What is your opinion of one who is lax about the sunan on the claim that he will not be punished for leaving them?
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The questioner : In a question from one of the brothers, he says: A hadith was reported regarding the sunan that the one who performs them is rewarded and the one who leaves them is not punished?
The Shaykh : This is not a hadith; it is the statement of the jurists.
The questioner : Yes, it is the statement of the jurists. So some people leave the sunan relying on this statement. What is your opinion of being lax about the sunan on the claim that the one who leaves them is not punished? And so he says, since there is no punishment for the one who leaves them, why should I perform them?
The Shaykh : Yes, so would the treatment be to go the opposite way and say: The one who leaves them is punished?
The questioner : No, my intention is to seek guidance from your eminence.
The Shaykh : Well, guidance is obligatory. As for the fact that this statement is not a hadith, it is not a hadith. As for it being the statement of the jurists, this is a matter in which the jurists do not differ, as evidenced by the hadith of Abu Talhah or Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah in Sahih al-Bukhari: So there is no room for contradicting this rule: "That the sunan are such that the one who performs them is rewarded and the one who leaves them is not punished", as evidenced by the Prophet's testimony for this man that if he is truthful in maintaining the five prayers, he will enter Paradise. But this does not mean neglecting the sunan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in some authentic hadiths his saying (peace be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 413Sahih (Darussalam), in another narration in Sunan Abu Dawud: . Therefore, paying attention to the sunan is a very important matter, especially for the people of this time who do not perfect their prayer, and his saying (peace be upon him) in another hadith applies to them: . This is as if it indicates that the best of them is the one who is written half of the prayer. So these people must have a provision of voluntary worship so that the Lord of the Worlds (Blessed and Exalted is He) completes the deficiency that occurred in their prayer, either in quantity or in quality. And this is the aspect of not being deceived by that correct rule. So a person must be cautious with his religion and maintain the sunan of his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), especially since some of these sunan, such as the sunnah of Fajr, have a great and very large virtue, where he (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 416Sahih (Darussalam), just the two rak'ahs of Fajr. And besides his saying: . So reminding people of such virtues for those who maintain the sunan is the treatment so that they do not get entangled in that word which is said: The definition of sunnah is: that which the one who performs it is rewarded for and the one who leaves it is not punished for.
The questioner : Your eminence, there is a question. May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner: We conclude with this question, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : This is not a hadith; it is the statement of the jurists.
The questioner : Yes, it is the statement of the jurists. So some people leave the sunan relying on this statement. What is your opinion of being lax about the sunan on the claim that the one who leaves them is not punished? And so he says, since there is no punishment for the one who leaves them, why should I perform them?
The Shaykh : Yes, so would the treatment be to go the opposite way and say: The one who leaves them is punished?
The questioner : No, my intention is to seek guidance from your eminence.
The Shaykh : Well, guidance is obligatory. As for the fact that this statement is not a hadith, it is not a hadith. As for it being the statement of the jurists, this is a matter in which the jurists do not differ, as evidenced by the hadith of Abu Talhah or Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah in Sahih al-Bukhari:
A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about what Allah has made obligatory upon him, so he mentioned to him the five prayers in every day and night. He said to him: Is there anything else upon me besides them? He said: No, except that you volunteer. He said: By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I will not add to them or subtract from them. He (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) said: The man has succeeded if he is truthful; he will enter Paradise if he is truthful.
أن رجلاً سأل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عما فرض الله عليه ، فذكر له خمسة صلوات في كل يوم وليلة ، فقال له : هل عليّ غيرهنّ؟ قال : لا ، إلا أن تطَّوع ، فقال : والله يا رسول الله لا أزيد عليهن ولا أنقص ، فقال عليه الصلاة والسلام : أفلح الرجل إن صدق ، دخل الجنة إن صدقIndeed the first deed by which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is his Salat. If it is complete, he is successful and saved, but if it is defective, he has failed and lost.
أول ما يحاسب العبد يوم القيامة الصلاة ، فإن تمَّت فقد أفلح وأنجح وإن نقصت فقد خاب وخسرIf it is deficient, Allah the Mighty and Majestic says to His angels: Look, does My servant have any voluntary worship? Then complete his obligatory prayer with it.
فإن نقصت قال الله عز وجل لملائكته : انظروا هل لعبدي من تطوع فتتم له به فريضتهA man may pray a prayer, but only a tenth, a ninth, an eighth, a seventh, a sixth, a fifth, a quarter, or half of it is written for him.
إن الرجل ليصلي صلاة ما يكتب له منها إلا عشرها تسعُها ثمنها سبعها سدسها خمسها ربعها نصفهاThe two Rak'ah of Fajr are better than the world and what is in it.
ركعتا الفجر خير من الدنيا وما فيهاWhoever maintains four rak'ahs before the Zuhr prayer and four rak'ahs after it, Allah will protect his body from the Fire.
من حافظ على أربع ركعات قبل صلاة الظهر وأربع ركعات بعدها حرم الله بدنه على النارThe questioner : Your eminence, there is a question. May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner: We conclude with this question, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.