The Inheritance of One Who Dies Having Abandoned the Prayer

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. This questioner from outside this country says: We have people who are Muslims, but they do not pray, and they do not know that abandoning the prayer makes one a disbeliever. They died in that state. Do we treat them in inheritance as Muslims or as disbelievers?

Answer:
Those who died without praying are not Muslims. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , so whoever abandons it has committed disbelief. The one who says "There is no god but Allah" but does not pray has not acted in accordance with the meaning of "There is no god but Allah"; he has not acted in accordance with its implications. Therefore, "There is no god but Allah" does not benefit him. So do not treat them as Muslims if it is established that they do not pray.