Explaining how to advise a father who does not pray
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q338: The questioner Abu Hazim from Mosul, Iraq, says: I have a father who has reached the age of sixty and has not prayed or fasted up to this day. He is in good health and possesses much knowledge with which he can debate those who debate among the scholars of knowledge. We are in a village with a mosque very close to our home, and yet he has not benefited from his knowledge in any way, since the Noble Qur'an and the noble Prophetic hadiths all state that such a person has a miserable share. What is the course of action for me, as his son who is twenty years old? For years, I have tried to convince him by various means, because the people in the village want him in the mosque to pray with them or for them,
but he ignores it and is lazy about performing this divine right. He repeats, saying: "Most of the people who pray in this time are wrongdoers and hypocrites." Now, some men say to me: If your father dies, who will wash him and pray over him while he is in this state? Guide us to what is obligatory for me regarding this father of mine, and what is the ruling if he dies in this state?
A338: The one mentioned who has knowledge, but does not pray or fast, and does not perform the acts of religion, is misguided, may Allah protect us from that, and his misguidance is clear. If he does not pray, leaving the prayer intentionally, leaving the prayer intentionally is disbelief according to the correct view, even if he does not deny its obligation. As for if he denies its obligation, he is a disbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims. The result is: that this one whom the questioner mentioned does not pray or fast, is a disbeliever if he denies the obligation of prayer, so there is no doubt in his disbelief. And if he acknowledges its obligation but leaves it out of laziness, then this is a matter of disagreement among the scholars of knowledge, and the correct view is that it is disbelief. But your duty, O son, is to advise him, and not to despair of his guidance, perhaps Allah will guide him through your hands. So repeat the advice with him, perhaps Allah will guide him. If you see from him persistence in his state, and not accepting the advice, then you must separate from him and isolate him. There is no harm in that you are kind to him in what he needs of financial maintenance and worldly kindness; rather, it is obligatory
for you to be kind to him and maintain ties with him, but do not sit with him or live with him unless he needs you. And with advising and pressing him, perhaps Allah will guide him. As for the issue of if he dies in this state, he is a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that, and a Muslim does not take charge of a disbeliever, rather his disbelieving relatives take charge of him. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:13] , his disbelieving relatives take charge of him if he has relatives who are disbelievers. And if he does not have relatives who are disbelievers, then he is buried far from the Muslim cemetery, he is covered with earth and is not washed and not prayed over, but he is buried in his clothes in a burial place isolated from the Muslim cemeteries, by way of covering his body, so that people are not harmed by it; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 3978, 3979 so it must be covered, and it should not be in the Muslim cemeteries.
but he ignores it and is lazy about performing this divine right. He repeats, saying: "Most of the people who pray in this time are wrongdoers and hypocrites." Now, some men say to me: If your father dies, who will wash him and pray over him while he is in this state? Guide us to what is obligatory for me regarding this father of mine, and what is the ruling if he dies in this state?
A338: The one mentioned who has knowledge, but does not pray or fast, and does not perform the acts of religion, is misguided, may Allah protect us from that, and his misguidance is clear. If he does not pray, leaving the prayer intentionally, leaving the prayer intentionally is disbelief according to the correct view, even if he does not deny its obligation. As for if he denies its obligation, he is a disbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims. The result is: that this one whom the questioner mentioned does not pray or fast, is a disbeliever if he denies the obligation of prayer, so there is no doubt in his disbelief. And if he acknowledges its obligation but leaves it out of laziness, then this is a matter of disagreement among the scholars of knowledge, and the correct view is that it is disbelief. But your duty, O son, is to advise him, and not to despair of his guidance, perhaps Allah will guide him through your hands. So repeat the advice with him, perhaps Allah will guide him. If you see from him persistence in his state, and not accepting the advice, then you must separate from him and isolate him. There is no harm in that you are kind to him in what he needs of financial maintenance and worldly kindness; rather, it is obligatory
for you to be kind to him and maintain ties with him, but do not sit with him or live with him unless he needs you. And with advising and pressing him, perhaps Allah will guide him. As for the issue of if he dies in this state, he is a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that, and a Muslim does not take charge of a disbeliever, rather his disbelieving relatives take charge of him. Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of [reward in] the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of [meeting] the inhabitants of the graves.
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَدْ يَئِسُوا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِwhen he stood by the (edge of the) well which contained the corpses of the pagans killed at Badr
قام على القليب وفيه قتلى بدر
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.