The ruling on one who abandons prayer on the pretext of committing sins
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Question:
Most young people, when I advise them to pray, say: We cannot pray because we look at women, especially those who display their adornment. Does looking prevent prayer or invalidate it?
Answer:
This is a false excuse. It is obligatory for them to pray with the Muslims and to maintain what Allah has made obligatory upon them, namely prayer and lowering the gaze. Prayer in congregation in the mosques is an obligation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 2:308.
It is the pillar of Islam, and it is obligatory for the Muslim to perform it if he is accountable. Abandoning it is disbelief in Allah and misguidance. Seeing women in the street, or if they are praying in the mosque, is not an excuse for abandoning prayer or abandoning the congregation; rather, this is an error and an evil, and it is excusing an evil with an evil, which is abandoning prayer—may Allah grant us safety.
It is obligatory for the Muslim to lower his gaze and to fear Allah by lowering his gaze in the markets and in every place. It is not an excuse for him that he encounters women in the street while going to pray; rather, if he encounters women in the street while going to pray, he lowers his gaze and strives against his self. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Nur: 30]. The Muslim lowers his gaze to fear Allah, to protect his private parts, and to perform what Allah has made obligatory upon him of prayer in the mosques of Allah with the Muslims. He fears Allah and hopes for His reward. He said, the Exalted: [al-Nur: 36]. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:308. And he said regarding the matter of prayer and its greatness: Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam), narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan with a sound chain. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih.
There are other hadiths in it indicating the greatness of its status. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2616Hasan (Darussalam). And he (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to burn down the houses of those who lag behind—those who lag behind in the congregational prayer.
Therefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to fear Allah, to maintain prayer at its times, and to beware of lagging behind it, for lagging behind it is among the characteristics of the people of hypocrisy, among the characteristics of the disbelievers, and among the causes of entering the Fire. Allah the Exalted said in His great Book regarding the disbelievers:[Al-Muddaththir 74:42] They said, "We were not among those who prayed" [al-Muddaththir: 42-43]. So they answered that they entered the Fire because they were not among those who prayed—may Allah grant us safety.
So the believer fears Allah in everything; he lowers his gaze, protects his private parts, and protects his limbs from what Allah has forbidden. He performs what Allah has made obligatory of prayer, zakah, dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, and other things. He combines this with that. This abode is the abode of action and the abode of accountability, the abode of trial and examination.
So it is obligatory for every Muslim and every Muslim woman to fear Allah, to maintain what Allah has made obligatory, to stay away from the prohibitions of Allah, and to stand by the limits of Allah. He hopes for the reward of Allah and fears His punishment; for this He created them. He said, the Exalted: [al-Dhariyat: 56]. And this worship is prayer, zakah, fasting, Hajj, jihad, enjoining good and forbidding evil, calling to Allah, dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, and other than this of what Allah has prescribed. And likewise, abandoning the prohibitions that Allah has forbidden upon His servants, abandoning them in obedience to Allah and exalting Him, is among the greatest of the means of nearness.
Most young people, when I advise them to pray, say: We cannot pray because we look at women, especially those who display their adornment. Does looking prevent prayer or invalidate it?
Answer:
This is a false excuse. It is obligatory for them to pray with the Muslims and to maintain what Allah has made obligatory upon them, namely prayer and lowering the gaze. Prayer in congregation in the mosques is an obligation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يأت فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرIt is the pillar of Islam, and it is obligatory for the Muslim to perform it if he is accountable. Abandoning it is disbelief in Allah and misguidance. Seeing women in the street, or if they are praying in the mosque, is not an excuse for abandoning prayer or abandoning the congregation; rather, this is an error and an evil, and it is excusing an evil with an evil, which is abandoning prayer—may Allah grant us safety.
It is obligatory for the Muslim to lower his gaze and to fear Allah by lowering his gaze in the markets and in every place. It is not an excuse for him that he encounters women in the street while going to pray; rather, if he encounters women in the street while going to pray, he lowers his gaze and strives against his self. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَin mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُWhoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يأت فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفرBetween a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةThere are other hadiths in it indicating the greatness of its status. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat
رأس الأمر الإسلام وعموده الصلاةTherefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to fear Allah, to maintain prayer at its times, and to beware of lagging behind it, for lagging behind it is among the characteristics of the people of hypocrisy, among the characteristics of the disbelievers, and among the causes of entering the Fire. Allah the Exalted said in His great Book regarding the disbelievers:
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ So the believer fears Allah in everything; he lowers his gaze, protects his private parts, and protects his limbs from what Allah has forbidden. He performs what Allah has made obligatory of prayer, zakah, dutifulness to parents, maintaining family ties, and other things. He combines this with that. This abode is the abode of action and the abode of accountability, the abode of trial and examination.
So it is obligatory for every Muslim and every Muslim woman to fear Allah, to maintain what Allah has made obligatory, to stay away from the prohibitions of Allah, and to stand by the limits of Allah. He hopes for the reward of Allah and fears His punishment; for this He created them. He said, the Exalted:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.