How do we deal with one who abandons prayer, or with those who hold corrupt beliefs, such as seeking nearness to Allah through the awliya (close friends of Allah), and who practice falsehood in their celebrations and funerals?

The questioner : Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has commanded us to maintain family ties in many places in the Noble Qur'an. But how do these verses agree with the statement of Allah the Exalted: ? Since disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) are hostility toward Allah and His Messenger, so too is the one who severs ties, or those who hold corrupt beliefs such as seeking nearness to Allah through the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the like, and their practice of falsehood in their celebrations and funerals. How should we deal with them? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : There is no contradiction between the command of Allah the Exalted to maintain family ties and His statement: . This is because maintaining ties does not necessitate affection. Affection means mutual love, and love is pure affection. Therefore, it is possible to maintain ties with these relatives while you do not love them, but rather hate them for the falsehood they are upon, from shirk (associating partners with Allah) to what is less than it. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said regarding the parents: . Thus, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, commanded us to treat our parents in this world with kindness, even if they are disbelievers and polytheists, and even if they have exerted their utmost effort to make their son associate partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, or to make their child, whether male or female, associate partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It is possible, both rationally and legally, to maintain ties with a person whose heart hates him, maintaining ties through the kinship or neighborly relationship between you, if he is your neighbor, but you hate him in your heart for his opposition to Allah and His Messenger.