Continuing the discussion on the ruling concerning the one who abandons prayer and the refutation of those who say he does not become a disbeliever.
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The Shaykh : We have previously discussed the ruling concerning the one who abandons prayer. What the words of Allah, the words of His Messenger, and the words of the majority of the Companions indicate is that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever, a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. Some scholars have held that he does not become a disbeliever in a way that takes him out of the religion, and they cited certain texts as evidence. However, these texts do not go beyond five matters or conditions.
Either there is no indication in them at all regarding this, or there is no indication in them at all regarding this issue. For example, some of them say that this is contradicted by the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:48], which includes the one who abandons prayer. We say that the one who abandons prayer, according to the apparent meaning of the hadith of Jabir narrated by Muslim, is one who associates partners with Allah, even if he does not prostrate to an idol, because he follows his own desires. And Allah the Exalted said:
Then, even if we assume that the implication of the verse is that what is less than shirk is subject to Allah’s will, this implication is restricted by the hadiths indicating that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. If the explicit text, which is a stronger indication than the implication, has its generality restricted by what indicates the restriction, what can be said about the implication?
Or they cited hadiths that are restricted by conditions that make it impossible for one who possesses them to abandon prayer. For example, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 3:173. Their statement that he seeks thereby the Face of Allah absolutely prevents a person from abandoning prayer. Because whoever says "There is no god but Allah" seeking thereby the Face of Allah must perform an action for what he seeks, which is the Face of Allah. And the greatest action by which the pleasure of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is attained is prayer. So this hadith contains no evidence that the one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever, because it is restricted by a condition that makes it absolutely impossible for a person to abandon prayer.
Or it is restricted by a state in which one is excused for abandoning prayer, such as the hadith of Hudhayfah, which was narrated by the compilers of the Sunan, concerning people who do not know of Islam except the saying "There is no god but Allah." Islam has been erased, may Allah protect us, and they do not know anything of it except the saying "There is no god but Allah." It saves them from the Fire because they are excused due to their lack of knowledge of the obligations of Islam. We say the same: if a group of people in a remote desert, far from cities and far from knowledge, do not understand of Islam except "There is no god but Allah," and they die upon that, they are not disbelievers.
The fourth is that they cited general hadiths. These general hadiths are subject to the rule in the principles of jurisprudence that the general is restricted by the specific. We say that the general hadiths indicating that whoever says "There is no god but Allah" is in Paradise, and similar to that, are restricted or specified by the hadiths concerning the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
The fifth is weak hadiths. They cited weak hadiths as evidence, which cannot withstand the authentic hadiths indicating the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer, let alone contradict them. They neither contradict nor withstand the hadiths indicating the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
Then, some of them, when they were unable to establish evidence that the one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever, said that the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 82b is to be understood as minor disbelief and minor shirk. This would mean it is in the sense of the saying of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "a disbelief less than disbelief". It is asked: what obligates us to understand the hadith in that way? Because when disbelief is mentioned without a contradicting factor, it is the true, major disbelief. How is it when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , thereby establishing a dividing line? "between" The word "between" implies that the two things are separated from each other, and that the intended meaning of disbelief is major disbelief. In that case, the evidence for the position that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever is decisive, with no contradiction or opposition to it. It is obligatory for the believing servant, when the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) indicate a ruling, to affirm it. Because we are not legislators; the Legislator is Allah. What Allah said and what His Messenger said is the Shari'ah. We take it, judge by its requirements, and believe in it, whether it agrees with our desires or contradicts our desires. We must take what the Shari'ah indicates.
Know that every disagreement that occurs among the community, if the motivation behind it is good intention along with exertion in seeking the truth, then its holder is not blamed for it and is not declared an innovator, because he is a scholar exercising independent legal reasoning. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:. It is not the right of a person to disparage his brother if he disagrees with him based on the evidence he has. As for the one who is stubborn and persists after the proof has been established against him, that is the one who is blamed.
We mentioned in the previous lesson the rulings that follow from abandoning prayer, and that they are exactly the rulings that follow from apostasy, because abandoning prayer is apostasy. Among these is what was previously mentioned: that his marriage is not valid, and that if he abandons prayer during his marriage, his marriage contract is annulled.
For example, a man marries a woman, and she prays and he prays. Then he abandons prayer. We say that it is obligatory to separate him from the woman, obligatorily, until he prays. If we separate them and she completes the waiting period, he cannot return to her; he cannot return. However, before the end of the waiting period, if he embraces Islam and returns to Islam and prays, she is his wife. But if the waiting period ends, she is separated from him and is not lawful for him except with a new contract, according to the majority of the scholars. Some of them say that if the waiting period ends, she has control over herself, but if he embraces Islam and she wants to return to him, there is no harm without a contract. This is the stronger position due to the indication of the Sunnah. However, the benefit of the waiting period is that before the waiting period, she has no choice if he embraces Islam. And after the waiting period, she has the choice if he embraces Islam: if she wishes, she returns to him, and if she wishes, she does not return.
Also among these is that he has no guardianship over anyone he would guard if he were a Muslim, because one of the conditions of guardianship is righteousness, and disbelief does not contain righteousness. So the one who abandons prayer is never a guardian over any of the Muslim servants of Allah, even if it is his daughter. He does not marry her off because he has no guardianship over her.
Also among these is that he is not washed, not shrouded, not prayed over, and not buried with the Muslims. Rather, he is taken out to the open land, and a hole is dug for him in which he is buried without a grave, because he has no sanctity. It is not permissible for anyone, if a person dies in his presence and he knows that he does not pray, to wash him or shroud him or present him to the Muslims to pray over him, because by doing so, he would be deceiving the Muslims. As for the disbeliever, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hypocrites, who are disbelievers but they display Islam: He said:[At-Tawbah 9:84]. This indicates that disbelief is a barrier to prayer and to standing over the grave after burial. And He the Exalted said: [At-Tawbah 9:113]
Some people ask about a man suspected of abandoning prayer who dies and is presented for the funeral prayer, and you are in doubt whether he prays or not. We say: if this doubt is based on a foundation, then if you want to make supplication for him, you say: "O Allah, if he was a believer, forgive him and have mercy on him". You restrict it with this, and by doing so, you are safe from his evil.
With this explanation, we know that it is necessary to be completely cautious of being negligent with prayer. And it is necessary for one who sees a person being negligent with it to advise him with determination and effort, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through his hand, and he will thereby attain much good. And success is from Allah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows:
We are still in the explanation of the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Either there is no indication in them at all regarding this, or there is no indication in them at all regarding this issue. For example, some of them say that this is contradicted by the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, 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 يشاءHave you seen the one who took his desire as his god and led him astray with knowledge?
أفرأيت من اتخذ إلهه هواه وأضله الله على علمThen, even if we assume that the implication of the verse is that what is less than shirk is subject to Allah’s will, this implication is restricted by the hadiths indicating that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. If the explicit text, which is a stronger indication than the implication, has its generality restricted by what indicates the restriction, what can be said about the implication?
Or they cited hadiths that are restricted by conditions that make it impossible for one who possesses them to abandon prayer. For example, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Indeed, Allah has forbidden the Fire for whoever says there is no god but Allah, seeking thereby the Face of Allah
إن الله حرم على النار من قال لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه اللهOr it is restricted by a state in which one is excused for abandoning prayer, such as the hadith of Hudhayfah, which was narrated by the compilers of the Sunan, concerning people who do not know of Islam except the saying "There is no god but Allah." Islam has been erased, may Allah protect us, and they do not know anything of it except the saying "There is no god but Allah." It saves them from the Fire because they are excused due to their lack of knowledge of the obligations of Islam. We say the same: if a group of people in a remote desert, far from cities and far from knowledge, do not understand of Islam except "There is no god but Allah," and they die upon that, they are not disbelievers.
The fourth is that they cited general hadiths. These general hadiths are subject to the rule in the principles of jurisprudence that the general is restricted by the specific. We say that the general hadiths indicating that whoever says "There is no god but Allah" is in Paradise, and similar to that, are restricted or specified by the hadiths concerning the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
The fifth is weak hadiths. They cited weak hadiths as evidence, which cannot withstand the authentic hadiths indicating the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer, let alone contradict them. They neither contradict nor withstand the hadiths indicating the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
Then, some of them, when they were unable to establish evidence that the one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever, said that the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat.
بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاةbetween a man and disbelief and shirk
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشركKnow that every disagreement that occurs among the community, if the motivation behind it is good intention along with exertion in seeking the truth, then its holder is not blamed for it and is not declared an innovator, because he is a scholar exercising independent legal reasoning. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If the judge rules and exerts effort and makes a mistake, he has one reward. And if he exerts effort and is correct, he has two rewards.
إذا حكم الحاكم فاجتهد فأخطأ فله أجر وإن اجتهد فأصاب فله أجرانWe mentioned in the previous lesson the rulings that follow from abandoning prayer, and that they are exactly the rulings that follow from apostasy, because abandoning prayer is apostasy. Among these is what was previously mentioned: that his marriage is not valid, and that if he abandons prayer during his marriage, his marriage contract is annulled.
For example, a man marries a woman, and she prays and he prays. Then he abandons prayer. We say that it is obligatory to separate him from the woman, obligatorily, until he prays. If we separate them and she completes the waiting period, he cannot return to her; he cannot return. However, before the end of the waiting period, if he embraces Islam and returns to Islam and prays, she is his wife. But if the waiting period ends, she is separated from him and is not lawful for him except with a new contract, according to the majority of the scholars. Some of them say that if the waiting period ends, she has control over herself, but if he embraces Islam and she wants to return to him, there is no harm without a contract. This is the stronger position due to the indication of the Sunnah. However, the benefit of the waiting period is that before the waiting period, she has no choice if he embraces Islam. And after the waiting period, she has the choice if he embraces Islam: if she wishes, she returns to him, and if she wishes, she does not return.
Also among these is that he has no guardianship over anyone he would guard if he were a Muslim, because one of the conditions of guardianship is righteousness, and disbelief does not contain righteousness. So the one who abandons prayer is never a guardian over any of the Muslim servants of Allah, even if it is his daughter. He does not marry her off because he has no guardianship over her.
Also among these is that he is not washed, not shrouded, not prayed over, and not buried with the Muslims. Rather, he is taken out to the open land, and a hole is dug for him in which he is buried without a grave, because he has no sanctity. It is not permissible for anyone, if a person dies in his presence and he knows that he does not pray, to wash him or shroud him or present him to the Muslims to pray over him, because by doing so, he would be deceiving the Muslims. As for the disbeliever, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hypocrites, who are disbelievers but they display Islam: He said:
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah
ولا تصل على أحد منهم مات أبدا ولا تقم على قبره إنهم كفروا باللهIt is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
ما كان للنبي والذين آمنوا أن يستغفروا للمشركين ولو كانوا أولي قربى من بعد ما تبين لهم أنهم أصحاب الجحيمSome people ask about a man suspected of abandoning prayer who dies and is presented for the funeral prayer, and you are in doubt whether he prays or not. We say: if this doubt is based on a foundation, then if you want to make supplication for him, you say: "O Allah, if he was a believer, forgive him and have mercy on him". You restrict it with this, and by doing so, you are safe from his evil.
With this explanation, we know that it is necessary to be completely cautious of being negligent with prayer. And it is necessary for one who sees a person being negligent with it to advise him with determination and effort, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through his hand, and he will thereby attain much good. And success is from Allah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows:
We are still in the explanation of the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).