What is the ruling on the one who abandons prayer, and the division of disbelief into creedal and practical?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : How are you, my Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : My Shaykh, I am asking you regarding the issue of the arguments of the one who issued a ruling on the one who abandons prayer, in the treatise: "The Ruling on the One Who Abandons Prayer"; by the honorableThe Shaykh : Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The man holds the position that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And he has many arguments; such as His saying, the Exalted, regarding the polytheists:[At-Tawbah 9:11] ; he says: The implication of the verse is that if they do not do that, they are not our brothers, and religious brotherhood is not negated by sins, even if they are great; but it is negated such that one exits from Islam.
The Shaykh : But he does not say that if one prays and does not pay zakah, he is not a Muslim; rather, he is declared a disbeliever by that.
The questioner : Yes, that is right -O Shaykh!- I am asking about the issue of the statement that it is disbelief other than disbelief.
The Shaykh : He does not say that, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : No, I know that he does not say that, but I found out that he ..
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you! You are bringing his evidence, so I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that there is no evidence for it; because he does not say regarding the one who abandons zakah what he said regarding the one who abandons prayer, you did not suffice with narrating his opinion, but you narrated his opinion and his evidence; so I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that this is not evidence for him; because the verse included zakah along with prayer.
The questioner : Ah, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Okay, now what is your question?
The questioner : This is my question; my question is: How -O Shaykh!- do we rule on this man who abandons prayer, he is not one who denies it; but he is lazy?
The Shaykh : This is an open sinner, and not a disbeliever.
The questioner : The evidence, my Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The evidence is that:Sahih Ibn Hibban 4:44 , and the evidence is: And if he were a disbeliever, it would not be forgiven for him; because Allah says: [An-Nisa 4:48] .
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, my Shaykh!
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner : But can I understand from you this issue that I hear often, and I have not understood it, which is that they tell you: "Disbelief other than disbelief", how is "disbelief other than disbelief"?
The Shaykh : It means -of course- he, peace be upon him, said:Sahih Muslim 64a , and it was said in the Noble Qur'an: [Al-Hujurat 49:9] . So these are the ones who fought and they were rebels; the ruling of the Lord of the Worlds is that they are a group of the believers, and in the hadith it says: ; so this is disbelief other than the disbelief of apostasy; so if one does an action that is from the actions of the disbelievers; but he differs from the disbelievers in their beliefs; he has done their action but has not believed their belief, so in terms of action he is associated with them; and in terms of belief he is opposed to them; this is the meaning of their statement: "Disbelief other than disbelief".
The questioner : Yes, meaning the statement is correct?
The Shaykh : Without a doubt.
The questioner : Okay -Shaykh!- can we name them; meaning we divide them into a division; like you said: "Disbelief of apostasy", and the second disbelief, what is it?
The Shaykh : Practical disbelief.
The questioner : Practical disbelief! And is there a third division or just these two?
The Shaykh : These two, there are two divisions: there is practical disbelief and there is creedal disbelief, and there is heart disbelief and verbal disbelief.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Sound of a phone ringing.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : My Shaykh, I am asking you regarding the issue of the arguments of the one who issued a ruling on the one who abandons prayer, in the treatise: "The Ruling on the One Who Abandons Prayer"; by the honorableThe Shaykh : Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The man holds the position that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And he has many arguments; such as His saying, the Exalted, regarding the polytheists:
But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion
فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينThe Shaykh : But he does not say that if one prays and does not pay zakah, he is not a Muslim; rather, he is declared a disbeliever by that.
The questioner : Yes, that is right -O Shaykh!- I am asking about the issue of the statement that it is disbelief other than disbelief.
The Shaykh : He does not say that, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : No, I know that he does not say that, but I found out that he ..
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you! You are bringing his evidence, so I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that there is no evidence for it; because he does not say regarding the one who abandons zakah what he said regarding the one who abandons prayer, you did not suffice with narrating his opinion, but you narrated his opinion and his evidence; so I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that this is not evidence for him; because the verse included zakah along with prayer.
The questioner : Ah, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Okay, now what is your question?
The questioner : This is my question; my question is: How -O Shaykh!- do we rule on this man who abandons prayer, he is not one who denies it; but he is lazy?
The Shaykh : This is an open sinner, and not a disbeliever.
The questioner : The evidence, my Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The evidence is that:
Whoever says: There is no god but Allah, will enter Paradise
مَنْ قَالَ: لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهَ؛ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَFive prayers have been written by Allah upon the servants; so whoever performs them and perfects their performance, and completes their bowing and prostration and humility; he has a covenant with Allah that He will admit him into Paradise, and whoever does not perform them and does not complete their bowing and prostration and humility; he has no covenant with Allah; if He wills He will punish him and if He wills He will forgive him
خَمْسُ صَلَواتٍ كَتَبَهُنَّ اللهُ عَلَى العِبَادِ؛ فَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا وَأَحْسَنَ أَدَاءهَا، وَأَتَمَّ رُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا وَخُشُوعَهَا؛كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَهْدٌ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤدِّهَا وَلَمْ يُتِمَّ رُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا وَخُشُوعَهَا؛ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَهْدٌ؛ إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُIndeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good, my Shaykh!
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner : But can I understand from you this issue that I hear often, and I have not understood it, which is that they tell you: "Disbelief other than disbelief", how is "disbelief other than disbelief"?
The Shaykh : It means -of course- he, peace be upon him, said:
Abusing a Muslim is an outrage and fighting against him is unbelief
سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ، وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرAnd if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah
وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِن بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِAnd fighting him is disbelief
وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌThe questioner : Yes, meaning the statement is correct?
The Shaykh : Without a doubt.
The questioner : Okay -Shaykh!- can we name them; meaning we divide them into a division; like you said: "Disbelief of apostasy", and the second disbelief, what is it?
The Shaykh : Practical disbelief.
The questioner : Practical disbelief! And is there a third division or just these two?
The Shaykh : These two, there are two divisions: there is practical disbelief and there is creedal disbelief, and there is heart disbelief and verbal disbelief.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Sound of a phone ringing.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.