Ruling on a woman remaining with a husband who prays only occasionally
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The first message in this episode was sent to the program from Bahrain, signed by one of the female listeners, Bint al-Thahmaji. She states in her case: I married a committed man, but his worldly and religious behavior changed. He shaved his beard, smoked, and consumed intoxicants, to the point that he seeks employment even if it is not honorable. He became lax regarding prayer; sometimes he prays, and other times he does not. When he does pray, he performs it hastily. How should I deal with him, knowing that I have two sons from him, and I am currently staying with my family? Please guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
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 those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It is obligatory for you to leave this husband, go to your family, and file a complaint against him with the court so that they may separate you from him, if he sometimes prays and sometimes does not, in addition to his other defects, such as consuming intoxicants and so on. However, the greatest of these is abandoning prayer, for abandoning it is disbelief, unlike the other matters, which are sins.
It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam).
It is obligatory for you to go to your family until Allah facilitates repentance or separation. Either he repents, or he divorces you. It is not permissible for you to remain with him as long as his situation regarding prayer is as you described.
As for the other sins—if he were praying—they are a defect, and they are an excuse for you to seek divorce, because they are a major defect. His drinking of alcohol is a major defect, along with shaving the beard and smoking. These are defects, but the most severe and greatest of them is abandoning prayer, because it is disbelief according to the most correct opinion of the scholars, even if he does not deny its obligation. Whenever he abandons prayer at times, even if he does not deny its obligation, he commits disbelief by that according to the most correct opinion of the people of knowledge. So we ask Allah for his guidance, and that Allah grant him repentance. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen, and may Allah reward you with good.
The first message in this episode was sent to the program from Bahrain, signed by one of the female listeners, Bint al-Thahmaji. She states in her case: I married a committed man, but his worldly and religious behavior changed. He shaved his beard, smoked, and consumed intoxicants, to the point that he seeks employment even if it is not honorable. He became lax regarding prayer; sometimes he prays, and other times he does not. When he does pray, he performs it hastily. How should I deal with him, knowing that I have two sons from him, and I am currently staying with my family? Please guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
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 those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It is obligatory for you to leave this husband, go to your family, and file a complaint against him with the court so that they may separate you from him, if he sometimes prays and sometimes does not, in addition to his other defects, such as consuming intoxicants and so on. However, the greatest of these is abandoning prayer, for abandoning it is disbelief, unlike the other matters, which are sins.
It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he 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، فمن تركها؛ فقد كفرIt is obligatory for you to go to your family until Allah facilitates repentance or separation. Either he repents, or he divorces you. It is not permissible for you to remain with him as long as his situation regarding prayer is as you described.
As for the other sins—if he were praying—they are a defect, and they are an excuse for you to seek divorce, because they are a major defect. His drinking of alcohol is a major defect, along with shaving the beard and smoking. These are defects, but the most severe and greatest of them is abandoning prayer, because it is disbelief according to the most correct opinion of the scholars, even if he does not deny its obligation. Whenever he abandons prayer at times, even if he does not deny its obligation, he commits disbelief by that according to the most correct opinion of the people of knowledge. So we ask Allah for his guidance, and that Allah grant him repentance. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen, and may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.