Is the one who abandons prayer out of negligence, laziness, and neglect considered a disbeliever or an apostate? We ask for your guidance.
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The questioner : Is the one who abandons prayer out of negligence, laziness, and neglect considered a disbeliever or an apostate? We ask for your guidance?
The Shaykh : Yes, this question, as I said, is very important. This is because many people abandon prayer out of negligence and laziness, believing that they are believers who testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they consider themselves among the believers who have disobeyed, who fall under Allah’s will: if Allah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:48] However, the stronger opinion, supported by the evidence, is that the one who abandons prayer out of negligence and laziness is a disbeliever, a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. This is indicated by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions. Among the evidence from the Quran is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:11] Thus, Allah made the establishment of brotherhood in religion contingent upon these three things: repentance, meaning from shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing prayer, and giving zakah (the obligatory alms). It is known that a ruling contingent upon certain attributes requires those attributes to be fully present in the person, because the conditioned thing is not complete without the presence of the condition. If they do not repent from shirk, they are not our brothers in religion because they are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). If they repent from shirk but do not establish prayer, they are not our brothers because they do not establish prayer. If they repent from shirk but do not give zakah, they are not our brothers in religion because they do not give zakah. This is what the noble verse indicates. However, the Sunnah came with an explanation that the one who abandons zakah, or the one who withholds zakah, is not a disbeliever in a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. This is what Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 987a This hadith indicates that the one who abandons zakah may enter Paradise, based on his saying: Sunan Abi Dawud 1658Sahih (Al-Albani) Consequently, the implication of the noble verse is restricted by the explicit wording of this hadith. It is known among scholars that the Prophetic Sunnah restricts the noble Quran.
As for the one who abandons zakah, there is no restriction in the Sunnah regarding him; rather, the Sunnah contains what supports his case. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in "Sahih Muslim" from the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 82b And in the Sunan, from the hadith of Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) Other hadiths with this meaning have also been reported.
This is evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah. As for the statements of the Companions, more than one person has reported their consensus. Abdullah ibn Shaqiq, the famous Tabi'i (successor), said: "The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any act of worship, the abandonment of which is disbelief, other than prayer." Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) and other scholars who transmitted the consensus on this matter reported the consensus of the Companions on the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
Furthermore, reflection also requires that he be a disbeliever. For the one who knows the reality of prayer, its virtue, Allah’s care for it, the great reward for those who maintain it, and the punishment for those who abandon it, and that it is the obligation that Allah imposed on His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) without any intermediary, and imposed it on him in the highest place the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached on the Night of the Ascension—I say: the one who knows its virtue and its rank in the religion, and then knows the great punishment that follows for the one who abandons it, cannot abandon it if he has faith in his heart. I have examined the evidence cited by those who say that the one who abandons prayer out of negligence and laziness does not become a disbeliever, and I found that it does not fall outside of four or five cases. The first case: that there is no indication in it at all that the one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever.
The second case: that it is restricted by a description such that the one described by it cannot abandon prayer.
The third case: that it is restricted by a state in which the one who abandons prayer is excused.
The fourth case: that they are general evidences, and it is known that general evidences are overridden by specific evidences and restricted by them.
The fifth case: that they are weak hadiths that are not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I do not know of a single hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that the one who abandons prayer is among the people of Paradise, or that the one who abandons prayer is a believer, or anything similar that would require interpreting the texts indicating his disbelief as minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) that does not take one out of the religion.
On this occasion, I warn my Muslim brothers against being negligent with prayer and wasting it. I remind them of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Maryam 19:59-60] It is common for the one who wastes prayer to follow his desires, because prayer forbids immorality and wrongdoing. If he abandons it, he loses the one who forbids immorality and wrongdoing, and he is likely to fall into it.
Some scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) interpreted the hadiths indicating his disbelief as referring to the one who abandons prayer while denying its obligation. There is no doubt that this interpretation is incorrect for two reasons. The first reason: that it diverts the texts from their apparent meaning to a meaning that the apparent text does not indicate.
The second reason: that it nullifies a description to which the Lawgiver attached the ruling, while considering another description to which the Lawgiver did not attach the ruling. Moreover, this is refuted by the case of a person who prays and maintains prayer but does not believe in its obligation; he is a disbeliever, yet he was not one who abandoned prayer. This indicates that the intended meaning of abandoning prayer is one who abandons it while believing in its obligation. As for the one who denies its obligation, he is a disbeliever whether he prays or not. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this detailed explanation.
This is a message received from the listener Falah Mahdi from Iraq, who says in this question.
The Shaykh : Yes, this question, as I said, is very important. This is because many people abandon prayer out of negligence and laziness, believing that they are believers who testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they consider themselves among the believers who have disobeyed, who fall under Allah’s will: if Allah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُBut if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion
فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَءاتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِIf any owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due on him, when the Day of Resurrection would come, plates of fire would be beaten out for him; these would then be heated in the fire of Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back would be cauterized with them. Whenever these cool down, (the process is) repeated during a day the extent of which would be fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among servants, and he sees whether his path is to take him to Paradise or to Hell.
ما من صاحب ذهب ولا فضة لا يؤدي منها حقها، إلا إذا كان يوم القيامة صفّحت له صفائح من نار وأحمي عليها في نار جهنم فيكوى به جنبه وجبينه وظهره، كلما بردت أعيدت في يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة حتى يُقضى بين العباد، ثم يرى سبيله إما إلى الجنة وإما إلى النارhe sees whether his path is to take him to Paradise or to Hell
ثم يرى سبيله إما إلى الجنة وإما إلى النارAs for the one who abandons zakah, there is no restriction in the Sunnah regarding him; rather, the Sunnah contains what supports his case. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in "Sahih Muslim" from the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat.
بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفرThis is evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah. As for the statements of the Companions, more than one person has reported their consensus. Abdullah ibn Shaqiq, the famous Tabi'i (successor), said: "The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any act of worship, the abandonment of which is disbelief, other than prayer." Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) and other scholars who transmitted the consensus on this matter reported the consensus of the Companions on the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
Furthermore, reflection also requires that he be a disbeliever. For the one who knows the reality of prayer, its virtue, Allah’s care for it, the great reward for those who maintain it, and the punishment for those who abandon it, and that it is the obligation that Allah imposed on His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) without any intermediary, and imposed it on him in the highest place the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached on the Night of the Ascension—I say: the one who knows its virtue and its rank in the religion, and then knows the great punishment that follows for the one who abandons it, cannot abandon it if he has faith in his heart. I have examined the evidence cited by those who say that the one who abandons prayer out of negligence and laziness does not become a disbeliever, and I found that it does not fall outside of four or five cases. The first case: that there is no indication in it at all that the one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever.
The second case: that it is restricted by a description such that the one described by it cannot abandon prayer.
The third case: that it is restricted by a state in which the one who abandons prayer is excused.
The fourth case: that they are general evidences, and it is known that general evidences are overridden by specific evidences and restricted by them.
The fifth case: that they are weak hadiths that are not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I do not know of a single hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that the one who abandons prayer is among the people of Paradise, or that the one who abandons prayer is a believer, or anything similar that would require interpreting the texts indicating his disbelief as minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) that does not take one out of the religion.
On this occasion, I warn my Muslim brothers against being negligent with prayer and wasting it. I remind them of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(59) But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil - (60) Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.
فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا * إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلا يُظْلَمُونَ شَيْئًاSome scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) interpreted the hadiths indicating his disbelief as referring to the one who abandons prayer while denying its obligation. There is no doubt that this interpretation is incorrect for two reasons. The first reason: that it diverts the texts from their apparent meaning to a meaning that the apparent text does not indicate.
The second reason: that it nullifies a description to which the Lawgiver attached the ruling, while considering another description to which the Lawgiver did not attach the ruling. Moreover, this is refuted by the case of a person who prays and maintains prayer but does not believe in its obligation; he is a disbeliever, yet he was not one who abandoned prayer. This indicates that the intended meaning of abandoning prayer is one who abandons it while believing in its obligation. As for the one who denies its obligation, he is a disbeliever whether he prays or not. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this detailed explanation.
This is a message received from the listener Falah Mahdi from Iraq, who says in this question.