The Ruling on Financial Maintenance for a Woman Who Does Not Pray or Fast

The following message was received by the program from one of the listening brothers. He says: I am Abdullah Ibrahim from the Yemen Arab Republic, residing in the Kingdom in Wadi Fatimah—Al-Jumum. I am one of the listeners of the program, and it has benefited me greatly in matters of my religion and worldly affairs. I have some questions, one of which is: Is it permissible to provide financial maintenance for a woman who does not pray or fast, whether she is a relative or not?
Answer: She must be called to Allah, taught, advised, and directed toward good; because abandoning prayer is a great crime, indeed it is disbelief in Allah, may Allah protect us from that. It is obligatory for her guardian, such as her father, brother, uncle, or the like, to teach her, guide her, and explain the rulings to her until she prays. As for providing financial maintenance for her, she should be maintained if she is poor, in the hope that Allah will guide her so that she may find the right path, or she may be killed. If she does not find the right path, her case is referred to the court, and the court asks her to repent. If she repents, well and good; otherwise, she is killed.
Because abandoning prayer is a great crime that necessitates the killing of one who does not repent, and despite this, he is ruled to be a disbeliever according to the most correct opinion of the scholars, even if he does not deny its obligation.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the guardians of this woman to advise her, admonish her, and remind her. There is no harm in her father or her eldest brother disciplining her if he is able to do so, in the hope that she may straighten her path and repent. If she persists, her case is referred to the court, and it is obligatory for the judge to ask her to repent and give her a three-day respite. If she repents, well and good; otherwise, she must be killed if she is of legal age and has reached puberty. This is based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted: [At-Tawbah: 5], which indicates that one who does not establish prayer is not left alone. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This indicates that one who does not pray is killed so that people may be relieved of his evil, and so that he does not lead others to this crime. But this is after asking for repentance, after he is given three days to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is killed. He is imprisoned and his conditions are made difficult in the hope that he will repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is killed as a disbeliever. This is the correct position, even if he does not deny the obligation of prayer. He is not washed, no funeral prayer is performed for him, and he is not buried in the graves of Muslims. If he has wealth, his wealth belongs to the public treasury as a war spoil, and his Muslim relatives do not inherit it. We ask Allah for guidance for all of us, and there is no power or strength except with Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and benefit us with your knowledge.