Some of my relatives do not care about prayer, and that is due to their ignorance, because they do not know the virtue of this prayer. And I have a group of sisters who have married these men.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The questioner, A.A. from the Arab Republic of Egypt, says: The questioner has some relatives who do not care about prayer, and that is due to their ignorance, because they do not know the virtue of this prayer. And I have...
The Shaykh : ...What?
The questioner : Because they do not know the virtue of this prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And I have a group of sisters, women, who have married these men who do not pray. What is the ruling in Islam regarding this marriage? And my sisters who have married these men who do not pray except a little, because they say they are ignorant of it. What is our duty toward these people?
The Shaykh : If they do not pray except a little, that means they pray and neglect it. This does not lead to disbelief, because they have not left prayer entirely; rather, they are negligent at some times. So they are not disbelievers. And in that case, their marriage is valid.
As for if they do not pray at all, that matter is referred to the judges in their country. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. The questioner is your sister in Allah, N.S...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : Before we take the second question, I advise these men to stand before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to worship Him, and to know that prayer is the pillar of the religion. If a building does not stand except on pillars, then Islam does not stand except on prayer. And I tell them that the one who does not pray at all, the evidence from the Book, the Sunnah, the sayings of the Companions, and correct analogical reasoning and correct consideration has established that they are disbelievers. We have a concise and beneficial treatise on this; if they were to refer to it, perhaps Allah would open their hearts. And even if we say he is not a disbeliever, leaving prayer is greater than zina, theft, and drinking intoxicants. Leaving prayer, even if we say he is not a disbeliever, and it is known that they consider themselves too dignified to drink intoxicants or commit zina or steal, except for whom Allah wills among them. If they consider themselves too dignified to commit these major sins, let them consider themselves too dignified to leave prayer.
And the truth is that what causes negligence in prayer is that a person does not feel the spirit of prayer. He does not feel that he is standing before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is the most beloved thing to him. He does not feel that he is conversing with Allah, for when he says[Al-Fatihah 1:2], Allah says, "My servant has praised Me." When he says , He says, "My servant has praised Me." When he says [Al-Fatihah 1:4], He says, "My servant has glorified Me." When he says [Al-Fatihah 1:5], He says, "This is between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asked." When he says [Al-Fatihah 1:6-7], Allah says, "This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asked." He does not feel this. He does not feel that Allah sees him standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. If we felt this, prayer would be the coolness of our eyes, as it was the coolness of the eye of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, prayer was the heaviest thing for many people. And let a person know that if prayer is heavy for him, he is similar to the hypocrites, if not a hypocrite. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 797Sahih (Darussalam) This indicates that prayer is heavy for the hypocrites, but these two prayers are the heaviest thing for them. And what indicates its heaviness for them, meaning for the hypocrites, is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:142] Why do they stand [for prayer] sluggishly? Except because it is heavy for them.
So let the Muslim brothers beware of wasting prayer, and let them repent to Allah, and let them perfect their prayer. I ask Allah to help me and them to perfect it.
The questioner : Amen, amen.
The Shaykh : And establishing it in the manner that He is pleased with from us.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ...What?
The questioner : Because they do not know the virtue of this prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And I have a group of sisters, women, who have married these men who do not pray. What is the ruling in Islam regarding this marriage? And my sisters who have married these men who do not pray except a little, because they say they are ignorant of it. What is our duty toward these people?
The Shaykh : If they do not pray except a little, that means they pray and neglect it. This does not lead to disbelief, because they have not left prayer entirely; rather, they are negligent at some times. So they are not disbelievers. And in that case, their marriage is valid.
As for if they do not pray at all, that matter is referred to the judges in their country. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. The questioner is your sister in Allah, N.S...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : Before we take the second question, I advise these men to stand before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to worship Him, and to know that prayer is the pillar of the religion. If a building does not stand except on pillars, then Islam does not stand except on prayer. And I tell them that the one who does not pray at all, the evidence from the Book, the Sunnah, the sayings of the Companions, and correct analogical reasoning and correct consideration has established that they are disbelievers. We have a concise and beneficial treatise on this; if they were to refer to it, perhaps Allah would open their hearts. And even if we say he is not a disbeliever, leaving prayer is greater than zina, theft, and drinking intoxicants. Leaving prayer, even if we say he is not a disbeliever, and it is known that they consider themselves too dignified to drink intoxicants or commit zina or steal, except for whom Allah wills among them. If they consider themselves too dignified to commit these major sins, let them consider themselves too dignified to leave prayer.
And the truth is that what causes negligence in prayer is that a person does not feel the spirit of prayer. He does not feel that he is standing before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is the most beloved thing to him. He does not feel that he is conversing with Allah, for when he says
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَThe Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
الرَّحمانِ الرَّحيمِSovereign of the Day of Recompense.
مالِكِ يَومِ الدّينِIt is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيّاكَ نَعبُدُ وَإِيّاكَ نَستَعينُ(6) Guide us to the straight path - (7) The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
اهدِنَا الصِّراطَ المُستَقيمَ * صِراطَ الَّذينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِم غَيرِ المَغضوبِ عَلَيهِم وَلَا الضّالّينَThe most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the 'Isha' prayer and the Fajr prayer
أثقل الصلوات على المنافقين صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجرAnd when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily
وَإِذا قاموا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قاموا كُسالىSo let the Muslim brothers beware of wasting prayer, and let them repent to Allah, and let them perfect their prayer. I ask Allah to help me and them to perfect it.
The questioner : Amen, amen.
The Shaykh : And establishing it in the manner that He is pleased with from us.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.