Explanation of the scholars' disagreement regarding the ruling on one who abandons prayer out of negligence, and that the majority of scholars hold that he is not declared a disbeliever.

The Shaykh : You know, for example, the hadiths related to prayer, . The majority of scholars agreed that one who abandons prayer is in one of two states. The first state is that he abandons it out of denial. They agreed unanimously that this person is a disbeliever, just as some of the deviant youth today say when you tell them, "My brother, you do not pray, so pray!" They say to you, "No prayer, no such and such!" This is disbelief because it is denial; it is disbelief by the consensus of the Muslims. The second state of those who abandon prayer is that he abandons it while believing in it and holding it to be obligatory, but he is lazy, or he is preoccupied with the world. Naturally, this is not something to be praised for; rather, he is severely blamed. But does his action place him in the same position as the first one who denies the legitimacy of prayer?
The answer is: The majority of scholars say that one who abandons prayer out of laziness does not become a disbeliever; rather, only the one who denies it becomes a disbeliever. Even regarding Imam Ahmad, who is famous for saying that one who abandons prayer becomes a disbeliever even if out of laziness, there is another narration in which he agrees with the majority of scholars that one who abandons prayer out of laziness is not a disbeliever, but rather an open sinner. Some say he should be killed, and this is the correct view; he should be killed as a fixed punishment. Some say he should be detained and imprisoned, but the first opinion is the most correct.
The important point is that one must distinguish, regarding belief in the laws and rulings, between the one who denies any of them in his heart, in which case he is a disbeliever, and the one who does not deny but affirms them, yet falls short in action. This is as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: .
Therefore, one who abandons prayer, in whatever form the abandonment takes, it is not said that he is a disbeliever who is punished and eternally abiding in the Fire. Rather, the one who is eternally abiding in the Fire is the one who associates partners with Allah, as He (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: . When the Messenger (peace be upon him) mentioned the five prayers in the hadith, he mentioned the one who maintains them; for him, there is a covenant with Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. And he mentioned the one who does not maintain the prayer and leaves his affair to Allah; he said: . Therefore, he is not judged to be a disbeliever; because if he were a disbeliever, he would fall under His saying (the Exalted): .
This is what can be said on this occasion.