The Ruling on Sitting with Those Who Abandon Prayer
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Question:
The questioner says, “O His Eminence the Shaykh: I have a group of friends, none of whom pray. They live in the same village as I do, and I keep their company because the brothers in Allah are absent from this village, because I have worldly interests with them, and because they are my neighbors and childhood friends. I have tried repeatedly to invite them to the truth, but their response is: ‘We are afraid that if we repent, we will later fall into open sinfulness. We are afraid that we will not be able to maintain the prayer and will abandon it. We are better than so-and-so, because he prays and does such and such, whereas we do not pray at all.’ I have been unable to answer them, and I find nothing to say to them except that Allah guide us and them. How do you advise them? May you be rewarded, O His Eminence the Shaykh?”
Answer:
My advice to these people and those like them is to fear Allah, to be conscious of Him, and to pray all five prayers with the Muslims. This is based on the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [al-Baqarah: 238], and His saying (Mighty and Majestic): [al-'Ankabut: 45], and His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [al-Baqarah: 43]. There are many verses in this meaning. It is also based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Bulugh al-Maram 2:308 It was said to Ibn 'Abbas: “What is the excuse?” He said: “Fear or illness.” And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in the Sahih. And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) ... narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the four Sunan collections with a sound chain from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) . And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2616Hasan (Darussalam).
Therefore, it is obligatory for these people about whom you asked to fear Allah, to be conscious of Allah, to pray, and not to make excuses by saying they are afraid they will abandon the prayer. It is obligatory for them not to abandon it, but to maintain it. If they abandon it, it is obligatory for them to repent, and whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. They should not despair. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [al-Zumar: 53]. Therefore, it is obligatory for them to repent to Allah, to turn back to Him, and to pray the five prayers with the Muslims in their mosques.
As for you, you must warn them, not gather with them, and not keep their company. You must boycott them until they repent to Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), so that what befell them does not befall you. It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah for keeping their company and to be cautious of them. As long as they do not respond, it is obligatory to be cautious of them. But if they respond, return to Allah, and repent, then praise be to Allah. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for them. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. Thank you, Your Eminence.
The questioner says, “O His Eminence the Shaykh: I have a group of friends, none of whom pray. They live in the same village as I do, and I keep their company because the brothers in Allah are absent from this village, because I have worldly interests with them, and because they are my neighbors and childhood friends. I have tried repeatedly to invite them to the truth, but their response is: ‘We are afraid that if we repent, we will later fall into open sinfulness. We are afraid that we will not be able to maintain the prayer and will abandon it. We are better than so-and-so, because he prays and does such and such, whereas we do not pray at all.’ I have been unable to answer them, and I find nothing to say to them except that Allah guide us and them. How do you advise them? May you be rewarded, O His Eminence the Shaykh?”
Answer:
My advice to these people and those like them is to fear Allah, to be conscious of Him, and to pray all five prayers with the Muslims. This is based on the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَىand establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِAnd establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَWhoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يأت، فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرBetween 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 كفرThe head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat
رأس الأمر الإسلام، وعموده الصلاةTherefore, it is obligatory for these people about whom you asked to fear Allah, to be conscious of Allah, to pray, and not to make excuses by saying they are afraid they will abandon the prayer. It is obligatory for them not to abandon it, but to maintain it. If they abandon it, it is obligatory for them to repent, and whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. They should not despair. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِAs for you, you must warn them, not gather with them, and not keep their company. You must boycott them until they repent to Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), so that what befell them does not befall you. It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah for keeping their company and to be cautious of them. As long as they do not respond, it is obligatory to be cautious of them. But if they respond, return to Allah, and repent, then praise be to Allah. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for them. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. Thank you, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.