The Ruling on Abandoning Prayer Out of Laziness
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Question:
A message was sent by our brother: Abdullah Hamud, asking and saying: If a person believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil, and dies while he is abandoning prayer out of laziness, is he to be eternally in the Fire or not? We ask for the answer. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It was mentioned in the previous question: that as for the one who abandons prayer out of negligence, the scholars differed on whether he is a disbeliever with major shirk (associating partners with Allah) or minor shirk. It was previously stated that he is a disbeliever with major shirk in the correct opinion of the scholars. And if his disbelief is major, then his ruling is the ruling of the disbelievers: he is eternally in the Fire like the other disbelievers.
And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in His great Book, when they were asked about the Fire and the reasons for their entering it, they answered that they were not among those who prayed. He the Exalted said: [Al-Muddaththir:42-43]. They did not say: We were among the deniers, [Al-Muddaththir:43]. This indicates that leaving off the prayer is one of the reasons for their entering the Fire. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the believer to beware of this evil deed, to pray as Allah has commanded him, and to beware of this laxity that occurs when one believes, in his claim, that it is minor disbelief, even if it were minor disbelief. The obligation is to beware of everything that Allah has forbidden. How much more so if it is called disbelief? For the obligation is to be more cautious of it than of anything else. And if leaving it off is major disbelief, the matter is even greater and greater. And this is the correct position: that it is major disbelief; because of what came before in his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:, narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
And his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam), which was recorded by Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan with a sound chain from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) . And there are other proofs indicating this. And in this noble verse, which is His saying the Exalted: [Al-Muddaththir:42-47], He placed the one who leaves off the prayer with these people. This indicates that it is major disbelief; because doubt in the religion and delving into it on the path of doubt and suspicion, and likewise the denial of the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection), is all major disbelief. We seek refuge in Allah.
It is obligatory for the believer to beware of abandoning prayer absolutely. As for if he denies its obligation, the matter is greater, for he is a disbeliever by consensus. We ask Allah for well-being. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A message was sent by our brother: Abdullah Hamud, asking and saying: If a person believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil, and dies while he is abandoning prayer out of laziness, is he to be eternally in the Fire or not? We ask for the answer. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It was mentioned in the previous question: that as for the one who abandons prayer out of negligence, the scholars differed on whether he is a disbeliever with major shirk (associating partners with Allah) or minor shirk. It was previously stated that he is a disbeliever with major shirk in the correct opinion of the scholars. And if his disbelief is major, then his ruling is the ruling of the disbelievers: he is eternally in the Fire like the other disbelievers.
And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in His great Book, when they were asked about the Fire and the reasons for their entering it, they answered that they were not among those who prayed. He the Exalted said:
(42) [And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?" (43) They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَThey will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَTherefore, it is obligatory for the believer to beware of this evil deed, to pray as Allah has commanded him, and to beware of this laxity that occurs when one believes, in his claim, that it is minor disbelief, even if it were minor disbelief. The obligation is to beware of everything that Allah has forbidden. How much more so if it is called disbelief? For the obligation is to be more cautious of it than of anything else. And if leaving it off is major disbelief, the matter is even greater and greater. And this is the correct position: that it is major disbelief; because of what came before in his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةAnd his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:
The 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 كفر(42) [And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?" (43) They will say, "We were not of those who prayed, (44) Nor did we used to feed the poor. (45) And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it], (46) And we used to deny the Day of Recompense (47) Until there came to us the certainty."
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ الْمِسْكِينَ وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ حَتَّى أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُIt is obligatory for the believer to beware of abandoning prayer absolutely. As for if he denies its obligation, the matter is greater, for he is a disbeliever by consensus. We ask Allah for well-being. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.