Reconciling the hadith of those who enter Paradise without having prostrated to Allah with the hadiths regarding the disbelief of one who abandons prayer
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How do we reconcile the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a group of people who enter Paradise without having prostrated to Allah, with the hadiths that declare the disbelief of one who abandons prayer?
The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is interpreted: They enter Paradise without having prostrated to Allah, in the case of people who are ignorant of the obligation of prayer, such as if they were in lands far from Islam or in a desert where they hear nothing about prayer. It is also applied to those who died immediately after their Islam without having prostrated to Allah. We say this because the hadith you mentioned is among the ambiguous hadiths, while the hadiths regarding the disbelief of one who abandons prayer are among the clear and decisive hadiths. Following the ambiguous and discarding the clear is the way of those whose hearts are inclined to deviation, may Allah protect us from that.As Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Imran: 7] .
Perhaps you have heard the story of al-Asir from Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, who went out to Uhud and was killed. His people found him on his last breath, and they said: O so-and-so! What brought you? Were you envious of your people, or was it a desire for Islam?He said: Rather, it was a desire for Islam. I believed in Allah and His Messenger.So they informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: (He is among the people of Paradise) even though this man had not prostrated to Allah, but Allah granted him a good ending. We ask Allah to make our endings and yours good.
The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is interpreted: They enter Paradise without having prostrated to Allah, in the case of people who are ignorant of the obligation of prayer, such as if they were in lands far from Islam or in a desert where they hear nothing about prayer. It is also applied to those who died immediately after their Islam without having prostrated to Allah. We say this because the hadith you mentioned is among the ambiguous hadiths, while the hadiths regarding the disbelief of one who abandons prayer are among the clear and decisive hadiths. Following the ambiguous and discarding the clear is the way of those whose hearts are inclined to deviation, may Allah protect us from that.As Allah the Exalted said:
It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِPerhaps you have heard the story of al-Asir from Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, who went out to Uhud and was killed. His people found him on his last breath, and they said: O so-and-so! What brought you? Were you envious of your people, or was it a desire for Islam?He said: Rather, it was a desire for Islam. I believed in Allah and His Messenger.So they informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: (He is among the people of Paradise) even though this man had not prostrated to Allah, but Allah granted him a good ending. We ask Allah to make our endings and yours good.