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Posted By Topic: The one who abandons the prayer is an apostate: Shaykh 'Uthaymeen

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zejd.peqin
05-04-2010 @ 7:05 AM    Notify Admin about this post
Zayd Abu Ubayd (Peqin,Albania)
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Posts: 795
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The Shaykh, Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-ýUthaymeen (rahimahullaah) was asked the following question:

Q. 190: A man proposed marriage to the daughter of another man, but when he enquired about him, it became apparent that he does not pray, and the one who was asked about him said: ýAllaah will guide him.ý May he marry this person (to his daughter)?

The Shaykh then goes on to explain that if the one who proposed marriage does not pray in congregation, then he is falling into sin and he establishes this with evidences from various sources, but they can still marry. Then the Shaykh continuesý

ýHowever, if the person proposing does not pray at all, neither in congregation or alone, then he is a disbeliever and he is outside the pale of Islaam. He must be called upon to repent; if he turns to Allaah in repentance and prays, then Allaah will turn to him with forgiveness ý if his repentance is purely and sincerely for Allaah. But if he does not repent, he must be killed as an apostate and buried outside the graveyards of the Muslims without being washed or shrouded, and without prayers being said over him. The proof of his disbelief is in evidences from the Book of Allaah, the Most High:

ýThen, there has succeeded from posterity who have given up As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So, they will be thrown in hell. Except those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad).ý
[Soorah Maryam 19:59 ý 60]

And His words:

ýýExcept those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and His Messenger).ý

prove that when he abandons the prayer and follows his vain desires, he is not a believer.

And Allaah, the Most High, says:

ýBut if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islaamic monotheism], perform as-Salaat (prayers) and give Zakaat (charity), then they are your brethren in religion.ý
[Soorah At-Tawbah 9:11]

Which proves that brotherhood in religion cannot be established, except through the establishment of prayer and giving Zakaah, but the Sunnah proves that one who abandons Zakaah is not a disbeliever, if he affirms its obligation, but is too miserly to pay it.

So the establishment of prayer remains the only condition for the confirmation of the brotherhood of faith; and this necessitates that abandoning it is an act of disbelief which negates the brotherhood of faith, and it is not simply a sin or Kufr less than Kufr[1], because a sin, or disbelief less than disbelief does not remove the one who does it from the circle of the brotherhood of faith, as Allaah, the Most High, says regarding making reconciliation between two warring groups of believers:

ýThe believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islaamic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers.ý
[Soorah Al-Hujarat 49:10]

And the warring groups of believers are not expelled from the brotherhood of faith, even though killing another believer is an act of disbelief, as has been confirmed in the authentic Hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaaree and others, on the authority of Ibn Masýood, may Allaah be pleased with him, who reported that the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) said:

ýVerbally abusing a Muslim is disobedience, and fighting him is disbelief.ý
[Al-Bukhaaree[2]]

As for the evidence from the Sunnah that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever, it is in such as the words of the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam):

ýVerily, between a man and Shirk and Kufr is the abandonment of prayer.ý
[Muslim [3]]

This was reported by Muslim, on the authority of Jaabir bin ýAbdullaah, who reported it from the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam).

It is reported on the authority of Buraidah bin Al-Husaib, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said: I heard the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) saying:

ýThe covenant between us and them is the prayer, so whoever abandons it has committed an act of Kufr.ý
[Ahmad, At-Tirmidhee, An-Nasaaýee, Ibn Maajah [4]]

This was reported by the Five: Imaam Ahmad and the compilers of the Sunan.

It is reported on the authority of ýUbaidah bin As-Saamit, may Allaah be pleased with him, that they pledged an oath of allegiance to the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam), that they would not dispute with their leaders unless they saw clear disbelief in them, for which there is evidence from Allaah [5].

This means that they would not dispute with those whom Allaah has placed in authority over them, unless they see in them what they considered to be open disbelief for which there is evidence from Allaah, the Most High. If you understand this, then look at what was reported by Muslim from the Hadeeth of Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) said:

ýThere will be leaders whose good deeds will please you and whose bad deeds you will censure and whoever saw through their bad deeds is absolved from blame (and in another narration: whoever hated their bad deeds is absolved from blame). And whoever censured them will be safe (from Allaahýs punishment), but one who approves of them and imitates them (will be punished).ý

They said: ýShall we not fight them?ý He said:

ýNo, as long as they pray.ý
[Muslim[6]]

So, it is understood from this Hadeeth that if they do not pray, they should be fought; and the Hadeeth of ýUbaidah before it proves that they should not be disputed with. Therefore it is with great reason that they should not be fought unless it is due to clear disbelief for which there is evidence from Allaah. So from these two Ahadith, it may be derived that abandoning the prayer is clear disbelief for which there is evidence from Allaah.

These evidences from the Book of Allaah, the Most High and the Sunnah of His Messenger (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) that one who abandons the prayer is a disbeliever, whose Kufr takes him outside the pale of Islaam.

This is clear from the narration of Ibn Abee Haatim in his Sunan, on the authority of ýUbaidah bin As-Saamit, who said: The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) advised us:

ýDo not associate partners with Allaah and do not intentionally abandon prayer, because whoever intentionally and deliberately abandoned it is a disbeliever and he is come out from religion (Islaam).ý
[Al-Haithami ý Al-Majmaý [7]]

As for the narrations from the Companions, ýUmar bin al-Khattaab, may Allaah be please with him, said: ýThere is no Islaam for the one who abandoned prayer.ý
[Ibn Abee Shaibah in Al-Iman 34]

ýAbdullaah bin Shaqeeq, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: ýThe Companions of the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) did not use to regard the abandonment of any deed as disbelief except prayer.ý
[At-Tirmidhee, Al-Haakim[8]]

If the evidence from the narrations of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, proves disbelief of one who abandons prayer, likewise the evidence from the opinions of the scholars prove it. Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, says: Every person who disdains it and belittles its importance, disdains Islaam and belittles it, and their portion in Islaam commensurate with their love of prayer.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in the book As-Salaah, on page 400:

ýNo one who believes that Allaah commanded it in the first place resolve to abandon prayer with a continuous resolve. Because it is impossible, according to what is perceived normal and natural, for a man to firmly believe that Allaah has enjoined upon him five daily prayers every day and night, and that he will punish him if he abandons then with the severest of punishments, while at the same time he is determined to abandon them. This is something absolutely impossible. So, no one who believes in the obligation of prayer can ever persist in abandonment of it, because a personýs faith commands him to do it, then there is no faith in his heart. And do not listen to the words of the one who has no expertise or knowledge of the rulings of the hearts and their deeds.ý (End of quote of his words, may Allaah have mercy on him.)

He has spoken the truth in what he said, because it is impossible that he should abandon the prayer when it is so easy and simple for him to do it, and the reward for it is so great, as is the punishment for abandoning it ý while there is a shred of faith in his heart.

Since it is clear from the evidences of the Qurýaan and the Sunnah that the one who abandons the prayer is a disbeliever, whose Kufr expels him from the pale of Islaam, then it is unlawful for him to be married to a Muslim woman, according to the evidence of the Qurýaan and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims; Allaah, the Most High says:

ýAnd do not marry Al-Mushrikaat (idol-worshipping women) till they believe (worship Allaah alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idol-worshipping woman), even though she pleases you.ý
[Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:221]

And He, the Most High says, regarding the Muhaajiraat (female emigrants from Makkah):

ýIf you ascertain that they are true believers send them not back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them.ý
[Soorah Al-Mumtahanah 60:10]

The Muslims are in complete agreement about what is proven by these two Verses, regarding the unlawfulness of a Muslim woman marrying a disbeliever. Based upon this, if a man married a woman who is under his guardianship, whether it was his daughter or another, to a man who does not pray, his giving her in marriage would not be valid, and the woman would not be lawful to him through this contract, because it is a contract which is not in accordance with the Command of Allaah, the Most High and that of His Messenger (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam), and it has been confirmed from the Prophet (salallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) in the Hadeeth of ýAaýishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that he said:

ýWhoever performed a deed which is not in conformity with this matter of ours, he will have it rejected.ý
[Muslim [9]]

That is, it will not be accepted from him.

Since the marriage becomes invalid if the husband abandons prayer unless he repents and turns to Islaam by performing prayer ý then what do you think of the one who approaches marriage from the beginning (when he does not pray)?

In short, the reply is: This suitor who does not pray, if he does not pray with the congregation, is a sinner; he is not guilty of disbelief due to this, and it is permissible to marry him in these circumstances. But another person among the religious who possesses good character would be more deserving than him.

If he does not pray at all, neither in congregation, nor on his own, then he is a disbeliever, and an apostate who is outside the pale of Islaam. It is not permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman in any circumstances whatsoever, unless he sincerely and honestly repents and prays, and goes straight in the Islaamic religion.

As for what the questioner has said about the fact that the father of the woman whom marriage is proposed asked about him, and the person said: ýAllaah will guide himý, (we say that) the future is only known to Allaah, the Most High and the organisation of it is in His Hand and we are not asked about anything except what we know about the present. The present situation of the suitor is one of disbelief and it is not permissible for him to marry a Muslim woman, so we ask Allaah, the Most High that He guides him and he returns to Islaam so that he is able to marry a Muslim woman and this is not difficult for Allaah.

This answer was given by the one who is in need of Allaah, Muhammad Saalih Al-ýUthaymeen and was written by his hand on the 18th of Thul-Hijjah 1400 A. H.ý
[End of the Shaykhýs words]

Taken from the book: Fatawa Arkaan-ul-Islam, Islamic Verdicts on the Pillars of Islam, Volume 1, Creed & Prayer. By the honourable Shaikh, Muhammad bin Saalih Al-ýUthaimeen. Published by Darussalam, First Edition: October 2003.

.....................................

[1] Kufr less than Kufr: Disbelief of action as opposed to disbelief of the heart.

[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree, in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter: The Fear of the Believer and His Deeds Will Be in Vain Without Him Even Knowing it; and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the chapter: The Saying of the Prophet: Maligning a Muslim is a Sin.

[3] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Faith in the Chapter: Application of the Word Kufr to the One Who Neglects Prayer.

[4] Reported by Imaam Ahmad 5:346; by At-Tirmidhee in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Abandonment of Prayer (2621); by An-Nasaaýee in the Book of Prayer, in the Chapter: The Ruling on One Who Abandons Prayer; and by Ibn Maajah in the Book of Establishing Prayer, in the Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding One Who Abandons Prayer (1079). And At-Tirmidhee said: This Hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh Ghareeb.

[5] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in the Book of Trials, in the Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Words of Allaah, the Most High: ýAnd fear the fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong.ý [Soorah Anfal 8:25]; and by Muslim in the Book of Government, in the Chapter: The Obligation of Obedience to the Leaders in Matters Which do not Entail Disobedience and the Prohibition of Them in Matters Entailing Disobedience.

[6] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Government, in the Chapter: The Obligation to Censure the Leaders in Matters in Which They Violate the Islaamic Laws and not to Fight Them as Long as They Pray etc.

[7] Recorded by Al-Haithami in Al-Majmaý 4:216 and something like it was reported by Al-Haakim in Al-Mustadrak 4:44.

[8] Reported by At-Tirmidhee in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Abandonment of Prayer; and Al-Haakim, who authenticated it in accordance with the criteria of Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

[9] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Judgements, in the Chapter: The Invalidity of False Rulings and the Rejection of innovated Matters.


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