What is the stronger position regarding the ruling on the one who abandons prayer?

Question:
With Allah’s blessing, we begin this session with a question from your brother in Allah, Abdul Ghani. He asks in this question: What is the ruling on the one who abandons prayer? We hear some people say: He is a disbeliever, and some say: He is not a disbeliever as long as he pronounces the two testimonies. The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) says: Some of the imams say regarding this hadith: They are the disbelievers in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who were in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, but now, whoever pronounces the two testimonies is a Muslim. So guide us in light of that, Your Eminence the Shaykh?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
This issue that the questioner asked about is one in which the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed, with two positions:
One of them is: That the one who abandons prayer, even if he does not deny its obligation, becomes a disbeliever, even if it is just one prayer, if he abandons it until its time passes; he becomes a disbeliever. So, if one intentionally abandons the Fajr prayer until the sun rises, or intentionally abandons the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets, or intentionally abandons the Maghrib prayer until the twilight disappears; he becomes a disbeliever because of the mentioned hadith, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): It was narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan with a valid chain from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him); and because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both); and because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): It was narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih; and because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): .
So prayer is the pillar of Islam, and the one who abandons it is like the one who abandons the two testimonies. This is the preferred position, and it is the most correct.
And some of the people of knowledge, who are the majority, held the view that it is disbelief less than disbelief; he becomes a disbeliever, but it is disbelief less than disbelief, which does not take him out of the religion. He becomes a sinner, but his sin is greater than that of the fornicator, greater than that of the thief, and greater than that of the drinker of intoxicants. It is a great sin, but he does not become a disbeliever with major shirk if he does not deny its obligation, if he acknowledges that it is obligatory, but his laziness leads him to abandon it; this, according to the majority, does not make him a disbeliever with major shirk, but rather minor shirk. And it is obligatory to call him to repent, so if he repents; otherwise, he is killed.
The correct view is the first one; the correct view is that his disbelief is major shirk because of the mentioned hadiths. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.