The Ruling on Children Boycotting Their Father Who Abandons Prayer
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Question:
A message reached the program from one of the listening brothers from the Eastern Region. He says, "My brother Muhammad has a collection of questions. In one of them, he says: I have a father, but he has never prayed. After we advised him, taught him, boycotted him, spoke to him, and explained to him that the punishment for abandoning prayer is disbelief and severe torment, it was to no avail. If Allah decrees that he dies, is he entitled to inherit from him? Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good."
Answer:
The father has a great right, whether he is a man or a woman, the father and the mother. So it is obligatory to advise, guide, and speak to him kindly, even if he abandons prayer, and even if he is a disbeliever by any type of disbelief. One must be patient, continue advising and directing, and not boycott him. Do not boycott him; it is not permissible for you to boycott him. Allah the Exalted says in His great Book: [Luqman: 15], meaning the parents [Luqman: 15]. He commanded him to treat them with kindness in this world, and not to obey them in disobedience or in disbelief. For this reason, He said after that: [Luqman: 15].
So the point is: It is obligatory for you, O son, to fear Allah, and for you and your brothers, along with the people of good who help you, to advise your father, guide him, and not despair. But do not boycott him, do not harm him, and do not raise your voice at him. Rather, advise him with kind words and a good manner, as you are commanded to do. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-'Ankabut: 8]. And He says (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Luqman: 14]. Then He said after that: [Luqman: 15].
So you are commanded to treat them with kindness, with kind words, but with advice... with guidance... with direction, acting in accordance with the saying of your Lord (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Luqman: 14] and His saying: [Luqman: 15]. Perhaps Allah will guide them through your hands, and you will thereby have great good and a great reward. And Allah (may He be exalted) said: : [Al-Isra 17:23] And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small." [Al-Isra: 24].
So do not despair, O my brother. Abandoning prayer is undoubtedly disbelief, and it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions. It is major shirk. And if he dies while abandoning prayer, the Muslim among his children does not inherit from him; rather, it belongs to the disbelievers among his relatives who are like him.
And others among the scholars said: It belongs to the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal); because he is an apostate, his wealth belongs to the public treasury, not to the disbelievers among his group. Rather, his wealth is taken and delivered to the public treasury; because he is not one of the original disbelievers, and he is not one of the Muslims. The apostate's wealth becomes a spoils (fay') for the public treasury of the Muslims, to be spent on the interests of the Muslims. This is a strong and good opinion, and it is perhaps the closest and most preferable. So it is not given to the disbelievers, nor is it given to the Muslims, but it is spent for the public treasury.
If he becomes an apostate by abandoning prayer, or by insulting the religion, or by any of the other types of disbelief and misguidance; then he is not prayed over, not washed, and not buried with the Muslims. And his wealth becomes a spoils (fay') for the public treasury of the Muslims and the interests of the Muslims. And if the one in authority sees that he should give it to his Muslim children in appreciation of their efforts and works in advising him, and so that they are not deprived of it; then there is no harm if the one in authority sees that, to help them in being firm in Islam and to reconcile their hearts. This is a good matter. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
A message reached the program from one of the listening brothers from the Eastern Region. He says, "My brother Muhammad has a collection of questions. In one of them, he says: I have a father, but he has never prayed. After we advised him, taught him, boycotted him, spoke to him, and explained to him that the punishment for abandoning prayer is disbelief and severe torment, it was to no avail. If Allah decrees that he dies, is he entitled to inherit from him? Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good."
Answer:
The father has a great right, whether he is a man or a woman, the father and the mother. So it is obligatory to advise, guide, and speak to him kindly, even if he abandons prayer, and even if he is a disbeliever by any type of disbelief. One must be patient, continue advising and directing, and not boycott him. Do not boycott him; it is not permissible for you to boycott him. Allah the Exalted says in His great Book:
And if they strive to make you
وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَto make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness
عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًاfollow the way of those who turn back to Me
وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّSo the point is: It is obligatory for you, O son, to fear Allah, and for you and your brothers, along with the people of good who help you, to advise your father, guide him, and not despair. But do not boycott him, do not harm him, and do not raise your voice at him. Rather, advise him with kind words and a good manner, as you are commanded to do. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them
وَوَصَّيْنَا الإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَاBe grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُBut if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me
وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّSo you are commanded to treat them with kindness, with kind words, but with advice... with guidance... with direction, acting in accordance with the saying of your Lord (Exalted and Majestic is He):
Be grateful to Me and to your parents
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَbut accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness
وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًاAnd your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاهُمَا فَلا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا So do not despair, O my brother. Abandoning prayer is undoubtedly disbelief, and it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions. It is major shirk. And if he dies while abandoning prayer, the Muslim among his children does not inherit from him; rather, it belongs to the disbelievers among his relatives who are like him.
And others among the scholars said: It belongs to the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal); because he is an apostate, his wealth belongs to the public treasury, not to the disbelievers among his group. Rather, his wealth is taken and delivered to the public treasury; because he is not one of the original disbelievers, and he is not one of the Muslims. The apostate's wealth becomes a spoils (fay') for the public treasury of the Muslims, to be spent on the interests of the Muslims. This is a strong and good opinion, and it is perhaps the closest and most preferable. So it is not given to the disbelievers, nor is it given to the Muslims, but it is spent for the public treasury.
If he becomes an apostate by abandoning prayer, or by insulting the religion, or by any of the other types of disbelief and misguidance; then he is not prayed over, not washed, and not buried with the Muslims. And his wealth becomes a spoils (fay') for the public treasury of the Muslims and the interests of the Muslims. And if the one in authority sees that he should give it to his Muslim children in appreciation of their efforts and works in advising him, and so that they are not deprived of it; then there is no harm if the one in authority sees that, to help them in being firm in Islam and to reconcile their hearts. This is a good matter. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.