Is there evidence in the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Except those who repent, establish prayer, and give zakah” that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever?
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The Shaykh : Now, yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The verse in which Allah the Exalted says:[Al-Baqarah 2:160-161]
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner :[At-Tawbah 9:11]
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : In the very same verse, you are now going around the issue of the one who abandons prayer, are you not?
The questioner : Abandoning, I mean abandoning... this verse... abandoning prayer and zakah.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me.
The questioner : The topic of our discussion is prayer, yes.
The Shaykh : That is an answer, heh, may Allah bless you. That is what I wanted from you, Waleed.
The questioner : Okay.
Another questioner : If we had not spoken, it would have been better.
The Shaykh : Do you know of any scholar among the scholars of the Muslims who equated the one who abandons prayer, in terms of the declaration of disbelief that entails expulsion from the religion, with the one who abandons zakah, the one who abandons fasting, and the one who abandons Hajj, treating them all as equal in that each of these people did not pray, or prayed but did not give zakah, or prayed and gave zakah but did not fast Ramadan, or prayed, gave zakah, and fasted Ramadan but did not perform Hajj to the House of Allah the Exalted, such that he would be a disbeliever who has apostatized from his religion?
The questioner : I do not know.
The Shaykh : You do not know, very good. Do you know of anyone who equated the one who abandons prayer with the one who abandons zakah and Hajj? We mentioned, pardon us, the one who abandons prayer, fasting, and zakah. We mentioned Hajj just now. So that is three. Do you know of anyone who equated between them?
The questioner: No...
The Shaykh : You do not know. Do you know of anyone who declared disbelief due to abandoning prayer?
The questioner : Disbelief due to abandoning prayer.
The Shaykh : Ah, say “I know.”
The questioner : I know.
The Shaykh : Do not be afraid, do not be afraid.
Another questioner : He was afraid of this question.
The questioner : They differed, or they differed, I tell you they differed.
The Shaykh : No problem, it is not important. Now, what does the verse say:
The questioner :[At-Tawbah 9:5]
The Shaykh: Okay
The questioner :
The Shaykh : Now, the verse equates prayer and zakah, and you are distinguishing along with those who distinguish, correct? Say “correct.” So, is there in the verse any evidence that the one who abandons prayer here... most of the shaykhs fall into confusion if they say that the verse is evidence that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. They are told: if the one who abandons zakah is a disbeliever, and if they say no, the one who abandons zakah is not a disbeliever, then it is also said that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever, because the verse is one and it mentions two categories: the one who abandons prayer and the one who abandons zakah.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you.
Another questioner : If someone wants to escape...
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : He says, “We used this verse as evidence for declaring the one who abandons prayer a disbeliever based on other proofs.” We tell him, this is an escape.
The Shaykh : No problem, we are proceeding with...The Shaykh : Here we ask him to bring the other proofs, and here he has lost the first proof.
Another questioner : So this proof is invalid for use in argumentation.
The Shaykh : And this is the point intended.
The questioner : As for the other proofs, that is the matter of research.
The Shaykh : Are there other proofs besides We have given you other proofs in which it says: whoever did such and such has committed disbelief, whoever did such and such has committed disbelief...
Another questioner : But that is not disbelief that entails expulsion from the religion.
The Shaykh : No, that is later. We have a hadith or what, and...
The questioner :
The ShaykhSunan Ibn Majah 1401Hasan (Darussalam) And Allah says: [An-Nisa 4:48]
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The verse in which Allah the Exalted says:
(160) Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. (161) Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers - upon them will be the curse of Allah and of the angels and the people, all together,
إلا الذين تابوا وأقاموا الصلاة وآتوا الزكاةThe Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner :
they are your brothers in religion
فإخوانكم في الدينThe Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : In the very same verse, you are now going around the issue of the one who abandons prayer, are you not?
The questioner : Abandoning, I mean abandoning... this verse... abandoning prayer and zakah.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me.
The questioner : The topic of our discussion is prayer, yes.
The Shaykh : That is an answer, heh, may Allah bless you. That is what I wanted from you, Waleed.
The questioner : Okay.
Another questioner : If we had not spoken, it would have been better.
The Shaykh : Do you know of any scholar among the scholars of the Muslims who equated the one who abandons prayer, in terms of the declaration of disbelief that entails expulsion from the religion, with the one who abandons zakah, the one who abandons fasting, and the one who abandons Hajj, treating them all as equal in that each of these people did not pray, or prayed but did not give zakah, or prayed and gave zakah but did not fast Ramadan, or prayed, gave zakah, and fasted Ramadan but did not perform Hajj to the House of Allah the Exalted, such that he would be a disbeliever who has apostatized from his religion?
The questioner : I do not know.
The Shaykh : You do not know, very good. Do you know of anyone who equated the one who abandons prayer with the one who abandons zakah and Hajj? We mentioned, pardon us, the one who abandons prayer, fasting, and zakah. We mentioned Hajj just now. So that is three. Do you know of anyone who equated between them?
The questioner: No...
The Shaykh : You do not know. Do you know of anyone who declared disbelief due to abandoning prayer?
The questioner : Disbelief due to abandoning prayer.
The Shaykh : Ah, say “I know.”
The questioner : I know.
The Shaykh : Do not be afraid, do not be afraid.
Another questioner : He was afraid of this question.
The questioner : They differed, or they differed, I tell you they differed.
The Shaykh : No problem, it is not important. Now, what does the verse say:
If they repent
فإن تابواThe questioner :
But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah
فإن تابوا وأقاموا الصلاة وآتو الزكاةThe Shaykh: Okay
The questioner :
So your brothers
فإخوانكمThe Shaykh : Now, the verse equates prayer and zakah, and you are distinguishing along with those who distinguish, correct? Say “correct.” So, is there in the verse any evidence that the one who abandons prayer here... most of the shaykhs fall into confusion if they say that the verse is evidence that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. They are told: if the one who abandons zakah is a disbeliever, and if they say no, the one who abandons zakah is not a disbeliever, then it is also said that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever, because the verse is one and it mentions two categories: the one who abandons prayer and the one who abandons zakah.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you.
Another questioner : If someone wants to escape...
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : He says, “We used this verse as evidence for declaring the one who abandons prayer a disbeliever based on other proofs.” We tell him, this is an escape.
The Shaykh : No problem, we are proceeding with...The Shaykh : Here we ask him to bring the other proofs, and here he has lost the first proof.
Another questioner : So this proof is invalid for use in argumentation.
The Shaykh : And this is the point intended.
The questioner : As for the other proofs, that is the matter of research.
The Shaykh : Are there other proofs besides
Whoever abandons prayer has committed disbelief
من ترك صلاة وقد كفرAnother questioner : But that is not disbelief that entails expulsion from the religion.
The Shaykh : No, that is later. We have a hadith
Five prayers which Allah has prescribed for the servants. Whoever performs them and perfects their performance, and completes their bowing, prostration, and humility, has a covenant with Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. And whoever does not perform them...
خمس صلوات كتبهن الله على العباد فمن أداها وأحسن أداءها وأتم ركوعها وسجودها وخشوعها كان له عند الله عهد أن يدخله الجنة ومن لم يؤدهاThe questioner :
And whoever does not do so
ومن لم يفعلThe Shaykh
will not have such a covenant with Allah; if He wills He will punish him, and if He wills, He will forgive him.
ومن لم يفعل فليس له عند الله عهد إن شاء عذبه وإن شاء غفر لهIndeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.