:
This is up to the woman's choice. If she dislikes remaining with him, and sees that advice does not benefit him, and also fears that it will affect her children, she may request separation; because this is a great deficiency in his religion,
The questioner:
We seek help from Allah.
The Shaykh:
No, this is a great deficiency in his religion, and there is a fear that he will abandon the prayer one day.
The questioner:
If Allah wills.
The Shaykh:
When a person abandons congregational prayer, Satan gradually leads him to abandoning the prayer entirely. So she has the right to request separation. And if she wants to remain for the benefit of the children, remaining is valid; because the marriage, praise be to Allah, remains, as long as he prays and has not abandoned the prayer. But with forbidding evil and continuing the rebuke, so that perhaps Allah will guide him
After this, a message from one of the listening brothers from Riyadh, whose initials are Sh-M-N-Y, asks and says: I married one of my daughters to a man who was described as upright and fulfilling his obligations, based on the knowledge of one of the brothers. But after the marriage, we found the opposite of what was told to us about him before the marriage. That is because he does not know the mosque, even though the mosque is next to his house. I went to him to advise him, and I repeated that several times. He would swear that he prays. After that, I asked his wife, and she said, yes, he prays at home and does not leave her. For Jumu'ah, he goes to the mosque. She has been blessed with three sons and a daughter from him. So I am now confused about what to do regarding this person? And is there anything required of me toward Allah the Exalted? I have asked my daughter to leave him, but because of the children, she hesitates greatly. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
May Allah reward you with good for this zeal, and for this good initiative in forbidding evil regarding your daughter's husband. Abandoning the congregational prayer is a major sin, because he has abandoned a great obligation incumbent upon him, and he has adopted the characteristics of the hypocrites, for the hypocrites are those who do not strive for the congregational prayer, and they do not come to the prayer except
but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily
وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The most burdensome prayers for hypocrites are the 'Isha' and the Fajr prayers
صلى الله عليه وسلم أَثْقَلُ اَلصَّلَاةِ عَلَى اَلْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ اَلْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ اَلْفَجْرِ،So congregational prayer is obligatory, by the evidence of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): I intended to order that prayer be established, then I would go to men who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses over them with fire.
فصلاة الجماعة واجب، بدليل قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم لقد هممت أن آمر بالصلاة فتقام، ثم أخالف إلى رجال لا يشهدون الصلاة فأحرق عليهم بيوتهم بالنار.He (peace and blessings be upon him) said
Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, there is no prayer for him except from an excuse,
من سمع النداء فلم يجب، فلا صلاة له إلا من عذر،The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. Since he is inciting his daughter to leave him, Shaykh Salih, and his situation, as you have mentioned, is that he prays at home, but he is not zealous for congregational prayer in every tier?
The Shaykh:
This is up to the woman. If the woman dislikes this thing.
The presenter:
Let us review.
The Shaykh:
And if she does not want to continue with him, she has the right to demand separation. And if she remains with him, she remains with the rebuke, and with the repetition of rebuke and advice. As long as he prays and has not abandoned the prayer, the marriage is valid, and praise be to Allah. But this is from the category of forbidding evil.
The questioner:
Okay, may Allah reward you with good and do you good, but does the matter reach this level, Shaykh Salih?
The Shaykh:
This is up to the woman's choice. If she dislikes remaining with him, and sees that advice does not benefit him, and also fears that it will affect her children, she may request separation; because this is a great deficiency in his religion,
The questioner:
We seek help from Allah.
The Shaykh:
No, this is a great deficiency in his religion, and there is a fear that he will abandon the prayer one day.
The questioner:
If Allah wills.
The Shaykh:
When a person abandons congregational prayer, Satan gradually leads him to abandoning the prayer entirely. So she has the right to request separation. And if she wants to remain for the benefit of the children, remaining is valid; because the marriage, praise be to Allah, remains, as long as he prays and has not abandoned the prayer. But with forbidding evil and continuing the rebuke, so that perhaps Allah will guide him
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 4858- وجوب الإنكار على من يترك صلاة الجماعة، وتخيير زوجته بين البقاء معه أو تركه الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.