Ruling on visiting a sick person who abandons prayer
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Q358: The questioner asks: What is the ruling on visiting a person who abandons prayer while he is sick, or attempting to treat him and striving for that, or following his funeral procession if he dies?
A358: As for visiting him and striving for his treatment, if that is a cause for his guidance and his invitation to repent and return from what he is upon, then this is a good thing. You are supporting him and advising him, perhaps Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will bestow upon him repentance, and you will be a cause for that, and he will be concluded with good. And if Allah cures him of his illness, you will be a cause for his uprightness and moderation for the rest of his life. As for striving for his treatment, if this results in the hope that it will affect his behavior, then there is no harm in that. As for following his funeral procession if he dies, and he does not pray, abandoning prayer finally, intentionally, then it is not permissible to follow his funeral procession; because by that he becomes a disbeliever; and a disbeliever is not followed by a Muslim in his funeral procession, nor is prayer performed over him, nor is he buried in the graves of Muslims, if it is established that he never prays, and that he abandoned prayer intentionally, and he died upon that, he died the death of a disbeliever, and refuge is sought in Allah.
A358: As for visiting him and striving for his treatment, if that is a cause for his guidance and his invitation to repent and return from what he is upon, then this is a good thing. You are supporting him and advising him, perhaps Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will bestow upon him repentance, and you will be a cause for that, and he will be concluded with good. And if Allah cures him of his illness, you will be a cause for his uprightness and moderation for the rest of his life. As for striving for his treatment, if this results in the hope that it will affect his behavior, then there is no harm in that. As for following his funeral procession if he dies, and he does not pray, abandoning prayer finally, intentionally, then it is not permissible to follow his funeral procession; because by that he becomes a disbeliever; and a disbeliever is not followed by a Muslim in his funeral procession, nor is prayer performed over him, nor is he buried in the graves of Muslims, if it is established that he never prays, and that he abandoned prayer intentionally, and he died upon that, he died the death of a disbeliever, and refuge is sought in Allah.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.