What is the fate of the one who abandons prayer? And what is the way to guide him?

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The questioner : Regarding this question, we do not seek a long, detailed explanation, but rather a concise one, so that, if Allah wills... What is the fate of the one who abandons prayer in this world and the Hereafter? And what is the way to guide the Muslim to the prayer that is obligatory upon him?

The Shaykh : As for the fate of the one who abandons prayer, without a doubt, he is in wail, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said:

⁽⁴⁾ So woe to those who pray ⁽⁵⁾ [But] who are heedless of their prayer -

فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ

[Al-Ma'un 107:4-5]

. Wail is a valley in Hellfire from which Hellfire seeks refuge. So wail is for those who are heedless of prayer and abandon it, even if they are sick, as we mentioned earlier in a sufficient explanation; because the sick person is able to pray in the state he is in, as we said. So whoever abandons prayer, even if he is sick, in the clear text of the Qur'an, there is wail for him; meaning: he has wail, which is a valley in Hellfire, as we mentioned earlier. As for in this world, the reality is that the matters of this world are not measured by the matters of the Hereafter; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says regarding the disbelievers and the polytheists all together:

We will progressively lead them [to destruction] from where they do not know. ⁽¹⁸³⁾ And I will give them time. Indeed, my plan is firm.

سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَمُونَ وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

[Al-A'raf 7:182-183]

. So our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) may grant respite to the disbeliever, and He may grant respite to those like him among the Muslims who are open sinners, including those who abandon prayer and neglect it, or those who are lax with it at times. He delays them and does not neglect them, and He may extend for them an extension in wealth and money, so they are deceived by that, thinking that this is proof that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is pleased with them. But the reality is that it is a gradual leading astray for them:

We will progressively lead them [to destruction] from where they do not know. ⁽¹⁸³⁾ And I will give them time. Indeed, my plan is firm.

سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَمُونَ وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

[Al-A'raf 7:182-183]

. So our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), the one who abandons prayer has that punishment in the Hereafter. As for in this world, you may see him living the happiest of people outwardly, but in the depths of his soul, he is living in his own hell in this world before the hell of the Hereafter. And this is among the meanings of His saying (Blessed and Exalted is He) in the Qur'an:

⁽¹²⁴⁾ And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind." ⁽¹²⁵⁾ He will say, "My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?" ⁽¹²⁶⁾ [Allah] will say, "Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten."

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَى

[Taha 20:124-126]

. His verses came to him:

Establish prayer for My remembrance

أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِذِكْرِي

. His verses came to him:

So woe to those who pray

فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ

, but he turned away from them, and he did not care about the matter of his Lord. So he will meet a straitened life here, even if you find him extended in wealth, children, and provision. But the matter is as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:

Wealth is not the wealth of goods

ليس الغنى غنى العَرَض

Source www.al-albany.com

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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