The Ruling on a Woman Afflicted with a Husband Who Abandons Prayer

Question:
If a woman is afflicted with a man who does not pray, should she withhold herself from him? Or how should she conduct herself? Knowing that she has a group of children, and she is patient with that situation for the sake of the children?

Answer:
Abandoning prayer is among the greatest of major sins and crimes, if he acknowledges its obligation, knows its obligation, and believes in it. But if he denies its obligation and does not believe in it, then he is a disbeliever according to all scholars, and it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to remain with him, nor is it lawful for her to allow him access to herself; because he is an apostate disbeliever according to all scholars.
As for if he abandons it out of negligence and laziness, but he believes that it is the truth and that it is an obligation, then this is a point of disagreement among scholars regarding whether he commits major disbelief or whether his disbelief is minor; there are two opinions among scholars, and the stronger of the two opinions is that he becomes a disbeliever with major disbelief; because prayer is the pillar of Islam, and it is the greatest of the pillars after the two testimonies.
It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: This was narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan with a sound chain, from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him), and in Sahih Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: This indicates that he becomes a disbeliever with major disbelief, even if he does not deny the obligation. And there are other proofs for this opinion, all of which indicate that he is a disbeliever with major disbelief, major disbelief if he abandons it out of negligence while acknowledging its obligation.
Among this is what came in the authentic hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said, when asked about the rulers from whom some sins are found, the questioner said: "Shall we fight them?" He said: And in the other narration: So he made abandoning prayer an open disbelief that permits fighting the rulers.
So the point is that it is obligatory for Muslims to preserve prayer, and to perform it as Allah has commanded, and to beware of laziness regarding it. And whenever they abandon it by denying its obligation, the abandoner becomes a disbeliever by consensus. And if he abandons it out of laziness and negligence, he becomes a disbeliever with major disbelief in the most correct of the scholars' opinions. His wife is to separate from him, and it is not lawful for him to have intercourse with her, nor is it lawful for her to allow him access to herself until he repents to Allah from abandoning prayer.
We ask Allah for all Muslims for guidance and success, as we ask Him, Exalted is He, to make them see clearly in their religion, and to help them in performing the obligatory, and to protect them from the evils of the soul and the bad deeds.

The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.