The obligation toward the one who abandons prayer

Question:
The listener Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-Hamid Ahmad sent a question, saying: I have a friend who abandons prayer. I offered him advice, but he did not respond; rather, he met it by cutting off ties between us. What is your guidance for me? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
You have done well in what you did, and you have fulfilled the obligation of advice. The one who should be boycotted is he. If he cuts you off, then you cut him off as well, because he is the one who deserves to be boycotted. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted three of the Companions when they delayed joining the expedition to Tabuk without an excuse. So the one who delays prayer and does not pray is even more deserving of this; because abandoning prayer is major shirk. The obligation is to boycott him if he does not accept the advice, and to refer his case to the one in authority if he is in a land governed by Islam. Refer his case to the one in authority so that he is punished with what he deserves, and so that he is asked to repent. If he repents, that is fine; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him if he abandons prayer. For Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Tawbah: 5]. This indicates that the one who does not perform prayer is not left alone, but his case is referred to the one in authority, to the court, to the body for enjoining good and forbidding evil, so that they look into his case. And you have fulfilled what is required of you by advising him and directing him to good. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and do you good.