What is the ruling on a Muslim man who does not pray, mixes with the Christians, and participates in their festivals and parties in their churches?

The questioner : A Muslim man mixes with some of the Christians and flatters them; that is, if they invite him to the church, he goes to them for weddings and such. He flatters them in all their festivals and all their occasions. So some Muslims saw him and said, "You are a disbeliever for this..."

The Shaykh : "You are a disbeliever?"

The questioner : "Yes, they said that because you mix with them and flatter them, it is a source of confusion for him in this matter. So he asked some people, and some people said to him that by mixing with them, there is something in it that is considered apostasy, because he does not pray, O Shaykh... and this indicates that, for example, for example... he shares in their rituals and celebrates with them in their festivals."

The Shaykh : "And he does not pray either."

The questioner : "He does not pray, but this point is that mixing with them in the first place, and the mixing with them in their festivals, and if they invite him to their weddings in the churches, he goes to them, meaning they want..."

The Shaykh : "Well, if this person were committed, and we had striven to guide him and lead him to the right path, but since he has abandoned the prayer, what is the concern that he goes to the church and attends their parties and so on?"

The questioner : "The ruling is that he is an apostate."

The Shaykh : "We have some examples, perhaps non-Arabic, perhaps because of my forgetfulness, they say so-and-so is a dog; with that dog, when it urinates, it lifts its leg so that the impurity does not hit it, and what is he? A dog. This last question is directed to a committed person, and we fear he may deviate, so we advise him not to go to those gatherings, and we do not say that his going to those gatherings is disbelief, meaning apostasy, but it is undoubtedly a sin and open sinfulness. But is it like a drowning man in the water; does a drop of rain that hits him harm him? Do you understand? Since he has abandoned the prayer, which is one of the five pillars, and there are hadiths that confirm that , despite the known disagreement among scholars whether this is doctrinal disbelief or practical disbelief, that is another discussion. But in any case, there is severe warning for the Muslim to abandon even one prayer, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, , one prayer! And he (peace be upon him) said, and it is a general text: , , meaning one, ; so if he is one who abandons the prayer, then going to the church is his place, since he is what? One who abandons prayer. But if you see one of the committed and those who hold fast to the Shari'ah deviate in this deviation, he should be warned against it, but we do not exaggerate; we do not say that this is disbelief and that his prayer and worship no longer benefit him, just as we do not approve of this action because it is a deviation."

The questioner : "If a person prays, meaning he prays, and goes with them and mixes with them."

The Shaykh : "We forbid him, we forbid him."

The questioner : "Yes, we forbid him."

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : "... from the exchange, O Shaykh."