What is the authenticity of the hadith: “Whoever abandons the prayer is punished with fifteen punishments”?

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Shaykh Abdulaziz! At the beginning of our meeting, we return to a letter from our brother Ahmad Jilidan from the United Arab Emirates. We presented some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode he asks and says: What is the authenticity of what was published in some books about the one who abandons prayer, that he is punished with fifteen punishments, three of which are in this world, three at the time of death, three in the grave, and six on the Day of Resurrection? Is this true or fabricated?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: This hadith mentioned regarding the punishment of the one who abandons prayer in this world, in the grave, and in the Hereafter has no basis; rather, it is fabricated against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). A number of scholars have pointed this out, among them al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Lisan al-Mizan.
It is a fabricated hadith, a lie attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and what is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is sufficient to dispense with what contradicts it. And Allah has made clear in His Noble Book the great status of prayer and the warning for those who abandon it, where He, the Exalted, said:

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 where He, the Exalted, said:

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil -

فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا

[Maryam:59] meaning: loss and destruction. It was also said that its meaning is: a valley in Hellfire, foul in taste and deep in its bottom. And He, Mighty and Majestic, said:

⁽⁴⁾ So woe to those who pray ⁽⁵⁾ [But] who are heedless of their prayer -

فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ ۝ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ

[al-Ma'un:4-5].
So prayer is the pillar of Islam, and its neglect is disbelief, misguidance, and a cause for eternal abode in the Fire. Indeed, whoever abandons it while denying its obligation is a disbeliever by consensus. And whoever abandons it out of negligence is a disbeliever according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions, and his ruling becomes the ruling of those who apostatize from Islam, may Allah protect us from that. And negligence regarding it involves imitating the hypocrites, about whom Allah the Exalted said:

Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper -

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا

[al-Nisa: 145]. And He said about them:

Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little,

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

[al-Nisa: 142]. So the one who is negligent with it and lax in it has resembled the enemies of Allah and followed their path. So it is obligatory to be extremely cautious. 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.

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