Is it permissible to boycott a person who neglects performing some of the obligatory prayers in congregation due to excessive sleeping and failing to take the measures that would wake him up?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, I have a friend who does not pray some of the obligatory prayers in congregation at the mosque. This is due to negligence in sleeping, as he is usually absent from the congregation for the Fajr and 'Asr prayers. He does not take the measures that help him wake up from sleep, as he locks his room door on himself. After advising him, he says: "I am not intentionally sleeping," even though his sleep exceeds the normal limit.
The question, O Shaykh: Do we continue to advise this friend, or do we distance ourselves from him and boycott him for a specific period so that he may be deterred? And is this friend considered a good companion, given that he possesses many qualities of good morals and the traits of men, or is he considered a bad companion from whom one should distance oneself?
Note, O Shaykh, that not a day passes for this man without him missing one, two, or three obligatory prayers.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that this man is among those about whom Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:102] In fact, he lacks the first description; he did not acknowledge the sin, because he says: "I am sleeping, and a sleeping person is not held accountable."
But he must take the means to wake up, such as an alarm clock, or a friend who says, "When the time comes, call me on the phone," or his family. As for him locking the door on himself while knowing that he will not wake up, this is intentional neglect of the congregation.
And his saying, "I am sleeping," is not an excuse, because he has people who can wake him. So you should continue to sit with him while advising him, and say to him: "If you do not do this, we will boycott you." Threaten him with this punishment; perhaps upon the threat he will be upright, if Allah wills.
The questioner : O Shaykh, he has an alarm clock in his room. Does this mean we excuse him? He says: "I have something that helps me, but I want to lock the door on myself."
The Shaykh : We do not know; this is a private matter. Perhaps he wants to lock the door on himself because he has children, for example.
The questioner : No, he is in a residence here, meaning the university residence here.
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning no one is there to disturb him.
The questioner : He does not have a roommate in the same room, and he has an alarm, but he locks the door.
The Shaykh : If he has an alarm, why does he not wake up to it?
The questioner : He does not wake up to it; he means he has a heaviness in his sleep.
The Shaykh : If he does not wake up to it, it means his presence is like absence. If he does not wake up to the alarm, it means his presence is like absence. So he must open the door, or give his friend the key to the door and lock himself in, and then when his friend comes, he opens the door for him.
And tell him: If he does this, meaning he gives his friend a key and locks the door, let him remove the key from the lock, because if it remains, no one will be able to open it.
The question, O Shaykh: Do we continue to advise this friend, or do we distance ourselves from him and boycott him for a specific period so that he may be deterred? And is this friend considered a good companion, given that he possesses many qualities of good morals and the traits of men, or is he considered a bad companion from whom one should distance oneself?
Note, O Shaykh, that not a day passes for this man without him missing one, two, or three obligatory prayers.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that this man is among those about whom Allah the Exalted said:
And [there are] others who have acknowledged their sins. They had mixed a righteous deed with another that was bad
وَآخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوا عَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَآخَرَ سَيِّئاًBut he must take the means to wake up, such as an alarm clock, or a friend who says, "When the time comes, call me on the phone," or his family. As for him locking the door on himself while knowing that he will not wake up, this is intentional neglect of the congregation.
And his saying, "I am sleeping," is not an excuse, because he has people who can wake him. So you should continue to sit with him while advising him, and say to him: "If you do not do this, we will boycott you." Threaten him with this punishment; perhaps upon the threat he will be upright, if Allah wills.
The questioner : O Shaykh, he has an alarm clock in his room. Does this mean we excuse him? He says: "I have something that helps me, but I want to lock the door on myself."
The Shaykh : We do not know; this is a private matter. Perhaps he wants to lock the door on himself because he has children, for example.
The questioner : No, he is in a residence here, meaning the university residence here.
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning no one is there to disturb him.
The questioner : He does not have a roommate in the same room, and he has an alarm, but he locks the door.
The Shaykh : If he has an alarm, why does he not wake up to it?
The questioner : He does not wake up to it; he means he has a heaviness in his sleep.
The Shaykh : If he does not wake up to it, it means his presence is like absence. If he does not wake up to the alarm, it means his presence is like absence. So he must open the door, or give his friend the key to the door and lock himself in, and then when his friend comes, he opens the door for him.
And tell him: If he does this, meaning he gives his friend a key and locks the door, let him remove the key from the lock, because if it remains, no one will be able to open it.