A collection of evidences
regarding the apostasy of the one who
intentionally abandons salaah.
Then there succeeded them a posterity who have
neglected the salaah and have followed lusts, so
they will be thrown in hell. Except those who
repent and believe and work righteousness, such
will enter paradise and will not be wronged.
The prayer, dear reader is a very important
pillar of Islaam. In an authentic narration, the
Prophet (sallaalahu 'alayhi wa sallam) told us
that this very prayer will be the thing which we
wil be brought to account for firstly on the Day
of Resurrection, saying: "If it is good then he
will be successful, and if not will be a loser."
There is an abundance of benefit in the prayer
as Allaah says:
"And those who guard their prayers well, such
shall dwell in the gardens (paradise), honoured."
[Sooratul-Ma'arij, 70:34,35]
At the same time the one who doesn't pray runs
the risk of missing out on all of this benefits
which Allaah has in store for him, he will
plunge into a state of disbelief and apostasy
and if he doesn't repent and change his
neglectful ways will be amongst the dwellers of
the Fire, wa na'oodhu billah! Thus we warn the
Muslims with what Allaah, His Messenger (sallaalahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and the Salaf of this ummah
have warned with.
"Then there succeeded them a posterity who have
neglected the salaah and have followed lusts, so
they will be thrown in hell. Except those who
repent and believe and work righteousness, such
will enter paradise and will not be wronged."
[Soorah Maryam, 19:59]
Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah)
commented:
"In the verse from Soorah Maryam, Allaah has
said in reference to those who abandoned salaah
and followed their desires; "Except those who
repent and believe" which is evidence that when
they abandoned salaab and followed their
desires, they were not believers," (Hukmu
Taarikis-Salaah)
So Shaykh 'Uthaymeen felt that neglecting the
salaah meant they abandoned it which would have
made them kuffaar. About the same verse, Al-Waleed
bin Muslim said: "I heard aI-Awzaa'ee say on the
authority of aI-Qaasim bin Mukhaymirah: 'They
neglected the prescribed times (for the salaah)
and they did not abandon them (altogether) and
had thy abandoned them (the salaah) they
would've become kuffaar." (Kitaabush-Sharee'ah)
The point to be noted here is this, although
they interpreted the meaning of "neglected the
prayers" differently, what they agreed upon
however, is the fact that abandoning the prayer
makes an individual a kaafir.
The Prophet (sallaalahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Between a man and polytheism and disbelief is
the abandonment of the salaah." (Muslim)
He (sallaalahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said:
"The covenant (which distinguishes) between us
and them is the salaah, so 'whoever abandons it
has disbelieved." (Ahmad)
Umar Ibn aI-Khattaab said: "There's no portion
of Islaam for the on who abandons the salaah," (Bukhaaree)
Ma'qil bin Ma'qil al-Khathma'ee said: "A man
approached 'Alee while he was in the public
square, then he said: 'O Leader of the
believers, what is your opinion about the woman
who doesn't pray?" Thereupon he ('Alee) replied,
"Whoever doesn't pray is a kaafir'" (Kitaabush-Sharee'ah)
Sa'd and 'Alee bin Abee Taalib both said:
"Whoever abandons it (salaah) has disbelieved,"
(Al-Marwazee, Jaami'ul-Uloomi wal-HIkam)
Abdullah Ibin Mas'ood said: "Disbelief is
abandonment of the salaah" (Kitaabush-Sharee'ah)
Abdullah bin Shaqeeq said:" The Companions of
the Messenger of Allaah did not deem the
abandonment of any action to be disbelief except
for (the abandonment of) the salaah," (At-Tirmidhee)
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: "Whoever abandons
the salaah has disbelieved, There is nothing
from the action, the abandonment of which
constitutes disbelief except for the salaah,
whoever abandons it is a kaafir and Allaah has
made killing him permissible (i.e. that would be
due to it being considered apostasy and
therefore subject to the Islamic laws and legal
system accordingly [in the Islamically governed
country])" (Usoolus-Sunnah)
Abu Daawood said: "I heard Ahmad bin Hanbal
saying: "If (a person) says; "I don't pray -
then he is a kaafir!" (Kitaabush-Sharee'ah)
Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee said: "Abandonment of the
salaah is disbelief and there is no difference
of opinion in this regard," (Jaami'ul-Uloom
wal-Hikam)
Ibn Rajab aI-Hanbalee said: "Ahmad and Ishaaq
have concluded that the abandonment of the
salaah is disbelief based on the disbelief of
Iblees (Shaytaan), which was due to his
abandonment of prostration to Aadam - the
abandonment of prostration to Allaah is
greater!!! (Jaami'ul-Uloom wal-Hikam)
After mentioning an abundance of narrations
proving the disbelief of the one who abandons
the prayer, Muhammad bin Husayn AI-Aajurree
said: "These are the narrations and traditions
regarding the abandonment and neglect of the
salaah, in spite of what we didn't mention which
would have made the book too long, like
Hudhayfah' s hadeeth and 'his saying to a man
who didn't perfect his salaah (he didn't pray):
"if he dies upon this, surely he dies upon other
than the fitrah of Muhammad (sallaalahu 'alayhi
wa sallam). " (Bukhaaree) And similar to this,
on the authority of Bilaal and other than him
which proved that the salaah is part of eemaan,
and whoever doesn't pray then there is no Eeeman
nor Islaam for him. (Kitaabus-Shareeah)
