What is the ruling on one who abandons prayer while being a monotheist? And what is the ruling on one who abandons prayer out of fear of an unjust ruler?

The questioner : What is the ruling on one who abandons prayer while being a monotheist, knowing the limits of Allah, but the world has distracted him from the remembrance of his Lord, and he died in that state? And what is the ruling on one who abandons prayer out of fear of an unjust ruler, and does not pray except when he is safe, and he died in that state?

The Shaykh : He prays out of fear of the unjust ruler, and when he is safe, he does not pray?

The questioner : He abandons prayer out of fear of the unjust ruler, and does not pray except when he is safe from the ruler?

The Shaykh : How does one abandon prayer out of fear of the unjust ruler?

The questioner : Meaning, he does not pray out of fear of the ruler; he does not pray.

The Shaykh : He prays out of fear of the rulers.

The questioner : Meaning, if the rulers know that he prays, they harm him.

The Shaykh : Ah, meaning these are disbelievers.

The questioner : And the first one is a monotheist who knows the limits of Allah, but the world has distracted him from the remembrance of his Lord, and he died in that state?

The Shaykh : And the second one, what is the difference between him and the first one, meaning is he not a monotheist?

The questioner : The second one is the same, but he abandoned prayer out of fear of the ruler?

The Shaykh : The important point is that if a Muslim testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, truly, but he commits many major and minor sins, such as consuming riba (usury or interest), zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the like, and among that is his abandonment of prayer, then if he does all of that in denial of Allah’s ruling regarding them, he is a disbeliever and an apostate. So, whoever denies, for example, the legitimacy of prayer is a disbeliever. Whoever denies the prohibition of riba, zina, theft, and the like of sins is a disbeliever, because this denial pertains to the heart, and it is creedal disbelief. Therefore, such a person is not a Muslim at all. On the contrary, if a person believes in Allah and His Messenger and in everything that came from them, but he commits some of those major sins, his case is left to Allah; if He wills, He will punish him, and if He wills, He will forgive him. And thus, the two cases, and this is how the answer came: the disbelief that equates to leaving the religion is creedal disbelief. As for if there is practical disbelief, such as abandoning prayer, this does not take its doer out of the religion because he believes in its legitimacy, so he is not declared a disbeliever unless he denies its legitimacy. Yes.