The Ruling on the one who abandons Prayer – Shaykh al-Albaani

Part 1

source: silsilat ul-hudā wa nnūr ~ the series of guidance and light ~ tape no. 8

Question #5: “What is the ruling on the one who abandons the prayer? And what is the difference between al-kufr ul-ʽamalī [1] (the disbelief related to actions) and al-kufr ul-ʽitiqādī [2] (the disbelief related to faith)?”

Shaykh al-Albānī answers:

“The one who abandons the prayer has two states: either he believes in its legislation, or he denies its legislation. So regarding this second state, he is a disbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims. And likewise, whoever denies a matter from the religion that a Muslim cannot be ignorant about – for example, whoever denies (the legislation of) fasting, Hajj and whatever else there is of matters known by all the Muslims to be necessities of the religion – then he is a disbeliever. So there is no difference of opinion about this: whoever denies the legislation of the prayer is a disbeliever.

But if there is a man who does not deny (the legislation) of the prayer and who acknowledges its legislation, but with respect to action, he does not perform it, he does not pray – maybe he does not pray at all and maybe he prays sometimes – so in this case, if we said that this man has disbelieved, this statement would not apply to him at all, because kufr (disbelief) is denial, and he is not denying the legislation of the prayer, as (Allāh), the Most High, said with regard

to the disbelievers: {And they denied them (those Āyāt)…, though their ownselves were convinced thereof}. [3]
So if we take as an example so-and-so from the people who does not pray, but when he is asked ‘Why don’t you pray O my brother?’, he says to you, ‘Allāh will forgive me, by Allāh the worldly life has kept me busy, these children have kept me busy,’ and this type of talk. Of course, this talk is not an excuse for him at all, but he presents us a benefit which we didn’t know because we can’t know what is in his heart. He presents us a benefit that the man believes in the legislation of the prayer, as opposed to if the answer was, may Allāh forbid: ‘O my brother, the time for this prayer is gone; this was during a time when the people were not educated, they were unclean, they were in need of a specific nature of cleanliness, purity and exercise, and now the time for this has gone; now there are new means that free us of prayer’ – this (man) has disbelieved and thus (goes) to {Hell, and worst indeed is that destination}. [4]  As for if the answer is the first (example): ‘Why don’t you pray?’ (and he says,) ‘Allāh will forgive us, may Allāh curse the shaytān,’ and this type of talk that informs us that the man is not denying the legislation of the prayer, then if we said that this man is a disbeliever, we would be contradicting the reality, because this man is a believer, a believer in the legislation of the prayer and a believer in all of Islām, so how can we declare him a disbeliever?

Therefore, we say that there is no difference between the one who abandons the prayer and the one who abandons fasting and the one who abandons Hajj and the one who abandons anything from the acts of worship related to actions – (there is no difference) with regard to (judging whether) he is to be declared a disbeliever or not. When is he declared a disbeliever? If he denies. When is he not declared a disbeliever? If he believes. So it is not allowed – by consensus – to declare the believer to be a disbeliever. And many narrations have come in accordance with this…: ‘(Allāh will say:) Make whoever (sincerely) said lā ilāha illAllāh (none has the right to be worshiped but Allāh) enter Paradise,’ while he does not have a (good) deed equal to the weight of an atom, but he has the weight of an atom of īmān (faith), so this īmān is what prevents him from dwelling in the Fire forever, and he enters Paradise even if it is after he becomes a black coal. [5] However, this is the one who bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped but Allāh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and he believes in all that has come from Allāh and His Messenger ; but he does not pray, or does not fast or does not perform Hajj or the like, or he steals or fornicates – there is no difference with regard to all these affairs when placed on the scales of disbelief related to actions and disbelief related to faith [because since he has faith, these impermissible actions do not fall under disbelief related to faith / major kufr].

For instance, a man commits fornication; do we declare him a disbeliever? You will say, no. I say, no. Don’t be hasty. We have to see, does he say that zinā (fornication) is prohibited? Does he say as some of the ignorant ones say: ‘there is no harām and there is no halāl’? If he says to me (such a) statement, he has disbelieved. Likewise, the one who steals and any (other) sin – for example, the man who backbites people, and we say to him: ‘Fear Allāh, the Messenger (of Allāh) said: ‘Backbiting is you mentioning about

your brother that which he dislikes,’6 and he says: ‘There is no ‘the Messenger said’ and such-and-such,’ (then) he has disbelieved. In this manner, (the same applies to) all the Islamically legislated rulings, whether it is a positive ruling, i.e., one of the obligatory duties, or a negative ruling, i.e., the prohibitions that he must keep away from. So, if he regards any of these prohibitions to be permissible in his heart, he has disbelieved. But if he falls into it by way of action while believing that he is disobeying (Allāh), he has not disbelieved.

So there is no difference with regard to this between all the Islamically legislated rulings, whether they are from the obligatory duties or prohibitions. The obligatory duties must be carried out and it is not permissible to leave them off, but whoever leaves them out of laziness, it is not allowed to declare him a disbeliever. Whoever leaves them out of denial has disbelieved; whoever regards any of the forbidden things to be permissible has likewise disbelieved. There is no difference with regard to this at all between the obligations and prohibitions.”

1 i.e., minor kufr
2 i.e., major kufr
3 Sūrat un-Naml, 27:14
4 Sūrah Āl ʽImrān, 3:162
5 Sahīh al-Bukhārī #7439, #7510, #6560; Sahīh at-Targhīb #3639, #3641
6 Sahīh Muslim #2589

Part 2

source: silsilat ul-ahaadeeth is-saheeha – the series of authentic narrations – hadeeth no. 87

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Hudhaifa bin al-Yamaan (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Islaam will be erased just as the decoration of a garment is (worn out and) erased, until it will not be known what is fasting, nor prayer, nor the rituals of Hajj, nor charity; and the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, (i.e., the Qur’aan) will be taken away (from the mus-hafs[1] and breasts of the people)[2] in one night such that not (even) an aayah from it will remain on earth. And groups of people will remain – the old people – saying: ‘We saw our forefathers upon this statement: ‘laa ilaaha illAllaah (none has the right to worshiped but Allaah),’ so we also say it.’”

(Then), Silah bin Zufar said to Hudhaifa: ‘What will ‘laa ilaaha illAllaah’ benefit them when they don’t know what is prayer, nor fasting, nor the rituals of Hajj, nor charity?’ Hudhaifa turned away from him. Then (Silah) repeated it to (Hudhaifa) three times, and every time Hudhaifa would turn away from him. Then he turned toward him on the third time and said three times: ‘O Silah! It will save them from the Fire.’”[3]

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Shaykh al-Albaani (rahimahullaah) comments:

“There is an important benefit of fiqh in the hadeeth, which is that bearing witness that laa ilaaha illAllaah (none has the right to be worshiped but Allaah) saves the one who says it (sincerely) from dwelling forever in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, even if he didn’t use to perform any of the other pillars of Islaam at all, such as prayer and so on. And it is known that the scholars have differed about the ruling on the one who abandons the prayer especially while believing in its legislation. So the majority was of the opinion that he has not disbelievedby that, but rather disobeyed Allaah; and Ahmad – in a report – was of the opinion that he has disbelieved, and that he is to be killed due to apostasy, not as a prescribed punishment. And it is has been authentically narrated from the Companions that they did not consider leaving any of the actions to be disbelief except the prayer; at-Tirmithee and al-Haakim reported it.[4]

And I believe that that which is correct is the view of the majority, and that what was mentioned from the Companions does not clearly state that they meant by ‘disbelief’ here to be the disbelief which will make its possessor dwell forever in the Fire and for which it is not possible that Allaah will forgive him. How can that be when this is Hudhaifa bin al-Yamaan – who is one of the foremost of those Companions – responding to Silah bin Zufar, who was about to understand the affair as Ahmad’s understanding of it. So (Silah) said: ‘What will ‘laa ilaaha illAllaah’ benefit them when they don’t know what is prayer. . .,’ then Hudhaifa replied to him after his turning away from him, saying three times: ‘O Silah! It will save them from the Fire.’ Therefore, this is a clear statement from Hudhaifa (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) that the one who abandons the prayer is not a disbeliever [if he believes in its legislation], but rather a Muslim who will be saved from dwelling forever in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection. So be mindful of this, for indeed you may not find it in other than this place.”

Part 3

source: silsilat ul-hudaa wa nnoor – the series of guidance and light – tape no. 81

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Question #10: “What about the hadeeth: ‘whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved’?”[1]

Shaykh al-Albaani (rahimahullaah) answers:

“This is not the first hadeeth in which it is said that whoever does such-and-such has disbelieved. You have the famous hadeeth ‘whoever swears by other than Allaah has disbelieved,’[2] but we don’t say that whoever says ‘by the life of my father’ has apostatized from his religion.[3] And you know, for example, thehadeeth of ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab in Saheeh al-Bukhaari when the Messenger (of Allaah) (‘alayhi ssalaam) heard him swearing by his father, so he (‘alayhi ssalaam) said: ‘Don’t swear by your fathers; whoever of you swears, then let him swear by Allaah or keep silent.’[4] And in the hadeeth of (‘Umar’s) son ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Umar, he said that the Messenger (of Allaah) (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever swears by other than Allaah has associated partners with Him,’[5] and in another narration, ‘he has disbelieved.’

So it is not necessary for the occurrence of the expression ‘whoever does such-and-such has disbelieved’ to mean that he has disbelieved with the disbelief of apostasy. Rather, it can have many meanings, such as for example: ‘he has disbelieved’ can mean that he is close to disbelieving, that he has disbelieved with the disbelief related to (only) actions (i.e., minor kufr), and such meanings that the people of knowledge were obliged to (apply) in order to reconcile between the texts.

‘Whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved.’ (But also) we say, ‘whoever sayslaa ilaaha illAllaah[6] (sincerely) will enter Paradise;’[7] ‘whoever says laa ilaaha illAllaah (sincerely), it will benefit him some day,’[8] [9] as mentioned in thehadeeth of al-Bazzaar and others. (Another hadeeth mentions that) ‘whichever slave runs away from his master has disbelieved.’[10] These expressions are very numerous: ‘he has disbelieved, he has disbelieved.’ And there isn’t any hadeeththat is interpreted like this upon its apparent meaning if it comes with the expression: ‘he has disbelieved.’ This hadeeth – ‘whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved’ – is treated the same way as the other narrations which share the saying ‘he has disbelieved’ with the hadeeth about prayer. So here, many interpretations can occur for this text as for many (other) narrations. For example, ‘the tale-carrier[11] will not enter Paradise,’[12] (but) does that mean that he has disbelieved because of his tale-carrying? The answer is: if he considers that to be permissible by his heart, then Paradise has been forbidden for him. And if he acknowledges the forbiddance of that, and admits that he is wrong, a sinner and an evildoer, then his affair is with Allaah, as He, the Mighty and Majestic, said: ‘Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.’[13] So abandoning the prayer is an action that leads its doer to die upon other thaneemaan (faith) – and Allaah’s protection is sought. And abandoning the prayer is from the characteristics of the disbelievers who don’t pray and don’t give thezakaah (obligatory charity). Hence, if the Muslim does not pray, he has resembled the disbelievers. So his disbelief here is the disbelief related to actions [as long as he believes in the legislation of the prayer]. And the narrations which must be explained (with regard to their true meanings) are very numerous.

For instance, during the farewell pilgrimage, (the Prophet) (‘alayhi ssalaat was salaam) ordered Jareer bin ‘Abdillaah al-Bajalee to quiet the people down and make them listen, and he (‘alayhi ssalaam) said while addressing them: ‘Do not return to being disbelievers after me by striking the necks of one another.’[14]And he (‘alayhi ssalaat was salaam) said: ‘Insulting a Muslim is disobedience (to Allaah), and fighting him is disbelief.’[15] But if a Muslim kills or fights another Muslim, has this (person) apostatized from his religion? The answer is: no, because Allaah said: {And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both. But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which outrages till it complies with the Command of Allah}.[16] He considered each of the two groups – the one outraging and the one being outraged – to be from the believers, although the Messenger (of Allaah) said in the previous hadeeth that ‘insulting a Muslim is disobedience (to Allaah) and fighting him is disbelief.’ So how is disbelief interpreted here? It is minor disbelief; it is disbelief related to actions. And the narrations about prayer – which declare that the one who abandons the prayer has disbelieved – are also (interpreted) likewise: either it is said that he is close to the disbelief related to faith (i.e., major kufr), that he is close to dying upon other than the religion of Islaam, or (it is said) that he has disbelieved with the disbelief related to actions. This interpretation is necessary so that we don’t contradict the narrations of the Messenger (of Allaah) (‘alayhi ssalaam) with one another.”