Evidence for the non-disbelief of one who abandons the pillars of Islam other than the two testimonies and prayer
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His Eminence the Shaykh: What is the evidence that one who abandons the pillars of Islam other than the two testimonies and prayer out of negligence or laziness does not become a disbeliever, such as abandoning zakah, fasting, and Hajj? We ask you to mention the evidence and respond to the evidence of the opponents, and may Allah reward you with good.
The pillars of Islam are five, as is well known: The testimony that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and Hajj to the House. Whoever abandons the first pillar is a disbeliever by consensus, meaning that whoever denies the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is a disbeliever, and there is no disagreement among Muslims regarding this.
As for abandoning what is other than the two testimonies, if he denies their obligation while having lived among Muslims, he is also a disbeliever. And if he acknowledges the obligation but abandons it out of negligence, this is a point of disagreement among scholars.
So some of them said: All four pillars, if a person abandons them out of negligence, he becomes a disbeliever.
And this is a narration from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).
And some of them said: He does not become a disbeliever by abandoning any one of them,Meaning: of the four.
And some of them said: If he abandons prayer out of negligence, he becomes a disbeliever, but as for the others, he does not become a disbeliever. This is the middle position, and it is the one supported by the evidence.
The evidence for this is that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) paired zakah with prayer in many places in the Qur'an. It is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam, and it is the most emphasized of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies and prayer. And the evidence indicates that one who abandons it does not become a disbeliever, as in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (There is no one who possesses gold or silver and does not pay its right, except that on the Day of Resurrection, sheets of fire will be made for him, and it will be heated in the Fire of Hell, and his side, forehead, and back will be branded with it. Every time it cools, it will be returned, on a day whose measure is fifty thousand years, until judgment is passed between the servants, then he will see his path, either to Paradise or to the Fire) , and this indicates that one who abandons zakah and is stingy with it does not become a disbeliever. The aspect of the indication is that he sees his path, either to Paradise or to the Fire. If he were a disbeliever, he would not have a path to Paradise. So if he does not become a disbeliever by abandoning zakah, then what is less than it is even more so.
And Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him), who is one of the famous Tabi'un, said: [The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any of the deeds to be disbelief if abandoned, except prayer] , and the term disbelief is sometimes used for other than major shirk,Such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): (Two things among people are disbelief: slandering lineage, and wailing over the dead) .
The pillars of Islam are five, as is well known: The testimony that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and Hajj to the House. Whoever abandons the first pillar is a disbeliever by consensus, meaning that whoever denies the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is a disbeliever, and there is no disagreement among Muslims regarding this.
As for abandoning what is other than the two testimonies, if he denies their obligation while having lived among Muslims, he is also a disbeliever. And if he acknowledges the obligation but abandons it out of negligence, this is a point of disagreement among scholars.
So some of them said: All four pillars, if a person abandons them out of negligence, he becomes a disbeliever.
And this is a narration from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).
And some of them said: He does not become a disbeliever by abandoning any one of them,Meaning: of the four.
And some of them said: If he abandons prayer out of negligence, he becomes a disbeliever, but as for the others, he does not become a disbeliever. This is the middle position, and it is the one supported by the evidence.
The evidence for this is that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) paired zakah with prayer in many places in the Qur'an. It is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam, and it is the most emphasized of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies and prayer. And the evidence indicates that one who abandons it does not become a disbeliever, as in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (There is no one who possesses gold or silver and does not pay its right, except that on the Day of Resurrection, sheets of fire will be made for him, and it will be heated in the Fire of Hell, and his side, forehead, and back will be branded with it. Every time it cools, it will be returned, on a day whose measure is fifty thousand years, until judgment is passed between the servants, then he will see his path, either to Paradise or to the Fire) , and this indicates that one who abandons zakah and is stingy with it does not become a disbeliever. The aspect of the indication is that he sees his path, either to Paradise or to the Fire. If he were a disbeliever, he would not have a path to Paradise. So if he does not become a disbeliever by abandoning zakah, then what is less than it is even more so.
And Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him), who is one of the famous Tabi'un, said: [The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any of the deeds to be disbelief if abandoned, except prayer] , and the term disbelief is sometimes used for other than major shirk,Such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): (Two things among people are disbelief: slandering lineage, and wailing over the dead) .