The Ruling on One Who Does Not Pray Except in Ramadan
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Question:
A listener sent a question saying: What is the ruling in Islam regarding a man who prays in Ramadan and fasts, but does not pray on the rest of the days despite being repeatedly advised?
Answer:
One who does not pray except in Ramadan is a disbeliever, or one who does not pray except on Friday only is a disbeliever, until he prays all of them; because prayer is the pillar of Islam, and it is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman. So the one who leaves it except in Ramadan, or except on Friday; this is a disbeliever. He must be called to repent, and it is obligatory upon the one in authority to call him to repent, meaning: the ruler, or the court. If he repents, otherwise he is killed. He is killed as a disbeliever; this is the correct opinion of the scholars.
And some of them said: He is killed, but he is only declared a disbeliever if he denies the obligation. As for if he does not deny it, then he is called to repent. If he repents, otherwise he is killed, but he is killed as a hadd (fixed punishment), not for disbelief.
And the correct view is that he is killed for disbelief. As for the killing, he is killed in any case, if he does not repent, he is killed in any case by the one in authority, even if he did not deny the obligation. But the correct view is that he is a disbeliever as well, even if he did not deny the obligation; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in the Sahih. And he said (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) And this includes the one who leaves it while denying it, or the one who leaves it out of negligence, and it includes both men and women.
So it is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman to preserve the prayer at its time, and to beware of leaving it. So if he prays Maghrib, Zuhr, Asr, and Isha, but leaves Fajr; he is a disbeliever, until he prays all of them. Or if he prays all of them but leaves Friday; he is a disbeliever until he prays all of them. He must pray all of them. This is the correct view held by the meticulous scholars of knowledge; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And this includes one, two, three, and more.
So it is obligatory... for the one who left that to repent to Allah. He should repent to Allah, and he should abandon it, and he should turn to a sincere and pure repentance. He is not required to make up what was missed. With repentance, Allah forgives what was missed, and Allah pardons what was missed if he repents with a sincere and pure repentance; due to His saying -Exalted and Majestic is He- in His great Book: [Al-Anfal: 38] And due to His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Tahrim: 8] And His saying -Exalted and Majestic is He-: [An-Nur: 31] And this is a great calamity that many people have fallen into. Negligence regarding prayer, many people have fallen into it, from men and women.
So it is obligatory to beware, and it is obligatory to repent to Allah from that, and that a person should not be deceived by the saying of some people: that he is not a disbeliever. Even if he is not a disbeliever, it is a great sin, greater than zina, and greater than sodomy, and greater than intoxicants. Even if he is not a disbeliever according to the opinion of the others, it is greater than zina. Leaving prayer is greater than zina, and greater than drinking intoxicants, and greater than sodomy. The greatest of the major sins, from the greatest of the major sins is leaving prayer. After disbelief in Allah and associating partners with Allah, there is nothing but leaving prayer.
And the correct view: that it is also disbelief in Allah, and that it is major shirk -we ask Allah for safety- because it is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Mishkat al-Masabih 578 We ask Allah for safety..
And he said (peace and blessings be upon him) And he said (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) And 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the Commander of the Faithful used to write to his governors, and say: Muwatta Malik 1:6 We ask Allah for safety. And he said (may Allah be pleased with him) : Muwatta Malik 2:52 We ask Allah for safety. Yes.
The presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
A listener sent a question saying: What is the ruling in Islam regarding a man who prays in Ramadan and fasts, but does not pray on the rest of the days despite being repeatedly advised?
Answer:
One who does not pray except in Ramadan is a disbeliever, or one who does not pray except on Friday only is a disbeliever, until he prays all of them; because prayer is the pillar of Islam, and it is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman. So the one who leaves it except in Ramadan, or except on Friday; this is a disbeliever. He must be called to repent, and it is obligatory upon the one in authority to call him to repent, meaning: the ruler, or the court. If he repents, otherwise he is killed. He is killed as a disbeliever; this is the correct opinion of the scholars.
And some of them said: He is killed, but he is only declared a disbeliever if he denies the obligation. As for if he does not deny it, then he is called to repent. If he repents, otherwise he is killed, but he is killed as a hadd (fixed punishment), not for disbelief.
And the correct view is that he is killed for disbelief. As for the killing, he is killed in any case, if he does not repent, he is killed in any case by the one in authority, even if he did not deny the obligation. But the correct view is that he is a disbeliever as well, even if he did not deny the obligation; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
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، فمن تركها؛ فقد كفرSo it is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman to preserve the prayer at its time, and to beware of leaving it. So if he prays Maghrib, Zuhr, Asr, and Isha, but leaves Fajr; he is a disbeliever, until he prays all of them. Or if he prays all of them but leaves Friday; he is a disbeliever until he prays all of them. He must pray all of them. This is the correct view held by the meticulous scholars of knowledge; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل، وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةSo it is obligatory... for the one who left that to repent to Allah. He should repent to Allah, and he should abandon it, and he should turn to a sincere and pure repentance. He is not required to make up what was missed. With repentance, Allah forgives what was missed, and Allah pardons what was missed if he repents with a sincere and pure repentance; due to His saying -Exalted and Majestic is He- in His great Book:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَO you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًاAnd turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَSo it is obligatory to beware, and it is obligatory to repent to Allah from that, and that a person should not be deceived by the saying of some people: that he is not a disbeliever. Even if he is not a disbeliever, it is a great sin, greater than zina, and greater than sodomy, and greater than intoxicants. Even if he is not a disbeliever according to the opinion of the others, it is greater than zina. Leaving prayer is greater than zina, and greater than drinking intoxicants, and greater than sodomy. The greatest of the major sins, from the greatest of the major sins is leaving prayer. After disbelief in Allah and associating partners with Allah, there is nothing but leaving prayer.
And the correct view: that it is also disbelief in Allah, and that it is major shirk -we ask Allah for safety- because it is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence and salvation for him on the day of resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation, and on the day of resurrection he will be associated with Qarun, Pharaoh, Haman, 1 and Ubayy b. Khalaf
من حفظها؛ كانت له نورًا وبرهانًا ونجاة يوم القيامة، ومن لم يحافظ عليها؛ لم يكن له نور ولا برهان ولا نجاة، وحشر يوم القيامة مع فرعون وهامان وقارون، وأبي بن خلفAnd he said (peace and blessings be upon him)
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 الصلاةـ فمن تركها؛ فقد كفرThe most important of your affairs in my view is the prayer. Whoever protects it and observes it carefully is protecting his deen, while whoever is negligent about it will be even more negligent about other things.
إن أهم أمركم عندي الصلاة، فمن حفظها؛ فقد حفظ دينه، ومنن ضيعها؛ فهو لما سواها أضيعWhoever stops doing the prayer will get nothing from Islam
لا حظ في الإسلام لمن ترك الصلاةThe presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.