What is our response to those who cite the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as evidence for the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer?
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The questioner : What is our response, O Shaykh, may Allah reward you, to those who cite the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and this is the text: Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam)?
The Shaykh : Who are “them”? The covenant between us and them.
The questioner : We Muslims, and “them” means the disbelievers.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Whoever abandons it.
The Shaykh : But it did not say “the covenant between us and those who testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” meaning this person who has recently entered Islam must develop his life practically with the Muslims, lest he have said “I testify that there is no god but Allah” out of hypocrisy.
The questioner : So that he may be distinguished.
The Shaykh : It would be this man, a Muslim, who may perform some practical testimonies, even if only occasionally, that he is a Muslim. So this hadith, I mean, there is no difficulty if it is interpreted by noting the referent of the pronounSunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) the polytheists, not the Muslims.
The questioner : Can we say he is a hypocrite, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Can we say that he is a hypocrite?
The Shaykh : Who is he?
The questioner : The one who does not pray.
The Shaykh : The answer, perhaps you know it if you remember with me that hypocrisy is of two types, just as disbelief is: disbelief of belief and practical disbelief. And hypocrisy is likewise.
The questioner : I remembered the word from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, O Shaykh, when he said:, Sunan Abi Dawud 550.
The Shaykh : This is disbelief. This is practical hypocrisy.
The questioner : This is practical.
The Shaykh : Ah, was this person killed? So it was not considered apostasy.
The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهدُ الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة ، فَمَن تَرَكَها فقد كفرThe Shaykh : Who are “them”? The covenant between us and them.
The questioner : We Muslims, and “them” means the disbelievers.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Whoever abandons it.
The Shaykh : But it did not say “the covenant between us and those who testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” meaning this person who has recently entered Islam must develop his life practically with the Muslims, lest he have said “I testify that there is no god but Allah” out of hypocrisy.
The questioner : So that he may be distinguished.
The Shaykh : It would be this man, a Muslim, who may perform some practical testimonies, even if only occasionally, that he is a Muslim. So this hadith, I mean, there is no difficulty if it is interpreted by noting the referent of the pronoun
The covenant that distinguishes between us and them
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهمThe questioner : Can we say he is a hypocrite, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Can we say that he is a hypocrite?
The Shaykh : Who is he?
The questioner : The one who does not pray.
The Shaykh : The answer, perhaps you know it if you remember with me that hypocrisy is of two types, just as disbelief is: disbelief of belief and practical disbelief. And hypocrisy is likewise.
The questioner : I remembered the word from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, O Shaykh, when he said:
We used to consider the one who lagged behind this prayer a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was known
كنَّا نرى مَن يتخلَّف عن هذه الصلاة منافق معلوم النفاقa man would be brought swaying between two men till he was set up in the row (of the prayer)
كان يُؤتى بالرجل يُهادى بينَ الرجلين حتَّى يُقامَ في الصَّفِّThe Shaykh : This is disbelief. This is practical hypocrisy.
The questioner : This is practical.
The Shaykh : Ah, was this person killed? So it was not considered apostasy.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.