The Ruling on Eating from the Slaughter of One Who Deliberately Abandons Prayer

Q : Is it permissible to eat from the slaughter of one who deliberately abandons prayer? Knowing that if he is informed of this, he argues that he used to pronounce the testimony of faith. How should one act if no butcher who prays is available?

A: The one who does not pray, his slaughter is not to be eaten; this is the correct view. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, from Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both). And the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the four Sunan collections with a sound chain from the hadith of Buraydah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him). And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi with a sound chain, from Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him). So whatever loses its pillar does not stand and does not remain, and when the pillar falls, what is upon it falls.
And by this it is known that the one who does not pray has no religion, and his slaughter is not to be eaten. If you are in a country where there is no Muslim butcher, slaughter for yourself, and use your hand in what benefits you, or seek a Muslim butcher, even in his home, to slaughter for you. And this, with the praise of Allah, is easy, so you have no right to be lenient in this matter.
And you must advise this man to fear Allah and to pray. His saying that he is content with the two testimonies is a great error, for the two testimonies must be accompanied by their rights. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): agreed upon as authentic.
So he mentioned prayer and zakah along with the two testimonies, and in the other wording: and prayer is part of its right, and zakah is part of its right.
So it is obligatory for the believer to fear Allah, and it is obligatory for everyone who claims to be a Muslim to fear Allah, to pray the five prayers, and to preserve them. They are the pillar of Islam, and they are the greatest pillar of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies. Whoever neglects them neglects his religion, and whoever abandons them exits from his religion. We ask Allah for safety.
This is the truth and the correct view. Some scholars said: He does not become a disbeliever with major shirk, but rather his disbelief is minor shirk, and he is a sinner committing a great sin, greater than zina, greater than theft, and greater than drinking intoxicants. And he does not become a disbeliever with major shirk unless he denies its obligation. This is what a group of scholars said. But the correct view is: what the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates, that such a person becomes a disbeliever with major shirk, as mentioned in the preceding hadiths regarding this; because he neglected the pillar of Islam, which is prayer.
So it is not permissible to be lenient in this matter. And Abdullah ibn Shaqiq al-Aqili, the noble Tabi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), said: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider anything that if abandoned would be disbelief except prayer.
So he mentioned the consensus of the Companions that in their view, the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. We ask Allah for safety.
So it is obligatory to be cautious, and it is obligatory to preserve this great obligation and not to be lenient with the one who abandons it. So his slaughter is not to be eaten, he is not to be invited to a wedding feast, and his invitation is not to be accepted; rather, he is to be boycotted until he repents to Allah and until he prays. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.