How to Deal with a Brother Who Abandons Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The listener (Bashir H. H.) from Libya sent a message containing a number of questions, some of which we addressed in previous episodes. In this episode, he asks and says: My younger brother, who is an adult, abandons prayer; he does not pray except for the Friday prayer. I have advised him, but to no avail. What should I do regarding him? I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to advise him, to repeat this, and to be earnest in it, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. Do not be weary, and do not despair; for the Muslim has a duty to advise others and to guide them. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Surah al-Nahl: 125]. And He says, Glorified is He: [Surah Fussilat: 33].
So, be kind to him through advice, and strive hard. Let this be done with sincerity and care. Make it clear to him that abandoning prayer is disbelief, and that it is misguidance. It is obligatory for every person of legal capacity to fear Allah and to perform prayer if he claims to be a Muslim; otherwise, his claim to Islam is not valid. For his Islam without prayer is not Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam).
So, it is obligatory for your brother to fear Allah and to pray. And it is upon you to advise him frequently and to convey this to him often, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. If he persists and does not care, then you must boycott him if you see that boycotting is better. If you see that not boycotting is better, and that you should continue with him in calling and guiding, while disliking his action and showing dislike and anger at his action, then perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. And if you see that boycotting him and staying away from him is better, because he did not comply and did not accept the advice, and you hope that this boycotting will have an effect on him, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through that, then boycott him. For boycotting that is beneficial is required and prescribed. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
The listener (Bashir H. H.) from Libya sent a message containing a number of questions, some of which we addressed in previous episodes. In this episode, he asks and says: My younger brother, who is an adult, abandons prayer; he does not pray except for the Friday prayer. I have advised him, but to no avail. What should I do regarding him? I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to advise him, to repeat this, and to be earnest in it, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. Do not be weary, and do not despair; for the Muslim has a duty to advise others and to guide them. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُAnd who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims."
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَSo, be kind to him through advice, and strive hard. Let this be done with sincerity and care. Make it clear to him that abandoning prayer is disbelief, and that it is misguidance. It is obligatory for every person of legal capacity to fear Allah and to perform prayer if he claims to be a Muslim; otherwise, his claim to Islam is not valid. For his Islam without prayer is not Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة، فمَن تركها؛ فقد كفرSo, it is obligatory for your brother to fear Allah and to pray. And it is upon you to advise him frequently and to convey this to him often, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. If he persists and does not care, then you must boycott him if you see that boycotting is better. If you see that not boycotting is better, and that you should continue with him in calling and guiding, while disliking his action and showing dislike and anger at his action, then perhaps Allah will guide him through your means. And if you see that boycotting him and staying away from him is better, because he did not comply and did not accept the advice, and you hope that this boycotting will have an effect on him, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through that, then boycott him. For boycotting that is beneficial is required and prescribed. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.