The Ruling on the One Who Abandons Prayer and How to Deal with Him

Question:
He says: I am suffering from a problem that perhaps many people suffer from, which is that most of my friends, and those I associate with at school, and sometimes at home, do not perform the prayer. I often hear on your program that the one who does not pray is considered a disbeliever, so one should not greet him, and so on. I have advised them, but to no avail, even though they are of high character, and their treatment of me and others is entirely good. I have seen nothing from them but good, except for what I mentioned. Please advise me in this matter which has long troubled me. What is your advice for the one who abandons prayer, and what should I do with them? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It is obligatory to advise the one known for abandoning prayer and warn him of the consequences of that; because abandoning prayer is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), even if he does not deny its obligation, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): These great hadiths indicate that the one who abandons it becomes a disbeliever, even if he does not deny its obligation.
As for if he denies its obligation; then he is a disbeliever according to all scholars—we ask Allah for safety. And Allah says (Exalted and Majestic is He) in His great Book: [al-Baqarah:238] And He says (Glorified is He): [al-Baqarah:43] And He says : al-ladhina hum fi salatihim khashi'un [al-Mu'minun:1-2] until He says (Glorified is He): ula'ika hum al-warithun al-ladhina yarithuna al-firdaws hum fiha khalidun [al-Mu'minun:6-11].
This is a great blessing and a great favor for the one who maintains the prayer that he will be among the people of al-Firdaus, among the people of the highest part of Paradise. Al-Firdaus is the highest, the middle, and the best part of Paradise. So whoever adopts these morals that Allah mentioned in the Surah al-Mu'minun in His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He): al-ladhina hum fi salatihim khashi'un wa al-ladhina hum 'ani al-laghw mu'riddun wa al-ladhina hum li al-zakah fa'ilun wa al-ladhina hum li furujihim hafizun illa 'ala azwajihim aw ma malakat aymanuhum fa innahum ghayru malumin fa mani btagha wara' dhalika fa ula'ika hum al-'adun wa al-ladhina hum li amanatihim wa 'ahdihim ra'un wa al-ladhina hum 'ala salawatihim yuhafizun ula'ika hum al-warithun al-ladhina yarithuna al-firdaws hum fiha khalidun [al-Mu'minun:1-11].
These are great attributes. Whoever maintains them becomes among the people of al-Firdaus, and the greatest of them is the prayer. And He said in the Surah al-Ma'arij: idha massahu al-sharru jazu'an wa idha massahu al-khayru manu'an illa al-musallin al-ladhina hum 'ala salatihim da'imun wa al-ladhina fi amwalihim haqqun ma'lum li al-sa'ili wa al-mahrum wa al-ladhina yusaddiquuna bi yawm al-din wa al-ladhina hum min 'adhabi rabbihim mushfiqun inna 'adhaba rabbihim ghayru ma'mun wa al-ladhina hum li furujihim hafizun illa 'ala azwajihim aw ma malakat aymanuhum fa innahum ghayru malumin fa mani btagha wara' dhalika fa ula'ika hum al-'adun wa al-ladhina hum li amanatihim wa 'ahdihim ra'un wa al-ladhina hum bi shahadatihim qaimun wa al-ladhina hum 'ala salawatihim yuhafizun ula'ika fi jannatin mukramun [al-Ma'arij:19-35] This is the description of the righteous, this is the description of the people of happiness, and at their head are those who maintain the prayers.
And maintaining the prayer is among the causes of steadfastness. Indeed, whoever maintains it preserves his religion, and whoever neglects it is more neglectful of what is besides it.
Na'if, the freed slave of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), said: meaning: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), the Commander of the Faithful, used to write to his governors, and say, meaning: to his emirs—he would write to them—and say: "The most important of your matters to me is the prayer. Whoever preserves it preserves his religion, and whoever neglects it is more neglectful of what is besides it".
So the one who does not pray; he must be boycotted. If you do not find that advice works with him; he must be boycotted. Do not greet him, do not respond to his invitation, do not invite him to a wedding feast, or to anything else; because he has committed a great evil and an open disbelief. We ask Allah for safety.
And it is obligatory to refer his case to the authorities so that he is called to repent. If he repents, otherwise he is killed. For his matter is great and dangerous, and he also drags others to do like his action. He drags his colleagues and companions to do like his action.
So it is obligatory to advise him sincerely, and for his relatives, companions, and colleagues to deny his action clearly, with severe denial, until he knows the danger of what he is upon, and until he knows the ugliness of what he has done, and until he knows that he has committed an open disbelief and a great evil; perhaps he will respond, perhaps he will be guided. If he refuses; it is obligatory to boycott him and refer his case to the authorities so that he is called to repent. If he repents, otherwise he is killed as a disbeliever, according to the correct opinion, even if he does not deny the obligation. As for if he denies its obligation; then he becomes a disbeliever who has apostatized from Islam according to all scholars. We ask Allah for safety.
And the general rule is that the one who does not pray, does not care, and does not take the prayer seriously, the general rule for him is that he does not acknowledge the obligation, does not care about its obligation, and does not take its obligation seriously. So his action indicates that he is a denier.
So it is obligatory for all Muslims to pay attention to this matter, and to deny the action of the one who lags behind in prayer, and to make clear to him the danger of what he has done and the ugliness of what he has done; perhaps he will be guided; perhaps he will return to the right path. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and benefit us with your knowledge.