The ruling on one who does not pray except rarely
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Q: One of my relatives is a man of advanced age who does not pray. I have advised him, and many others have advised him as well, but he is extremely negligent regarding the prayer and does not pray except rarely. Sometimes he only prays during Ramadan or on Fridays. How should I deal with him? If I find him in a gathering, should I greet him with the salam, or should I cut off relations with him? Please advise us, may Allah preserve you.
A: Deliberately abandoning the prayer is major shirk (associating partners with Allah); because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 82b which Muslim recorded in his Sahih, and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) which Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan recorded with a sound chain, and there are many hadiths to this effect.
It is obligatory to advise the person mentioned and to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah to him. If he persists in abandoning the prayer, it becomes obligatory to boycott him, refrain from greeting him with the salam, not respond to his invitations, and refer his case to the one in authority so that he may be called to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him; because Allah the Exalted said: [Surah al-Tawbah: 5].
This indicates that one who does not establish the prayer is not to be left alone, and the evidence for this is abundant.
We ask Allah for guidance for the person mentioned.
A: Deliberately abandoning the prayer is major shirk (associating partners with Allah); because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat.
بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاةThe 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 كفرIt is obligatory to advise the person mentioned and to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah to him. If he persists in abandoning the prayer, it becomes obligatory to boycott him, refrain from greeting him with the salam, not respond to his invitations, and refer his case to the one in authority so that he may be called to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him; because Allah the Exalted said:
But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way
فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْThis indicates that one who does not establish the prayer is not to be left alone, and the evidence for this is abundant.
We ask Allah for guidance for the person mentioned.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.