Does the remembrance of Allah benefit its owner if he abandons the prayer?

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The second question in the letter from the listener (B. L. D.) from Iraq, Tarmiyah Governorate, says: I often remember Allah a great deal, but I do not pray. I heard from some friends that this act is considered disbelief in Allah , meaning: remembering Allah without praying. What is the ruling in Islam regarding this? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: Prayer is the pillar of Islam, and it is the greatest of the pillars after the two testimonies. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:

Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى

[al-Baqarah:238] And He said, the Exalted:

And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

[al-Baqarah:43] And there are many verses regarding prayer. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat, and its hump is Jihad

رأس الأمر الإسلام، وعموده الصلاة، وذروة سنامه الجهاد في سبيل الله

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2616Hasan (Darussalam)

So he made prayer the pillar of Islam. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

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

Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam)

And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.

بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاة

So you must fear Allah, and you should hasten to repent.
As for the remembrance of Allah while abandoning the prayer, it does not benefit you. You must maintain the prayer, and you must be upright in it at its times, and you must pray it with your Muslim brothers in the mosques. This is its great obligation, and the pillar of your religion. So fear Allah, watch over your obedience to Allah, and repent to Allah with a sincere repentance. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance (Glorified and Exalted is He) .
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

the first deed by which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is his Salat. If it is complete, he is successful and saved, but if it is defective, he has failed and lost

أول ما يحاسب عنه العبد من عمله؛ صلاته، فإن صلحت فقد أفلح وأنجح، وإن فسدت فقد خاب وخس

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 413Sahih (Darussalam)

We ask Allah for well-being. And 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his governors:

The most important of your affairs in my view is the prayer. Whoever protects it and observes it carefully is protecting his deen, while whoever is negligent about it will be even more negligent about other things.

إن أهم أمركم عندي الصلاة، فمن حفظها حفظ دينه، ومن ضيعها فهو لما سواها أضيع

Muwatta Malik 1:6

And it came in a hadith about him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said one day among his Companions, reminding them of prayer, and he said:

If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence and salvation for him on the day of resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation, and on the day of resurrection he will be associated with Qarun, Pharaoh, Haman, 1 and Ubayy b. Khalaf

من حافظ عليها كانت له نوراً وبرهاناً ونجاةً يوم القيامة، ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم يكن له نورٌ ولا برهان ولا نجاة، وحشر يوم القيامة مع فرعون وهامان وقارون وأبي بن خلف

Mishkat al-Masabih 578

We ask Allah for well-being. These are among the great disbelievers, among the leaders of the disbelievers. We ask Allah for well-being. Some of the scholars of knowledge said: Only those who neglect prayer will be gathered with these disbelievers; because if he neglects it for the sake of leadership and kingship, he becomes similar to Pharaoh, and he will be gathered with him on the Day of Resurrection. And if he neglects it because of ministry and position, he becomes similar to Haman, the minister of Pharaoh, and he will be gathered with him on the Day of Resurrection into the Fire. And if he neglects it because of wealth and desires, he becomes similar to Qarun, the merchant of the Children of Israel who transgressed and tyrannized, and his love for wealth and abundance of wealth led him to disbelief in Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , so Allah caused the earth to swallow him and his home. So whoever is occupied with wealth such that he neglects prayer will be gathered with Qarun. We seek refuge in Allah from that. And whoever is occupied with trade, buying and selling, and transactions such that he neglects prayer becomes similar to Abu Jahl, the disbelieving merchant of the people of Mecca, who was killed as a disbeliever, so he will be gathered with him on the Day of Resurrection—we seek refuge in Allah—into the Fire.
So it is obligatory upon everyone who neglects the prayer to repent to Allah, both men and women alike. It is obligatory upon all of them to repent to Allah, and to hasten to maintain the prayer, and to feel remorse for what has passed. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. May Allah grant all of you success and guidance.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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