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She stopped praying when she was sick, then she died; do her heirs have to do anything?

Question My mother died, and she owed two months’ prayers because of cancer; she was intending to make them up. She also owes the fast of the Ramadan before the last, when she was healthy. My question is: what is the correct action with regard to her acts of worship? Please note that I have sisters; can we cooperate to make up these acts of worship (on her behalf)? Will the reward of Hajj reach her (if it is done on her behalf), because she did not do Hajj?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  Prayer is one of the greatest pillars of Islam after the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith). What the Muslim must do is always offer the prayers regularly and on time; this duty is not waived so long as he is of sound mind.  For more information, please see the answer to question no. 95220.  Secondly:  You did not say whether your mother had become unconscious and thus was not aware of anything, or not. However it appears from your question that she was of sound mind at the time of her illness, based on the fact that she intended to make up those prayers. In general, the one who does not pray in the case of illness must come under one of the following two scenarios: 1.He stopped praying when he was sick because he had lost his mind or lost consciousness. In this case he does not have to do anything, in sha Allah, and he is not obliged to make up the prayers when he recovers after that. 2.He stopped praying when he was sick but was still of sound mind; but he stopped praying because he thought that prayer was not obligatory for him in that situation. In this case, perhaps Allah will pardon him because of his ignorance, although what the individual is required to do is to learn what he must know of his religion. In either case, the prayers are not to be made up on his behalf if he dies after that.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (25/257): If your father was unconscious at the time of his illness and did not understand anything, then the obligation of prayer was waived in his case, and he is not accountable when he is in this state. The condition of being accountable for prayer is that the individual should be of sound mind (and not unconscious), and that was not the case here. But if he was not unconscious and was of sound mind, but he did not pray because he was unaware that it is obligatory for people in his situation to pray according to what they are able to do, then perhaps Allah will pardon him and excuse him because he was unaware of that, and because there was no one who could explain the shar‘i ruling to him before he died – may Allah have mercy on him and forgive him. In either case, it is not permissible for you to offer any of the prayers on your father’s behalf, because one cannot pray on behalf of anyone else. The basic ruling is that prayer cannot be delegated to another person. End quote.  Thirdly:  With regard to making up the fasts, if she did not make them up with no excuse, then it is mustahabb for you to fast on her behalf, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1952) and Muslim (1935) from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If anyone dies still owing fasts, let his heir fast on his behalf.”  For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 130283 and 130647  It is permissible for making up of the fasts on behalf of the deceased to be done by one heir for all of the days, or it may be done by a number of heirs.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Question: If we follow the more correct opinion, which is that fasting includes that which is obligatory because of basic Islamic teachings and that which is obligatory because of a vow (nadhr), does that mean that this (making up the fasts of behalf of the deceased) is to be done by one of the heirs only, because fasting was obligatory upon one person only? Answer: It does not mean that, because the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “let his heir fast on his behalf” include all the heirs. So if we assume that a man has fifteen sons, and each of them wants to fast two out of thirty days, that is acceptable. If there are thirty heirs and each of them fasts one day, that is acceptable, because they will have fasted thirty days. It makes no difference whether they fast on one day, or one fasts on one day, then the second one fasts on the next day, (and so on) until they have completed thirty days. End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (6/452)  Fourthly:  If a person performs Hajj or ‘Umrah on behalf of his parents, and he has performed Hajj on his own behalf before that, then the reward of that Hajj or ‘Umrah will reach his parents, and that action on the part of the son will be a kind of honouring and kindness towards his parents.  Muslim (1939) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whilst I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a woman came to him and said: I gave a slave woman in charity to my mother, who has now died. He said: “Your reward is due; you may take (the slave woman) back by virtue of your inheritance.” She said: O Messenger of Allah, she owes one month’s fast; can I fast on her behalf? He said: “Fast on her behalf.” She said: She never did Hajj; can I do Hajj on her behalf? He said: “Do Hajj on her behalf.”  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (25/257): With regard to your doing Hajj and ‘umrah on behalf of your father, that is part of honouring him and showing kindness to him. And if you give charity on his behalf from time to time, and you offer supplication for him, pray for forgiveness for him, uphold ties of kinship with his relatives, and treat his friends kindly, then that is a way of honouring your father after his death, and you will have a great reward, in sha Allah, for whatever you spend for that purpose. End quote.  For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 763 and 104606  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/145290/she-stopped-praying-when-she-was-sick-then-she-died-do-her-heirs-have-to-do-anything

Will All Muslims Go to Jannah?

Question Will all the Muslims, including the hypocrites, those who did not pray and those who committed Shirk, enter Paradise after spending some time in Hell?

Praise be to Allah.Who will go to Jannah and who will go to Hell? We should understand properly the general principle concerning this matter, the matter of entering Paradise and spending eternity in Hell. It is a simple matter that is explained in a brief Hadith that was narrated by Muslim (135) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: A man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, what are the two deeds that make entering Paradise or Hell inevitable? He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies not associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise , and whoever dies associating anything with Allah will enter Hell.”  An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to the words, “What are the two deeds that make entering Paradise or Hell inevitable?” what is meant are the characteristics that make Paradise inevitable and the characteristics that make Hell inevitable.”  This Hadith explains that what makes it inevitable that a person will enter Paradise is if he dies believing in Tawhid , and what makes it inevitable that a person will spend eternity in Hell is if he dies believing in Shirk.  This is a definitive principle that is well-known and well established in the religion of Islam. There are Mutawatir texts which confirm and affirm it. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin” [An-Nisa’ 4:48] The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained, in the Hadith about intercession, the situation of the sinners in Hell, and he explained that no one will be brought out of Hell except those who died believing in Tawhid and uttered the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith), and had in their hearts something of faith: “There will be brought out of the Fire anyone who said, La ilaha ill-Allah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah) and had in his heart goodness equal to the weight of a grain of barley. Then there will be brought out of the Fire anyone who said La ilaha ill-Allah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah) and had in his heart goodness equal to the weight of a grain of wheat. Then there will be brought out of the Fire anyone who said La ilaha ill-Allah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah) and had in his heart goodness equal to the weight of a small ant.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 6861 and Muslim, 285)  Based on that, we can find out the situation of those mentioned in the question.  Will those who died upon Shirk go to Jannah? If a person fell into major Shirk, whether he was originally a Mushrik like the Jews, Christians, Buddhists and other types of disbelievers, or he was a Muslim then he apostatised from Islam by falling into major Shirk – as mentioned in the question – then his claim to belong to Islam or his having a Muslim name will be of no benefit to him, and neither will any good deeds that he did and so on, if he fell into major Shirk and died in that state without having repented. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad), as it was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: ‘If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.’ Nay! But worship Allah (Alone and none else), and be among the grateful.” [Az-Zumar 39:65-66] Will those who do not pray go to Jannah? The one who does not pray at all , either in his house or in the mosque, and does not attend Jumu`ah or prayers in congregation, has also rendered his good deeds invalid and has fallen into disbelief by not praying at all. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them – i.e., the characteristic that separates the Muslims from the disbelievers – is the prayer. Whoever does not pray has disbelieved.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 2545 and An-Nasa’i, 459. Classed as authentic by Al-Albani)  For more information on the disbelief of the one who does not pray, please see the answer to question no. 5208   Will the hypocrites go to Jannah? With regard to the hypocrites, if what is meant is the people of major hypocrisy , namely those who make a show of being believers in this world when they are concealing disbelief in their hearts and hiding it from the people, they will be in a worse position than the disbelievers and the polytheists. Hence their fate will be in the lowest levels of Hell, as Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.” [An-Nisa’ 4:145] Will those who tell lies or break their promises go to Jannah? those who fall into some acts of hypocrisy, such as lying or betraying a trust or breaking a promise ; or fall into some kind of minor shirk, such as showing off or swearing by something other than Allah; or who fall into some major or minor sin – such a person does not become a disbeliever just by doing that thing. It does not put him beyond the pale of Islam and he will not spend eternity in Hell because of it, if he dies believing in Tawhid . Rather his case is up to Allah: if He wills He will punish him for his sin, then admit him to Paradise because of his belief in Tawhid, or He will bestow His grace upon him from the outset and admit him into Paradise and forgive him for the sins that he committed. Al-Bukhari (6933) and Muslim (1659) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Jibril appeared to me at the side of the harrah and said: ‘Give your Ummah the glad tidings that whoever dies not associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise.’ I said: ‘O Jibril, even if he steals and even if commits Zina?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘Even if he steals and even if commits Zina?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘Even if he steals and even if he commits Zina?’ He said: ‘Yes, and even if he drinks alcohol.’”  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/147996/will-all-muslims-go-to-jannah

Those who say that the one who does not pray is a kaafir and those who say that he is not a kaafir both claim that there is consensus on their point of view; how are we to understand the claim of consensus on both their parts?

Question I have read the scholars’ opinions on the one who does not pray. Some of them say that he is a kaafir and an apostate, and some say that he is an evildoer (faasiq). The first group claims that there is consensus on this point. My question is: if there is consensus concerning this issue, then why did Abu Haneefah, Maalik and ash-Shaafa‘i not hear of it? Why did they not say that there was consensus? In fact I have even heard that Imam Ahmad, in one of the reports narrated from him, agreed with the other three. I have also read that Imam ash-Shawkaani stated that the consensus of the salaf (early generations) was that the one who does not pray is not a kaafir. So where did the first group get the claim that there is consensus on this issue? Why was this consensus unknown to all those scholars who disagreed with them?

Praise be to Allah.If the one who does not pray does not do it because he denies that it is obligatory, even though he is aware that Allah has commanded that prayer be established, then he is a kaafir and an apostate according to the consensus of the ummah.  If a person does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory out of ignorance on his part that it is obligatory, such as one who is new in Islam, he is not deemed to be a kaafir, but he is to be taught and instructed to pray.  Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the one who denies that prayer is obligatory is a kaafir who is to be executed if he does not repent from that kufr. However they differed concerning the one who affirms that it is obligatory but deliberately does not do it even though he is able to. End quote from al-Istidhkaar, 2/149  Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The one who does not pray must either deny that it is obligatory or not deny that this is the case. If he denies that it is obligatory, he must be examined further. If he is unaware of that, then he is one of those who are ignorant of that, such as one who is new in Islam or who grew up in the wilderness. He is to be informed and taught that it is obligatory, and he is not to be deemed a disbeliever, because he is excused. If he is not one of those who were unaware of that, such as one of those who grew up among the Muslims in Muslim regions and cities, then he is not to be excused and his claim of having been ignorant is not to be accepted from him, and he is to be deemed a disbeliever, because the evidence for it being obligatory is clear from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the Muslims offer the prayer constantly, so in this case it is basically obvious that it is obligatory, and he is only denying it because he disbelieves in Allah, may He be exalted, and in His Messenger and the consensus of the ummah. This person has become an apostate from Islam and is subject to the same ruling as all other apostates: he is to be asked to repent and to be executed if he does not repent. I do not know if any difference of opinion concerning this matter. End quote from al-Mughni, 2/156  The one who does not pray out of heedlessness concerning it and out of a lack of regard for its importance is the one concerning whom the scholars differed. Some of them ruled that he is a disbeliever and others ruled that he is not a disbeliever; some ruled that he is a disbeliever if he does not pray at all, but if he prays sometimes and does not pray at other times, then he is not to be deemed a disbeliever.  It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (27/53-54):  The Maalikis and Shaafa‘is are of the view that the one who does not pray out of carelessness and laziness, not because he denies that it is obligatory, is to be executed as a hadd punishment, i.e., after death he comes under the same ruling as other Muslims, so he is to be washed (ghusl), the funeral prayer is to be offered for him and he is to be buried with the Muslims.  The Hanbalis are of the view that the one who does not pray out of laziness is to be advised to do it and he should be told: If you pray, all well and good, otherwise we will execute you. Then if he prays, all well and good, otherwise he must be executed. But he is not to be executed until he has been detained for three days and called at the time of every prayer. Then if he prays, all well and good, otherwise he is to be executed as a hadd punishment or, it was said, he is to be executed for his disbelief, which means that he is not to be washed, the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him, and he is not to be buried in the Muslim graveyard. However he is not to be enslaved and his family and children are not to be taken captive, like other apostates. End quote.  Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  What appears to me to be the case is that he does not become a disbeliever unless he does not pray altogether, i.e., he never prays; as for the one who prays sometimes, he is not a disbeliever. End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/55  See also the answer to questions no. 5208 and 83165 More than one of the scholars have stated that there was consensus that the one who does not pray becomes a disbeliever. Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh said: This is the opinion of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until our present time. End quote from al-Istidhkaar, 2/150  They quoted as evidence the apparent meaning of the texts that described him as a disbeliever, and the words of ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq al-‘Uqayli: The Companions of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not think that failing to do any action constituted disbelief except in the case of prayer. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2622); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi  See also the answer to question no. 9400  Those who differed from them narrated that there was consensus that he does not become a disbeliever. They said:  That is the consensus of the Muslims. We do not know of anyone, during any period, among those who did not pray, who was not washed or the funeral prayer was not offered for him or he was not buried in the Muslim graveyard, or his heirs were prevented from inheriting from him or he was prevented from inheriting from his Muslim relatives, if they died, and there was no separation between spouses if one of them did not pray, even though there were many such people. If (the one who does not pray) was indeed a disbeliever, then all of these rulings would have been applied. We do not know of any difference of opinion among the Muslims concerning the fact that the one who does not pray is obliged to make them up; if he was an apostate, he would not be obliged to make up his prayers and fasts (after repenting). With regard to the hadeeths which say that he is a disbeliever, they are to be understood as highlighting the seriousness of failing to pray, and likening the one who does that to the disbelievers; they are not to be understood literally. This is like the hadeeth of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “Reviling a Muslim is evildoing and fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” and “The one who drinks alcohol is like one who worships an idol” and so on. What is meant in these hadeeths is to issue a stern warning. See al-Mughni, 2/157  Such matters may be a case of ijtihaad on both sides. The first group thought that the words of ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq quoted above appeared to mean that there was consensus among the Sahaabah that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, therefore they narrated that there was consensus.  The other group thought that the actions of Muslims during all eras – namely washing the one who did not pray, offering the funeral prayer for him, burying him in the Muslim graveyard, and so on – were an indication of consensus among the Muslims that he (the one who does not pray) is not a disbeliever. And they thought that the hadeeths which appear to mean that he is a disbeliever were intended to highlight the seriousness of not praying and to warn against it. This includes the report of ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq.  The matter is one concerning which there is a difference of opinion; as the scholars differed concerning the texts and the understanding thereof, they also differed concerning what seemed to indicate that there was consensus. It cannot be said that if one group quoted shar‘i texts as evidence, how can the other group have been unaware of those texts?, because the texts were not hidden from them, but they differed in their understanding of them and the rulings they pointed to. Something similar may be said with regard to the matter of consensus; those who said that the one who does not pray is not a disbeliever are not denying these hadeeths or rejecting the words of Ibn Shaqeeq quoted above, but they think that these texts – even though the word kufr (disbelief) was used to describe the one who does not pray – do not mean that he is a disbeliever in the sense of disbelief that puts him beyond the pale of Islam. Hence this issue is one of the issues in which there a difference of opinion is acceptable.  The first group narrated that there was consensus based on the apparent meaning of the texts, of which no one disputes the soundness, and on the words of Ibn Shaqeeq and Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, and so on.  The second group narrated that there was consensus on the basis of what they saw of the actions of the ummah in all times and places.  If either of these two groups had been convinced of the other’s claim that there was consensus, and had agreed that it was well-founded, then they would have gone along with them. But the problem in this case was that neither group accepted the claim of consensus of the other.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/194309/those-who-say-that-the-one-who-does-not-pray-is-a-kaafir-and-those-who-say-that-he-is-not-a-kaafir-both-claim-that-there-is-consensus-on-their-point-of-view-how-are-we-to-understand-the-claim-of-consensus-on-both-their-parts

She is pregnant and she did not pray for nine months, then she repented. What is the ruling on her marriage?

Question You replied to my question by giving me a link to previous answer,but please i need more clarification if you could answer in person! On the day my father took my permission to marry me to my husband i just started praying,not all the prayers but prayed a couple of salats,i knew that some scholars said if a women dosent pray at all nikah is invalid so thats why i prayed only a day before my nikah,the day after my permission was sought was my nikah day and i prayed fajr and zuhur on my nikah day,and after my nikah in the next couple days i prayed 2/3 prayers altogether,after that my period started and than became lazy may Allah forgive me and stopped praying for 9 months of our marriage,i was lying to my husband he use to think i prayed before and after we got married but alhamdulilah i have started praying again now,i also got pregnant 2 months after my nikah when i was not praying and am still pregnant now and praying alhamdulilah,does this have any effect,is my nikah valid?

Praise be to Allah.The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed as to whether the one who does not pray is a kaafir, if he does not deny that it is obligatory. Some of them – and this is the view of Imam Ahmad and a number of the early generations – said that he is a kaafir in the sense of kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam, and he is to be regarded as an apostate.  The majority of scholars said that he does not become a kaafir by not praying, so long as he does not deny that it is obligatory, but he should be asked to repent for three days; if he repents, all well and good, but if he does not, he is to be executed as a hadd punishment, not on the grounds that he has become a kaafir. The more correct view is the former, which is that the one who does not pray is a kaafir. This is the view reflected in fatwas given on this website.  See also the answer to question no. 5208  Secondly:  If a person prays sometimes and not at other times, there is a difference of opinion among those who say that he is a kaafir in this case. Some of them say that he becomes a kaafir if he omits one obligatory prayer deliberately until the time for it is over. Others say that he does not become a kaafir unless he stops praying altogether. The latter is the view favored by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him). For more information, please see the answer to question no. 83165 .  Thirdly:  If you were praying before marriage, then the marriage contract is valid, and there is no problem with it.  If it so happened that you stopped praying altogether after marriage, for a period of nine months as you mentioned, then this is subject to the difference of scholarly opinion mentioned above concerning the ruling on one who does not pray. The opinion of the majority of scholars is that the one who does not pray is not deemed to be an apostate, so there is no problem, and the marriage remains valid, especially since you repented after that and adhered to praying regularly.  But according to the view of those who think that the one who does not pray becomes a kaafir and apostate, the marriage is not completely annulled because of that; rather the matter is to be left till the end of the ‘iddah. If the partner who became an apostate repents before the end of the ‘iddah, then the marriage remains as it was. But if the ‘iddah ends (without that partner having repented), then they are to be separated and the marriage is annulled.  Rather, Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] thinks that even after the end of the ‘iddah there is still an opportunity for the partners to go back to their previous marriage contract, if the one who became an apostate repents before the woman remarries.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If both or one of them becomes a kaafir after consummation of the marriage, the matter is to be left until the end of the ‘iddah and the marriage is not to be annulled yet. Rather we should wait until the ‘iddah ends. Then if they come back to Islam, the marriage remains valid. It says in ar-Rawd: If the one who became an apostate repents before (the ‘iddah) ends, then their marriage remains valid, otherwise the marriage is to be annulled from the time he apostatised.  Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] has the same opinion concerning this issue as is mentioned above about the first issue. He says: Before the end of the ‘iddah, the woman is not allowed to marry someone else; after the end of the ‘iddah she may marry someone else. But if she does not want to get married, in the hope that her husband may come back to Islam, then she is allowed that option.  End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 12/249. See also: al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 7/35  To sum up:  So long as you have repented and adhered to regular prayer, and you are still pregnant and have not yet given birth, then your marriage is valid and there is no problem with it, in sha Allah.  But what really matters here is that you learn a lesson from this, which is that prayer is too important to be ignored because of laziness or one’s own whims and desires. It is the most important physical act and is the most important thing that Allah demands of His slaves after their entering His religion.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/211897/she-is-pregnant-and-she-did-not-pray-for-nine-months-then-she-repented-what-is-the-ruling-on-her-marriage

Response concerning the hadeeth of ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit which appears to suggest that the one who does not pray does not become a disbeliever

Question I read a fatwa on your website which says that the one who does not pray out of carelessness and laziness is an apostate, whereas I came across a hadeeth which appears to contradict what you said in your fatwa: “There are five prayers that Allah has enjoined. Whoever does wudoo’ properly for them and offers them on time, bowing properly and focusing with due humility, will have a promise from Allah that He will forgive him, and whoever does not do that will not have such a promise from Allah; if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him.” Narrated by Maalik, Abu Dawood, an-Nasaa’i and Ibn Hibbaan; classed as saheeh by a number of imams (leading scholars). What we know is that Allah does not forgive the disbeliever, and the apostate is a disbeliever. So how are the words in this hadeeth, “if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him” to be interpreted?

Praise be to Allah. This hadeeth was narrated by Abu Dawood (425) and Ahmad (22196) from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “There are five prayers that Allah, may He be exalted, has enjoined. Whoever does wudoo’ properly for them and offers them on time, bowing properly and focusing with due humility, will have a promise from Allah that He will forgive him, and whoever does not do that will not have such a promise from Allah; if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.  The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “If Allah wills He will forgive him” are quoted as evidence by those who think that the one who does not pray does not become a disbeliever. They say: If the one who does not pray becomes a disbeliever, he would not come under the divine will (as mentioned here). But I respond to this argument as follows:  ~1~ the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “and whoever does not do that” refer to what precedes them, i.e., the one who does not do the five daily prayers in the manner mentioned above, namely offering them on time, bowing properly, focusing with due humility and doing wudoo’ well. The one who does not do that, by falling short with regard to any of the things mentioned above, such as delaying the prayer until the time from it is over, or not focusing with due humility or bowing properly and so on, is subject to the will of Allah, may He be exalted.  Based on that, the one who is referred to in the hadeeth is the one who prays, but he does not do the prayer properly.  The hadeeth was also narrated in a version which mentions praying regularly. Ibn Maajah (1403) narrated from Abu Qataadah ibn Rib‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he said: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said: ‘I have enjoined on your ummah five prayers and I have made a covenant with Myself that whoever prays them regularly on time, I will admit him to Paradise, and whoever does not pray them regularly, has no such covenant with Me.’” Classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that praying regularly means doing the prayer on time, as enjoined by Allah. Not praying regularly means doing the prayer after the time for it has ended. This is what is meant by neglecting the prayer in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “But then they were succeeded by generations who neglected their prayers” [Maryam 19:59]. As for giving up the prayer, that means not praying, either on time or after the time has ended.  Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Once the difference between the two matters is understood, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only described as being subject to the divine will the one who does not pray regularly, not the one who abandons prayer. Saying that they do not pray regularly implies that they pray but they do not do so regularly; it does not include those who do not pray regularly [This is how it appears in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa. Perhaps the correct version is: it does not include those who do not pray.] If it did include them (those who do not pray on time), they would undoubtedly be subject to execution as disbelievers and apostates. End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (7/615)  ~2~ It may be that the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “and whoever does not do that” refer to the one who does not offer every prayer; rather he prays sometimes and does not pray sometimes.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (2/34):  There are hadeeths that appear to contradict the hadeeths that indicate (that the one who does not pray) is a disbeliever… That includes hadeeths that speak of the matter in ambiguous terms, which should be interpreted in light of the texts that are unambiguous, such as the hadeeth of ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit (may Allah be pleased with him): “There are five prayers that Allah, may He be exalted, has enjoined. Whoever does wudoo’ properly for them and offers them on time, bowing properly and focusing with due humility, will have a promise from Allah that He will forgive him, and whoever does not do that will not have such a promise from Allah; if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him.” This may be understood as referring to the one who does not do the prayers in the manner described, which is bowing and prostrating properly and focusing with proper humility.  Or it may be understood as meaning that he does not offer all the prayers; rather he prays sometimes and does not pray sometimes.  Or it may be understood as meaning that he does not do a single one of them; rather he neglects all of them.  If the hadeeth may be interpreted in all these ways, then it is ambiguous, so it should be interpreted in a way that is in accordance with the unambiguous texts. End quote.  For more information, please see the answer to question no. 5208 and 2182  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/152359/response-concerning-the-hadeeth-of-ubaadah-ibn-as-saamit-which-appears-to-suggest-that-the-one-who-does-not-pray-does-not-become-a-disbeliever

He has repented from not praying or giving zakah; does he have to make them up?

Question I am from a Muslim background, but I never used to offer the obligatory prayers and even when I tried to pray once, I did not do it right. In other words I did not prepare to do it in the proper manner. I ask Allah to forgive me. I heard that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever and is not a Muslim, but whoever offers the five daily prayers, or one or two of them and omits the rest, is regarded as a Muslim. Also, I did not pay zakah on my wealth, but for at least two years I have completed the fast of Ramadan, and I intend to continue doing so. I want to learn how to pray and make it part of my life, along with other acts of worship. Is it obligatory for me to pay zakah for all these many years (when I did not pay it), and to make up the days that I did not fast at the time when I was not praying? Please note that I have now reached the age of thirty-one years; perhaps you will understand that this may cause me a great deal of hardship; to ward off that hardship, can I start over? Will Allah forgive me if I do that?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  We praise Allah for having blessed you with guidance and enabled you to repent sincerely from the state of shortcomings and negligence you had been in. We ask Allah to complete His blessing upon you and to make you steadfast in adhering to the straight path.  With regard to making up acts of worship that you did not do, such as prayer and fasting, there are two scholarly opinions. Some of the scholars think that it is obligatory to make them up; this is the view of the majority.  Some scholars do not think that the one who did not pray is obliged to make up the prayers that he missed, based on the view that he was a disbeliever (at the time when he was not praying), so when he repents he is in effect becoming Muslim, which erases all sins that came before it.  Other scholars do not think that the one who deliberately did not pray has to make up those prayers, regardless of whether it is said that he was a disbeliever at that time or not, because the text only speaks of the one who is excused because he fell asleep and missed the prayer or he forgot it.  The correct view on the issue of one who fails to fast or pray with no excuse is that he does not have to make up what he did not do; rather what he must do is repent, and pray and fast regularly from now on. It is mustahabb for him to do a lot of naafil (supererogatory) acts of worship, fasting and prayers, in the hope that Allah will accept his repentance.  Requiring the one who has repented to make up what he has missed makes it very hard to repent and puts people off it. But the one who repents must do a lot of righteous deeds, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82].  See also the answer to question no. 91411   Secondly:  If we determine that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, then in the case of one who does not give zakah as well as not praying, one of the following must apply:  1.Either he stopped praying before zakah became due from him. In this case, if he repents from not praying, then he does not have to make up the zakah that he did not pay, because one of the conditions of zakah being obligatory is that one should be a Muslim, but this person was not a Muslim at the time when zakah became due from him, so he does not have to make it up; 2.Or he stopped praying after zakah became due from him. In this case there is a difference of opinion among the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) as to whether he is obliged to make it up after repentance or not.  Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he apostatized before one year had passed, and the year [for paying zakah] ended when he was still an apostate, then he does not have to pay zakah, because being Muslim is one of the conditions of zakah being obligatory. The fact that he was not Muslim for part of the year means that zakah is waived, because being Muslim is one of the conditions of zakah being obligatory, along with ownership and the nisaab (minimum threshold). If he comes back to Islam before the year has ended, the year (for zakah)starts anew, for the reasons we have mentioned. Ahmad said: If an apostate becomes Muslim again, and one year has passed since his wealth came into his possession, then it is his, and he does not have to pay zakah until one full year passes after he became a Muslim again, because he was not required to give zakah (when he was not a Muslim).  But if he apostatised after one year had passed, zakah is not waived in his case. This is the view of ash-Shaafa‘i. Abu Haneefah said: It is waived, because one of the conditions of zakah is having the intention (niyyah) to give it. So it is waived in the case of apostasy, just as prayer is also waived.  We say that it is what is due from wealth, so it is not waived in the case of apostasy, just as debts are not waived. End quote from al-Mughni (2/348-349)  It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (23/234-235): With regard to the apostate, if he apostatized after one year had passed since his wealth reached the nisaab (minimum threshold), then zakah is not waived according to the Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis, because it is something that is due from wealth, so it is not waived in the case of apostasy, just as debts are not waived. The ruler should take it from his wealth just as zakah is taken from the Muslim who withholds it. Then if he becomes Muslim again after that, he does not have to pay zakah again.  The Hanafis are of the view that in the case of apostasy, zakah on wealth owned by the apostate before he apostatised is waived, because one of its conditions is that one should have the intention (niyyah) of paying zakah at the time of giving it. The intention is an act of worship, but he is a disbeliever, so it does not count; therefore it is waived in the case of apostasy, just as prayer is also waived; this also applies on zakah on produce of the land.  But if he apostatised before one year had passed since his wealth reached the nisaab (minimum threshold), then it is not proven that he is obliged to pay it, according to the majority of Hanafis and Hanbalis; this is also one view among the Shaafa‘is. End quote.  To sum up with regard to zakah:  If he failed to pay any of it when he was still praying, and it was only because he was lazy or miserly, then he must pay what he did not pay of zakah at that time. The debt owed to Allah is more deserving of being paid off.  But if he did not pay zakah at the same time as he did not pray, then he must repent to Allah from that, give up this negligence, and start doing righteous deeds, in the hope that Allah may forgive him and expiate what he did in the past. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief) their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning)” [al-Anfaal 8:38]. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him), when he swore allegiance to him and pledged to follow Islam: “Do you not know that Islam erases whatever came before it.”  All of this applies if he stopped praying altogether. But if he used to pray sometimes and did not pray sometimes, then we have previously stated on our website that we favour the view that he is not to be regarded as a disbeliever in this case; as he was not a disbeliever, he is definitely obliged to pay what he failed to pay of zakah, because it is a debt that he owes, and this obligation cannot be discharged except by paying it.  This applies if he knows that he possessed wealth that reached the nisaab at that time and one (hijri) year had passed since acquiring it, but he did not pay zakah on it. But if he did not have any wealth, or he had wealth but it did not reach the nisaab, or it reached the nisaab but one year did not pass since then, then he is not obliged to pay zakah on any of it.  A similar case is if he is not sure whether he possessed the wealth or whether it reached the nisaab; the basic principle is that he does not owe anything.  With regard to prayer, there is a considerable difference of scholarly opinion in cases such as this. The view of the majority is also that he must make up what he missed, and undoubtedly this is more prudent and more likely to be on the safe side.  We ask Allah to help us and you to obey Him and to protect us from the evils of our own selves, for He is Munificent, Most Generous.  The following are some answers having to do with encouragement to offer the prayers and have patience in doing so. Please see questions no. 99139 and 47123  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/197247/he-has-repented-from-not-praying-or-giving-zakah-does-he-have-to-make-them-up

Her husband’s father does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory; how should she interact with him?

Question I have received a marriage proposal from a religious man whose religious commitment and character are pleasing to me, buat his father does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory. But the problem is the family living arrangements, i.e., I would be living in the family home with his father. So how should I interact with him? Are there any guidelines on interacting with him, or would he be like any other mahram except that he does not pray? In other words: is it permissible to eat and drink with him and to uncover in front of him? Please note that I wear niqab.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  The father mentioned in the question, who does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory, is a kaafir (disbeliever) in the sense of major kufr that puts him beyond the pale of Islam; there is no difference of opinion concerning that among any of the scholars. Such a thing can almost never be done except by stubborn atheists, such as communists and secularists. Whoever denies anything of that which was brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) becomes a disbeliever thereby. If the matter has to do with prayer and other pillars of Islam and its major fundamentals, then that is even worse, because there is no excuse for the one who denies and rejects it, as it is so well known and people grow up in Muslim countries knowing that and respecting it, even those who do not do it. Hence no one would dare to deny that it is obligatory and reject it except one who has gone to extremes in disbelief and stubbornness – Allah forbid.  Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah – may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The sin of the apostates is worse before Allah, and in the eyes of His Messenger and the believers, than one who is originally a disbeliever, in several ways. These people are definitely to be executed so long as they do not come back to that which they have left; it is not permissible to make any treaty or peace deal with them or to offer them safety, or to free their prisoners or ransom them in exchange for money or in a prisoner exchange; it is not permissible to eat meat slaughtered by them, or to marry their women or to take them as slaves so long as they remain apostates, according to scholarly consensus. Both their fighters and those who are not fighters – such as old men, the blind and the chronically ill – are to be executed, according to scholarly consensus; that also applies to their women, according to the majority of scholars.  In the case of one who is originally a disbeliever, it is permissible to enter into treaties with him and grant him security; it is permissible to show kindness to him and to ransom him if he is a prisoner, according to the majority of scholars. If he is one of the People of the Book, it is permissible to offer them protection under Muslim rule, and to eat their food and marry their women, and their women are not to be fought and killed unless they take part in the fighting in word or in deed, according to scholarly consensus. Similarly, none of them are to be executed except those who are fighters, according to the majority of scholars, as is indicated by the Sunnah. The disbeliever who is an apostate is worse in terms of religion and worldly standing than the disbeliever who remains a disbeliever. End quote. Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (28/413-414)  Secondly:  If the father is as you described him, then we do not advise you to agree to marry his son, unless he will provide you with separate accommodation that is far away from this father. In fact that is the basic and natural requirement: that you should get married and have your own accommodation, separate from his family and your family.  The fact that the husband is staying in the family home and living with this father as if nothing happened, and as if he has not committed this grave action (of denying and forsaking prayer), cannot be overlooked. Rather he should exhort him to fear Allah and rebuke him for his disbelief and misguidance. Then if he persists in it, he should leave him and avoid mixing with him, and he should protect his wife and children from him, so long as he remains an apostate.  Please see also the answer to question no. 141680  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/150031/her-husbands-father-does-not-pray-because-he-denies-that-it-is-obligatory-how-should-she-interact-with-him

If the spouses were not praying at the time of the marriage contract, do they have to renew the marriage contract?

Question If a man did the marriage contract at a time when he was not praying, and the husband and wife, the wife’s father, and the two witnesses also were not praying, and the one who did the marriage contract did not do it in the correct manner, rather he did it in a language other than Arabic and he did not recite the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith) or say the words of the marriage contract, what is the ruling on this marriage? Is this marriage regarded as legitimate or not? If they have repented from not praying and have begun to pray, should they do a new marriage contract, or is the old marriage contract regarded as Islamically acceptable?

Praise be to Allah.If the one who does not pray does not do so because he is denying that it is obligatory, then he is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus. But if he does not pray because he is heedless and lazy, then he is a kaafir according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. Please see the answer to questions no. 5208 and 2182.  If the husband and wife were not praying at the time of the marriage contract, then they repented and began to pray, then they remain married on the basis of the original marriage contract, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ruled that people remained married on the basis of non-Muslim marriage contracts, and he did not instruct them to repeat the marriage contract after they became Muslim,. Also, the Sahaabah did not instruct those who came back to Islam after apostatising to renew their marriage contracts.  Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The marriage contracts of the kuffaar are valid and approved if they become Muslim … there is no need to examine the form of their marriage contracts or how they were done, and they are not subject to the same conditions as Muslim marriages, namely the presence of the wali (wife’s guardian) and witnesses, and the proposal and acceptance, and so on. There is no difference of opinion among the Muslims concerning this matter. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that if the two spouses become Muslim together at the same time, they remain married on the basis of their original marriage contract, so long as they are not mahrams through blood ties or breastfeeding. Many people became Muslim at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as did their wives; their marriages were approved and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not ask them about the conditions of marriage or the nature of their marriage contract. This is something that is well-known from mutawaatir reports, so it is certain. End quote from al-Mughni, 10/5  It says in Mataalib Ooli an-Nuha (5/13):  Note: if an apostate marries a kaafir apostate woman or the like, or an apostate woman marries a kaafir man, then both spouses become Muslim, what should be said in this case is that we accept their marriage, just as in the case of the harbi (non-Muslim whose people are in a state of war with the Muslims), if his marriage was not done properly, then they (he and his wife) become Muslim. The matter is the same. Apostates came back to Islam at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his successors (i.e., the Rightly Guided Caliphs) and they were not instructed to renew their marriage contracts. This is a good analogy, and was stated by Shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen (i.e., Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah). End quote.  The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: I used to pray only rarely, and during that period of my life I got married. Now, praise be to Allah, I pray regularly and I have done Hajj and have repented to Allah, but I do not know what is the ruling on my marriage, is it valid or not? What should I do if it is not valid? Please note that I have five children from my wife.  They replied: If your wife was like you at the time of the marriage contract and did not pray, or she only prayed sometimes, then the marriage is valid and it does not have to be renewed, because you were equal in terms of the ruling having to do with not praying, which is (that the one who does not pray) is a kaafir. However, if the your at the time of the marriage contract prayed regularly, then what you must do is renew the marriage contract according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, if both of you still want to be married to the other. It is also essential to repent from not praying and to pray regularly in future.  With regard to the children who were born before the renewal of the marriage contract, they are legitimate and are to be attributed to their father because the marriage appeared to be valid.  We ask Allah to set your affairs straight and to guide you to all that is good. And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.  Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 18/290  Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: But if both of them did not pray at the time of the marriage contract, then Allah guided them and they began to pray regularly, then the marriage contract is valid. This is similar to the case of disbelievers who become Muslim; their marriage contract does not need to be renewed if there is no shar‘i impediment to the continuation of the marriage, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct the disbelievers who became Muslim at the time of the conquest of Makkah and so on to renew their marriage contracts. End quote from Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 10/291  Based on that, if the spouses have repented from not praying and they have started to pray, they do not need to repeat the marriage contract; rather their original marriage contract remains valid.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/118752/if-the-spouses-were-not-praying-at-the-time-of-the-marriage-contract-do-they-have-to-renew-the-marriage-contract

Ruling on one who offers an udhiyah but does not pray

Question What is the ruling on one who offers an udhiyah but does not pray; is that right?

Praise be to Allah. In the answers to questions no. 5208 and 9400 we stated that not praying constitutes kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam. Based on that, any good deed done by one who does not pray will not benefit him and will not be accepted from him.  Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:  With regard to fasting when one does not pray, it is of no value or benefit, and it is not valid if one does not pray. No matter what other acts of obedience a person may do, they will not benefit him so long as he does not pray, because the one who does not pray is a kaafir, and the good deeds of the kaafir are not accepted from him. So there is no benefit in fasting if one does not pray. End quote.  Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan (39/16)  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  If a person fasts but does not pray, no fasting will be accepted from him, because he is a kaafir and an apostate, and no zakaah, charity or any other righteous deeds will be accepted from him, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)); and that they came not to As-Salat (the prayer) except in a lazy state; and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly” [at-Tawbah 9:54].  If their contributions – which refers to benefitting others – are not accepted from the disbelievers, then it is more appropriate that acts of worship, the benefit which is limited only to the doer, should not be accepted either. Based on that, the one who fasts but does not pray is a kaafir, Allah forbid, and his fasting is invalid. Likewise, none of his righteous deeds will be accepted from him. End quote. Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (124/32).  If the one who does not pray wants to offer an udhiyah, then he has to repent to Allah, first of all, for not praying. If he does not do that, and he persists in his ways, then he will not be rewarded for that sacrifice and it will not be accepted from him. If he does the slaughtering himself, then it comes under the heading of maytah (“dead meat”, from an animal that was found dead) and it is not permissible to eat from it, because meat slaughtered by an apostate comes under the heading of maytah and is haraam.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  If a man who does not pray slaughters an animal, that meat cannot be eaten. Why? Because it is haraam. But if a Jew or a Christian slaughters an animal, that meat is permissible for us to eat. So the meat slaughtered by (the one who does not pray) – Allah forbid – is more unclean than meat slaughtered by the Jews and Christians. End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (12/45)  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/159645/ruling-on-one-who-offers-an-udhiyah-but-does-not-pray

Fard (obligatory) prayer takes precedence over nafl (supererogatory) prayer, carries more weight, and it is greater in reward

Question In our country, some Ulamas says that if we don’t perform on rakat salah, we have to be in Jahannam for X number of years… I forgot what number of years they say but it is like several million years against one single rakat. Would you please let me know whether there is any hadith as such? Also let me know whether there is any hadith mentioning the weight of Fard salat, sunnat salat and nafal salat… as it is said that farad salat is more havier than sunnat salar and sunnat salat is more havier than nafal salat…?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: Omitting the prayer is one of the gravest of major sins. Whoever omits a prayer deliberately – even a single obligatory prayer – has exposed himself to the wrath, anger and punishment of Allah. In fact, some scholars are of the view that the one who omits a single prayer, with no excuse, until the time for it has ended, is a disbeliever. See questions no. 39818 and 47123. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no difference of opinion among the Muslims that omitting an obligatory prayer deliberately is one of the worst and gravest of major sins. The sin of that is greater than the sin of murder or seizing wealth unlawfully, and greater than the sin of zina, theft or drinking alcohol. The one who does that is exposed to the punishment and wrath of Allah, and to disgrace in this world and the hereafter. End quote. As-Salaah wa Ahkaam Taarikiha (p. 31). Secondly: We do not know of any hadith from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or of any report from his companions (may Allah be pleased with them), that defines the extent or duration of the punishment in hell to which the one who does not pray exposes himself, whether he omits a single obligatory prayer or more than that. The famous hadith that is well-known and often quoted by the common folk, which says that the one who omits a single prayer deliberately in this world and does not make it up will make it up on the floor of Hell, is baseless. But it is essential to note that the one who omits a single obligatory prayer is committing a grave action and is exposing himself to severe punishment. According to some of the scholars he is a disbeliever who is beyond the pale of Islam, as stated above. Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah and other Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) that whoever omits a single obligatory prayer deliberately, until the time for it has ended, is a disbeliever and apostate. End quote from al-Muhalla (2/15). The Permanent Committee, headed by Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him), issued fatwas on this basis. Fataawa al-Lajnah (6/40, 50). See the answers to questions no. 83165 and 210371. So the Muslim should beware of being heedless with regard to the prayer, and he should fear the punishment of Allah, no matter how long or short it may last, for if a person owned everything in the world, and as much again, he would give it to ransom himself from the touch of the fire. Muslim (2807) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The most affluent of the people in this world, of those who will go to Hell, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and dipped once in the Fire. Then it will be said: O son of Adam, did you ever see anything good? Did you ever have any pleasure? He will say: No, by Allah, O Lord. Then the most destitute of the people in this world, of those who will enter Paradise, will be brought and dipped once in Paradise, and it will be said to him: O son of Adam, did you ever see anything bad? Did you ever experience any hardship? He will say: No, by Allah, O Lord. I never saw anything bad and I never experienced any hardship.” Whoever is heedless about the issue of prayer, if Allah decrees punishment for him on the Day of Resurrection – Allah forbid – no one knows how long he will remain subject to that punishment except Allah. Thirdly: No specific person can be deemed to be in hell except on the basis of a shar‘i text. So it cannot be said of any specific person who did not pray that he is in hell because of his not praying, because he may have repented. The things that may prevent the specific punishment from befalling the sinners among those who affirm the oneness of Allah are many; they may be ten or more, as was mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim, and other scholars. Rather what we must do is enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, advise the Muslims sincerely, and warn against heedlessness with regard to religious obligations, rituals and rulings. Fourthly: The obligatory prayer takes precedence over nafl (supererogatory) prayer. Nafl prayer is Sunnah prayer, and there are confirmed Sunnah prayers (Sunnah mu’akkadah) and Sunnah prayers which are not confirmed. The confirmed Sunnah prayers include the twelve regular (rawaatib) rak‘ahs, the prayer for rain (aalaat al-istisqaa’), Taraaweeh prayer, and the eclipse prayer (salaat al-khusoof). Sunnah prayers which are not confirmed include four rak‘ahs before ‘Asr, two rak‘ahs before Maghrib, and two rak‘ahs after doing wudoo’. The confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) prayers are of greater virtue, are more important, bring a greater reward and carry more weight than the unconfirmed Sunnah prayers. All the Sunnah prayers are not obligatory, so one is not sinning by omitting them. The obligatory (fard) prayer is compulsory, and the one who omits it is sinning. It is of greater virtue, more important, brings a greater reward and carries more weight than the Sunnah prayers, both confirmed and unconfirmed. Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (6502) that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily Allah says: ‘Whoever shows enmity to one who is close to Me, I shall be at war with him. My slave does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties that I have enjoined upon him, and My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask something of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.” An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is well-known that the reward for an obligatory prayer is greater than the reward for a nafl prayer, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said [in the hadith qudsi quoted above]: “My slave does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties that I have enjoined upon him.” End quote. Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim (7/92). Al-Haafiz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: From this it may be understood that performing obligatory religious duties is the dearest of deeds to Allah. At-Toofi said: The command to do obligatory duties is definite, and failing to do them leads to punishment, unlike nafl deeds, even though in both cases there will be reward (for doing the deeds). However, the obligatory duties are of a higher standing, therefore they are dearer to Allah, may He be exalted, and bring one closer to Him. Moreover, the obligatory duties are like the root and foundation, and the nafl deeds are like the branches and structure. Doing the obligatory duties in the manner enjoined is complying with the command and showing respect and veneration to the One Who issued the command, by submitting to Him, and is a demonstration of the greatness of the Lord and the humility of the slave; therefore drawing close to Allah by means of that is the greatest of deeds. End quote. Fath al-Baari (11/343). But the Muslim must strive hard to regularly offer the Sunnah prayers, because they will make up for any shortfall in the obligatory prayers. At-Tirmidhi (413) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: The first of his deeds for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is good, then he will have succeeded and prospered, but if it is lacking, then he will have lost and failed. If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayer, the Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Look and see, does My slave have any voluntary prayers, which could make up for what is lacking from his obligatory prayer? Then all of his deeds will be dealt with in a similar manner. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/286728/fard-obligatory-prayer-takes-precedence-over-nafl-supererogatory-prayer-carries-more-weight-and-it-is-greater-in-reward

Should one who does not pray be treated as an apostate?

Question Should one who does not pray be treated as an apostate with regard to marriage, eating meat slaughtered by him, inheritance and so on?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: The issue of the ruling on one who does not pray out of laziness and carelessness is one of the most well-known issues concerning which there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. There are two well-known scholarly views concerning this matter: The first view is that he is Muslim, but he is an evildoer and sinner. This is the view of the majority of fuqaha. Based on this view, the one who does not pray is to be treated as a Muslim who is an evildoer, in all matters. The second view is that he is a disbeliever in the sense of major kufr [i.e., he is beyond the fold of Islam]. We have previously discussed this ruling in more than one answer on this website, quoting the evidence for it, and stating that we favour the view that he is a disbeliever if he completely abandons the salah (ie, never prays). Nevertheless, this is one of the matters concerning which there is a considerable difference of opinion among the scholars, and there should be no blame on any scholar who favours either of these two views, so long as he has striven to work out the ruling (ijtihad), if he is one of those who are qualified to engage in ijtihad, or he is following a scholar of that calibre. See the answers to questions no. 2182, 5208, 194309. Secondly: Based on what has been mentioned concerning the considerable difference of opinion as to whether the one who does not pray is a disbeliever or not, the issue of whether to treat him as an apostate is subject to further discussion: -1- If he is from a country where the well-known opinion, and the fatwas of the scholars whose fatwas are relied upon, state that the one who does not pray is Muslim but is a sinner, who is not beyond the fold of Islam, then he is to be treated according to the view of the scholars in his country. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he grew up in a country where they do not think that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, and this opinion is the best-known and prevalent opinion among them, then he is not to be deemed a disbeliever, because he is following the scholars in his country, just as he is not to be regarded as a sinner for doing a haraam deed that the scholars in his country do not think is haraam, because the duty of the ordinary Muslim is to follow [the scholars], as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” [an-Nahl 16:43]. And Allah is the source of strength. End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/138). -2- But if he is in a country where the well-known view of the scholars and their fatwas state that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, Then when it comes to matters having to do with the rights of others, such as annulling his marriage, preventing him from inheriting, cancelling his guardianship and so on, he is not to be treated as an apostate in such matters until after the shar‘i judge (qadi) has ruled that he is an apostate. This is in accordance with the view of the Hanbalis, who say that the one who does not pray is not deemed to be a disbeliever until after the qadi has issued a ruling to that effect. Ibn an-Najjar said: Whoever does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory has disbelieved; in other words, he has become an apostate and the ruling concerning him is the same as the ruling on all those who apostatise from Islam.… The same ruling applies if he does not pray out of carelessness or laziness, but in this case the ruling is to be applied after the leader or his deputy has urged him to pray but he refuses to do so, until there is not enough time left to offer the prayer that is currently due. In that case he is to be executed, as was stated by Imam Ahmad, because he has disbelieved. This is the view favoured by the majority. End quote from Ma‘oonah Ooli an-Nuha Sharh al-Muntaha (1/454). Al-Mirdawi said: The one who should urge him to pray is the leader or his deputy. If he omitted many prayers before being urged to pray, then he is not to be executed or deemed to be a disbeliever, according to the correct view. This is the view of the majority of our companions, and was stated definitively by many of them. End quote from al-Insaf fi Ma‘rifat ar-Rajih min al-Khilaf (1/401). With regard to personal matters, such as offering the funeral prayer for him and praying for mercy for him after he dies, eating meat slaughtered by him, and so on, in such matters each person should act according to what he believes and what he thinks is most likely to be correct regarding this matter. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/285977/should-one-who-does-not-pray-be-treated-as-an-apostate

When is a person regarded as neglecting prayer, and what is the ruling on him?

Question Persons who are “not praying at all” are considered non-Muslims. Are those praying only during Eid’l Fitr, Eid’l Adha , and sometimes every Friday and / or sometimes during one of the five daily prayers fall in the term “not praying at all” hence they are considered as non-Muslims? How is “not praying at all” construed or interpreted?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  The one who neglects prayer is one who does not pray at all, and he is a kaafir regardless of whether that is due to laziness or denying that the prayer is obligatory, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. This is based on a great deal of evidence, some of which has been mentioned in the answer to question no. 5208.  Secondly:  If a person is not omitting all prayers, rather he prays sometimes and does not pray sometimes, then those who say that the one who does not pray is a kaafir differed in this case. Some of them said that he is a kaafir if he deliberately does not offer an obligatory prayer until the time for it is over on one occasion; so the one who deliberately does not pray Fajr until the sun has risen becomes a kaafir, and the one who deliberately does not pray Zuhr until the sun sets becomes a kaafir, because Zuhr may be joined with ‘Asr, so the time for both is the same, when one has an excuse; and the same applies to Maghrib and ‘Isha’, the one who deliberately does not pray Maghrib until the time for ‘Isha’ ends becomes a kaafir.  Some of them say that he does not become a kaafir unless he fails to pray permanently.  Imam Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I heard Ishaaq say: It was narrated in a saheeh report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that the one who does not pray is a kaafir. This was also the view of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) until the present, that the one who deliberately does not pray with no excuse, until the time for the prayer ends, becomes a kaafir. Until the time ends means delaying Zuhr until sunset or delaying Maghrib until dawn comes.  The end of the time for prayer is described thus because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) joined two prayers in ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah, and when travelling, so he prayed one of them at the time of the other. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did the first prayer at the time of the second in one case, or the second at the time of the first in another case, the time for both became the same in cases where there is an excuse. Hence if a menstruating woman becomes pure before sunset, she is enjoined to pray both Zuhr and ‘Asr, and if she becomes pure at the end of the night she is enjoined to pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’. End quote from Ta’zeem Qadr al-Salaah (2/929).  Ibn Hazm (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We have narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him), Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Ibn Mas’ood, a number of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and from Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on them)and from other Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them),a total of seventeen, that the one who deliberately and knowingly does not offer an obligatory prayer until the time for it has ended becomes a kaafir and apostate. This is the view of ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Maajishoon, the companion of Maalik, and of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Habeeb al-Andaloosi and others. End quote from al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Ahwa’ wa’l-Nihal (3/128).  And he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah and others among the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) that the one who deliberately does not offer an obligatory prayer once, until the time for it has ended, is a kaafir and an apostate. End quote from al-Muhalla (2/15). Fatwas based on this view have been issued by the Standing Committee, under the leadership of Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him). Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (6/40, 50).  Among those who have issued fatwas stating that the one who does not pray is not a kaafir unless he stops praying altogether or permanently is Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him). He was asked about a person who prays sometimes and does not pray at other times. Is he a kaafir?  He replied: It seems to me that he is not a kaafir unless he does not pray at all. As for one who prays sometimes, he is not a kaafir because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” He did not say “giving up a prayer” (tarku salaatin) rather he said “giving up [the] prayer” (tark al-salaah). This implies not praying altogether. Similarly he said: “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Based on that we say: The one who prays sometimes and does not pray sometimes is not a kaafir. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (12/55).  But he was asked about one who only prays Jumu’ah (Friday prayer) and he replied: He only prays Jumu’ah? Why does he only pray Jumu’ah?  The questioner said: That is his habit.  He replied: If it is his habit then he does not believe that his prayer is an act of worship. So he prays Jumu’ah out of habit and he gets dressed and makes himself look good and puts on perfume and goes. Even if I do not think that anyone is a kaafir except the one who does not pray at all, I would still have doubts about this man’s Islam, because he is taking Jumu’ah prayer as a special occasion only, and he dresses up and goes to meet people, when he is wearing perfume and dressed up. I doubt whether he is still Muslim. According to the opinion of our Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez he is a kaafir. End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab il-Maftooh.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/83165/when-is-a-person-regarded-as-neglecting-prayer-and-what-is-the-ruling-on-him

Is the Calamity of One Who Doesn’t Pray Greater than that of Iblis?

Question Is it valid to say that the calamity of one who does not pray is greater than the calamity that befell Iblis, because Iblis refused to prostrate to Adam, and the one who does not pray has refused to prostrate to the Lord of Adam?

Praise be to Allah.The meaning of this phrase is not correct for several reasons: When Iblis disobeyed by not prostrating to Adam , he was not disobeying the command of Adam (peace be upon him); rather he was disobeying the command of Allah, may He be exalted. Thus he was no less an evildoer than the one who disobeys the command of Allah, may He be exalted, to pray . Hence he became a disbeliever (kafir), because he did not prostrate. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):  {And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblis. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.} [al-Baqarah 2:34] Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Prostrating to anyone other than Allah, if it is done in response to the command of Allah, is an act of worship, because Allah, may He be exalted, has the right to rule however He wills. Hence when Iblis refused to do that, he became one of the disbelievers.” (Tafsir Surat al-Baqarah, p. 126) When Iblis disobeyed Allah, may He be exalted, that was accompanied by objection to the command of Allah, may He be exalted, and being too arrogant to obey Him. Undoubtedly this is worse and is more contrary to the veneration of Allah, may He be exalted, which is the foundation of faith. As Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {[Allah] said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” [Satan] said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” [Allah] said, “Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased”.} [al-A'raf 7:12-13] The disobedience of Iblis is worse, because the proof against him was greater. He saw of the might of Allah, may He be exalted, and the greatness of His authority that which the one who does not pray has not seen. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The severity of disbelief (kufr ) which leads to severity of punishment is due to three reasons… The second of which is: deliberately going to extremes in stubbornness and misguidance despite being convinced, such as the disbelief of those who accepted in their hearts that the Messenger was true because of what they saw of the signs of his truthfulness, but they disbelieved out of stubbornness and resentment, such as the people of Thamud, the people of Pharaoh and the Jews who recognized the Messenger as they recognised their own sons, and the disbelief of Abu Jahl, Umayyah ibn Abi’s-Salt and their ilk.” (Tariq al-Hijratayn, 2/895) It is clear from what we have mentioned in the answer that this is not to underestimate the issue of not praying, for the evidence of the Quran and Sunnah, and the consensus of the Sahabah, indicate that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever , and that he has no share of Islam. However, disbelief (kufr) is of varying levels, some of which are more serious than others, just as some types of evil are less grievous than others. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/354201/is-the-calamity-of-one-who-doesnt-pray-greater-than-that-of-iblis

Punishment for Apostasy in Islam

Question I am happy to have found this website of yours. I was born a Muslim and I learned a lot of Islamic teachings after I reached adolescence. I am trying to understand my religion. I have read in some of your answers on the issue of apostasy that the punishment for the apostate is to be put to death. But I have read on another website that the apostate who is to be put to death is the one who wages war on Islam (Muharib). I am more inclined towards the second opinion. The reason for that is that I have friends who were born in Muslim families and who have Muslim names, but some of them do not know how to do Wudu or how to pray, but they acknowledge the Shahadatayn. Can we regard these people as apostates and thus put them to death?

Praise be to Allah.The Primacy of Quran and Sunnah in Islamic Rulings The Muslim should not incline more towards one scholarly opinion rather than another just because it is in accordance with his whims and desires or his reasoning. Rather he has to accept the ruling based on evidence from the Quran and Sunnah. It is essential to put the texts and rulings of Shari`ah before all else. What is apostasy? Apostasy (Riddah) and going out of Islam are things that may be done in the heart, on the tongue or in one’s actions. Forms of apostasy Apostasy may take place in the heart, such as disbelieving in Allah, or believing that there is another creator alongside Allah, or hating Allah or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Apostasy may take the form of words spoken on the tongue, such as defaming Allah or the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Or apostasy may take the form of outward physical actions, such as prostrating to an idol, mistreating the Mus-haf, or not praying. The apostate (Murtadd) is worse than one who is a disbeliever in the first place. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, refuting the pantheistic belief of the Batinis: It is well known that the disbelieving Tatars are better than these (Batinis), because the latter are apostates from Islam, of the worst type of apostates. The apostate is worse than one who is a disbeliever in the first place in many aspects. (End quote from Majmu` Al-Fatawa, 1/193) Circumstances That Excuse a Muslim from Being Declared a Disbeliever Not every Muslim who falls into disbelief is a disbeliever and apostate. There are reasons why a Muslim may be excused and not judged to be a disbeliever, for example: ignorance, misunderstanding, being forced, and making mistakes. With regard to the first, a man may be ignorant of the ruling of Allah, because he lives far from the Muslim lands, such as one who grows up in the desert or in a disbeliever land, or has only recently come to Islam. This may include many of those Muslims who live in societies where ignorance prevails and knowledge is scarce. These are the ones concerning whom the questioner is confused as to whether they are to be judged as disbelievers and executed. The second reason is if a person interprets the ruling of Allah in a manner not intended by the Lawgiver, such as those who blindly follow the people of Bid`ah (innovation) in their misinterpretations, such as the Murji’ah, Mu`tazilah, Khawarij and the like. The third reason is if an oppressor overwhelms a Muslim and will not let him go until he makes a blatant statement of disbelief out loud in order to ward off the torture, when his heart is at ease with faith. The fourth is when words of disbelief come to one’s lips without meaning it. Not everyone who is ignorant about Wudu and prayer can be excused, when he sees the Muslims establishing prayer and praying regularly, and he can read and hear the verses on prayer. What is preventing him from praying or from asking about how it is done and what its essential conditions are? Punishment for Apostasy in Islam The apostate is not to be put to death immediately after he falls into apostasy, especially if his apostasy happens because of some doubt that arose. Rather he should be asked to repent and he should be offered the opportunity to return to Islam and resolve his doubts, if he has any doubts. Then if he persists in his apostasy after that, he is to be put to death. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Mughni (9/18): The apostate should not be put to death until he has been asked to repent three times. This is the view of the majority of scholars, including `Umar, `Ali, `Ata’, An-Nakh`i, Malik, Ath-Thawri, Al-Awza`i, Is-haq and others. Because apostasy comes about because of doubt, and cannot be dispelled in an instant. Time should be allowed for the person to rethink the matter, and the best length of time is three days.End quote. The authentic Sunnah indicates that it is essential to put the apostate to death. Al-Bukhari (6922) narrated that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion, put him to death.” Al-Bukhari (6484) and Muslim (1676) narrated that `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a previously-married person who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and separates from the main body of the Muslims.” The general meaning of these Hadiths indicates that it is essential to put the apostate to death whether he is waging war on Islam (Muharib) or not. The view that the apostate who is to be put to death is the one who is waging war on Islam (Muharib) only is contrary to these Hadith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the reason why he should be put to death is his apostasy, not his waging war against Islam. Verbal vs. Physical War Against Islam: Which Is More Harmful? Undoubtedly, some kinds of apostasy are more abhorrent than others, and the apostasy of one who wages war against Islam is more abhorrent than that of anyone else. Hence some of the scholars differentiated between them, and said that it is not essential to ask the Muharib to repent or to accept his repentance; rather he should be put to death even if he repents, whereas the repentance of one who is not a Muharib should be accepted and he should not be put to death. This is the view favoured by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). He said: Apostasy is of two types: ordinary apostasy and extreme apostasy, for which execution is prescribed. In both cases there is evidence that it is essential to execute the apostate, but the evidence indicating that the sentence of death may be waived if the person repents does not apply to both types of apostasy. Rather the evidence indicates that that is allowed only in the first case – i.e., ordinary apostasy – as will be clear to anyone who studies the evidence that speaks about accepting the repentance of the apostate. In the second type – i.e., extreme apostasy – the obligation to put the apostate to death still stands, and there is no text or scholarly consensus to indicate that the death sentence may be waived. The two cases are quite different and there is no comparison between them. It does not say in the Quran or Sunnah, or according to scholarly consensus, that everyone who apostatizes in word or deed may be spared the death sentence if he repents after he is captured and tried. Rather the Quran and Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, differentiate between the different kinds of apostates. (End quote from As-Sarim Al-Maslul, 3/696) Al-Hallaj was one of the most well-known heretics who were put to death without being asked to repent. Al-Qadi `Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Maliki jurists of Baghdad at the time of Al-Muqtadir unanimously agreed that Al-Hallaj should be killed and crucified because of his claim to divinity and his belief in incarnation, and his saying “I am Al-Haqq [God],” even though he outwardly appeared to adhere to Shari`ah, and they did not accept his repentance. (End quote from Ash-Shifa bi Ta`rif Huquq Al-Mustafa, 2/1091) Based on this, it is clear that what the questioner says about the apostate not being killed unless he is waging war on Islam is mistaken, and the differentiation that we have quoted from Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) may dispel any confusion and make the matter clearer. Waging war against Islam is not limited only to fighting with weapons, rather it may be done verbally such as defaming Islam or the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or attacking the Quran, and so on. Waging verbal war against Islam may be worse than waging war against it with weapons in some cases. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muharabah (waging war against Islam) is of two types: physical and verbal. Waging war verbally against Islam may be worse than waging war physically – as stated above – hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to kill those who waged war against Islam verbally, whilst letting off some of those who waged war against Islam physically. This ruling is to be applied more strictly after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Mischief may be caused by physical action or by words, but the damage caused by words is many times greater than that caused by physical action; and the goodness achieved by words in reforming may be many times greater than that achieved by physical action. It is proven that waging war against Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) verbally is worse and the efforts on earth to undermine religion by verbal means is more effective. (End quote from As-Sarim Al-Maslul, 3/735) The Ruling on Not Praying: Is It Apostasy? With regard to not praying, the correct view is that the one who does not pray is a disbeliever and an apostate. See question no. 5208. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/14231/punishment-for-apostasy-in-islam

The virtue of one who regularly offers the five daily prayers and does them as enjoined

Question How valid are the following hadiths from Kanz al-A‘maal, and should they be acted upon? “Whoever comes with the five daily prayers on the Day of Resurrection, having maintained their wudoo’, offered them on time, done their rukoo‘ (bowing) and sujood (prostration), not omitting anything from them, will come having a promise from Allah that He will not punish him. And whoever comes with anything missing from them will not have a promise from Allah; if He wills He will have mercy on him, and if He wills he will punish him.” Narrated from ‘Aa’ishah. “Whoever offers the five daily prayers, and completes them and establishes them, and prays them on time, will come on the Day of Resurrection with a promise from Allah that He will not punish him. Whoever does not pray them or establish them, will come on the Day of Resurrection with no promise from Allah; if He wills He will forgive him, and if He wills He will punish him.” Narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit. “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: ‘My slave has a promise from Me, if he establishes prayer on time, that I will not punish him, and that I will admit him to paradise without reckoning.’” Narrated from ‘Aa’ishah.

Praise be to Allah.With regard to the hadith of ‘Ubaadah: Abu Dawood (1420) and an-Nasaa’i (461) narrated that ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “There are five prayers that Allah has prescribed for His slaves. Whoever comes with them, not having missed any of them out of recognition of their importance, has a promise from Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. Whoever does not come with them does not have a promise from Allah; if He wills He will punish him, and if He wills He will admit him to Paradise.” It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Another version was also narrated by Abu Dawood (425) and by Ahmad (22704), from ‘Ubaadah: “There are five prayers that Allah, may He be exalted, has enjoined. Whoever does wudoo’ properly for them, prays them on time, and bows and prostrates properly and prays with proper focus of mind and humility (khushoo‘) will have a promise from Allah that He will forgive him. Whoever does not do that will not have a promise from Allah; if He wills He will forgive him, and if He wills He will punish him.” It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. It was also classed as saheeh by the commentators on al-Musnad. With regard to the hadith of ‘Aa’ishah: At-Tabaraani narrated in al-Awsat (4012) via ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Roomaan al-Iskandaraani, who said: ‘Eesaa ibn Waaqid told us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr al-Laythi, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who said: “Whoever does not pray Witr has not prayed.” News of that reached ‘Aa’ishah, and she said: Who heard this from Abu’l-Qaasim (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? By Allah, it was not so long ago, and I have not forgotten; rather Abu’l-Qaasim (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever comes with five daily prayers on the Day of Resurrection, having maintained wudoo’ for them, prayed them on time, and bowed and prostrated properly, without omitting anything from them, will come when he has a promise from Allah that He will not punish him. But whoever comes having omitted anything from them will have no promise from Allah; if He wills He will have mercy on him, and if He wills He will punish him.” At-Tabaraani said, after quoting this report: No one narrated it from Muhammad except ‘Eesaa, and ‘Abdullah was the only one who narrated it from them. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I say: He is al-Ma‘aafiri. adh-Dhahabi said: He was regarded as da‘eef by more than one scholar; he narrated a false hadith. I say: I think that he is referring to this hadith, because it is obviously false. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: ad-Daaraqutni classed him as waahin (flimsy). Ibn Yoonus said: He is da‘eef (weak) in hadith, and narrated munkar (odd) reports. I say: I have not found any biography for his shaykh, ‘Eesaa ibn Waaqid. al-Haythami noted the same fault with this hadith in Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id (1/293). End quote from Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth ad-Da‘eefah (11/371). What is munkar (odd) in this hadith is the words “Whoever does not pray Witr has not prayed.” As for the rest of the hadith, there are corroborating reports to support it, as we have seen with the hadith of ‘Ubaadah. It is also supported by the report narrated by Ahmad (18345) from Hanzalah al-Kaatib, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever regularly offers the five daily prayers, with their bowing, prostration and wudoo’, offering them on time, and realises that they are truly prescribed by Allah, will enter Paradise” or “Paradise will be his due.” The commentators on al-Musnad said: It is saheeh when its corroborating evidence is taken into account. Abu Dawood (429) narrated that Abu’d-Dardaa’ said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are five, whoever comes with them, whilst having faith, will enter Paradise: whoever regularly offers the five daily prayers, with their wudoo’, their bowing and prostration, offering them on time, and fasts Ramadan, and goes on Hajj to the House (the Ka‘bah), if he is able, and gives zakaah willingly, and renders back trusts.” Al-Albaani classed it as hasan. With regard to the hadith of ‘Aa’ishah, “My slave has a promise from Me, if he establishes prayer on time, that I will not punish him, and that I will admit him to paradise without reckoning,” in Kanz al-‘Ummaal (7/312), al-Muttaqi an-Hindi (may Allah have mercy on him) attributed it to al-Haakim in his Taareekh. [It was also narrated in] Taareekh Naysaboor by al-Haakim (may Allah have mercy on him), a great book, but it was among the books and writings of the Muslims that have been lost, and is not currently extant – as far as we know – except in the form of a summary made by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, who is known as al-Khaleefah an-Naysaboori, and this hadith is not found in that summary. Al-Haakim is the only one who narrated this hadith in his Taareekh, pointing out that it is weak and not proven, especially the phrase “and that I will admit him to paradise without reckoning.” We could not find any corroborating evidence for that, and the saheeh report of ‘Ubaadah quoted above is sufficient. See also the answer to question no. 152359 . And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/238527/the-virtue-of-one-who-regularly-offers-the-five-daily-prayers-and-does-them-as-enjoined

Can he do Hajj on behalf of someone who did not pray?

Question If someone does hajj on behalf of another does it forgive all the sins of the other especially not performing Salat either he willed this Hajj or not? Another thing: does Hajj removes all the sins of the performer (pilgrim) even not praying?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  The fact that you refer to “the sin of not praying” twice indicates that you think that not praying is a grave sin before Allaah, and this is indeed the case. The scholars differed concerning the level of kufr of the one who does not pray; the correct view is that he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam. The evidence for that is as follows:  1 – It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allahibn Buraydah that his father said: The Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) said: “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is guilty of kufr.”  Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545; al-Nasaa’i, 459; Ibn Maajah, 1069. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2113.  2 – It was narrated that Abu Sufyaan said: I heard Jaabir say: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) say: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.”  Narrated by Muslim, 116.  The Sahaabah are agreed that the one who does not pray is to be regarded as a kaafir, and this was the view of the scholars who came after them such as ‘Abd-Allahibn Shaqeeq, Ibraaheem al-Nakha’i, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, ‘Abd-Allahibn al-Mubaarak, al-Hakam ibn ‘Uyaynah, and others.  Prayer is the first thing concerning which a person will be asked on the Day of Resurrection. If his prayer is sound then all his deeds will be sound, but if it is not good then none of his deeds will be good.  The one who does not pray will not benefit from any of his deeds, rather all his deeds will be in vain. Allahsays of the kuffaar (interpretation of the meaning):  “And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust” [al-Furqaan 25:23] “And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad), as it was to those (Allaah’s Messengers) before you: “If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain” [al-Zumar 39:65] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) said: “Whoever fails to pray ‘Asr, all his deeds are in vain.”  Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 553.  Based on this, if a person who does not pray performs Hajj, and he persists in not praying, then his Hajj is not valid and nothing will expiate for his sin of not praying. Similarly, if he dies whilst he is persisting in not praying, he will not benefit after death from any good deeds that are done on his behalf after he has passed away. It is not permissible for anyone who knows that he died whilst persisting in not praying to pray for forgiveness or mercy for him or to perform Hajj on his behalf, because he is a kaafir and mushrik, and Allahsays (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allaah’s forgiveness for the Mushrikoon, even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief)” [al-Tawbah 9:113] But if the one who does not pray repents and starts to pray regularly, and regrets what he did, and comes back to Islam, then Allahwill forgive him all his past sins.  Allahsays (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:39] The phrase “if they cease” means, if they cease being disbelievers by submitting to Allahalone with no partner or associate. (Tafseer al-Sa’di)  And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam erases what came before it (i.e., of sins).” (Narrated by Muslim, 121).   And Allahknows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/9400/can-he-do-hajj-on-behalf-of-someone-who-did-not-pray

Sometimes he feels too lazy to pray – what is the remedy?

Question I am a young Muslim man who believes in Allaah and His Messengers and His Books, praise be to Allaah. But sometimes I feel too lazy to pray. I am looking for a solution and a way to make me not be so lazy. Please note that this is what I want but the tricks of the Shaytaan are too strong.

Praise be to Allah.If a person truly believes in Allaah, His Messengers and His Books, and believes that prayer is obligatory and is the greatest pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn, we cannot imagine that he would neglect to pray or be careless in performing the prayers. Rather he would never feel at ease unless he performs this important ritual regularly.  The more a person’s faith increases, the more he will be concerned to do that which Allaah has enjoined upon him, and this is also because of his strong faith. Hence the way to make you pray more regularly may be summed up as follows:  1 – You should believe firmly that prayer is obligatory and that it is the greatest pillar of Islam. You should realize that a stern warning is issued to the one who neglects prayer, and he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, based on a great deal of evidence, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim, 82.  And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463; Ibn Maajah, 1079; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.  2 – You should understand that delaying prayer beyond the time when it is due is a major sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by 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” [Maryam 19:59] Ibn Mas’ood said concerning al-Ghayy [translated in the verse quoted above as Hell): This is a valley in Hell which is very deep and foul.  And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites), 5. Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)” [al-Maa’oon :4,5] 3 – You should strive to offer the prayers in congregation in the mosque, and not neglect any of them, knowing that praying in congregation in the mosque is obligatory according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions, based on a great deal of evidence, such as the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, his prayer is not valid unless he has an excuse.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 793; also by al-Daaraqutni and al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh; also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.  Muslim (653) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A blind man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, I do not have anyone to guide me to the mosque,” and he asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to give him a dispensation allowing him to pray in his home and he allowed him that, then when he turned away he called him back and said: “Can you hear the call to prayer?’ He said, “Yes.” He said: “Then answer it.”  And there is other evidence too. See question no. 40113.  4 – There is the hope that if you adhere to that, you will be included among the seven whom Allaah will shade with His shade (on the Day of Resurrection), among whom is “a young man who grew up worshipping his Lord” and “a man whose heart was attached to the mosque”. Al-Bukhaari, 660; Muslim, 1031.  5 – You will earn the great reward for prayer, especially prayer in congregation. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man’s prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than his praying in his house or marketplace, because when he does wudoo’ and does it well, then goes out to the mosque, only going there to pray, he does not take a single step but he is raised in status and a sin is erased thereby. When he prays, the angels continue to send blessings upon him so long as he is still in the place where he prayed, (saying), ‘O Allaah, send blessings on him, O Allaah have mercy on him.’ And one of you is still in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer.”  Al-Bukhaari, 647; Muslim, 649.  Muslim (232) narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever does wudoo’ for prayer and does wudoo’ well, then walks to (perform) the prescribed prayer, and offers the prayer with the people or with the congregation or in the mosque, Allaah will forgive him his sins.”  6 – You should read about the virtue of prayer, and the sin of those who are careless or too lazy to pray. We advise you in particular to read the book Al-Salaah, limadha (Prayer – why?) by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Muqaddim; and listen to the lecture, “Limadha la tusalli (Why don’t you pray?) by Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Ya’qoob, as these will be very beneficial for you in sha Allaah.  7 – You should choose good friends who are keen to pray and pay attention to that, and keep away from those who are the opposite, because a person is influenced by his friends.  8 – Keep away from sin in all aspects of your life, and adhere to the rulings of sharee’ah in your dealings with others, especially with women, because sin is one of the things that most distract a person from doing acts of worship and increase the Shaytaan’s influence on him.  We ask Allaah to make us and you among His righteous slaves and those who are close to Him.   And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/47123/sometimes-he-feels-too-lazy-to-pray-what-is-the-remedy

Is it permissible for the wife of a man who does not pray to pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of herself and her children?

Question Will zakaat al-fitr be accepted from a man who does not pray? And is it permissible for his wife to give it without his knowledge on behalf of herself and her children?.

Praise be to Allah. If the one who does not pray denies that prayer is obligatory, then he is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus. If he affirms that prayer is obligatory, but he does not pray out of laziness and carelessness, then he is also a kaafir according to the correct scholarly opinion, because of evidence that is well known, some of which has been quoted in the answer to question number 2182.  Based on this opinion, the zakaah, fasting and Hajj of one who does not pray is not valid, and it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to allow him to be intimate with her until he repents and starts to pray.  The wife has to pay zakaat al-fitr of behalf of herself, and if she pays it on behalf of her children that is fine.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Zakaat al-fitr is obligatory and like all other obligatory duties, each person is obliged to do it for himself. So you, O man, are obliged to pay zakaah on your own behalf, even if you have a father or brother. Similarly, the wife is obliged to pay zakaah on her own behalf, even if she has a husband. End quote.  Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 18/261  Based on this, you should pay zakaat al-fitr on your own behalf. As for the children, if they are young then you should pay it on their behalf, and it does not matter if that is done without the father's knowledge.  But if they are adults and have reached the age of majority, they should pay it on their own behalf if they have wealth.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/65739/is-it-permissible-for-the-wife-of-a-man-who-does-not-pray-to-pay-zakaat-al-fitr-on-behalf-of-herself-and-her-children

How can he advise someone who is falling short with regard to prayer?

Question How can I call someone to pray who, even though he knows that it is obligatory, does not do it sometimes? I would like you to tell me some simple phrases that have to do with this question, and some phrases that will warn of punishment and encourage seeking reward.

Praise be to Allah.You can remind this person and advise him by explaining the ruling on not praying, and on not praying in congregation in the mosque, and explain how the early generations of Muslims were with regard to prayer.  The ruling on not praying: In a number of questions we have explained that the one who does not pray is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam; no good deeds will be accepted from him on the Day of Resurrection; and his marriage contract with his wife must be annulled if she does pray. This one who does not pray should also understand that any meat slaughtered by him cannot be eaten; and (if he dies) he cannot be washed, have the funeral prayer offered for him, or be buried in the Muslim graveyard.  It was narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned a dream that he had seen and said: “Last night two people came to me and said, ‘Let’s go,’ so I went with them. We came to a man who was lying down, with another man standing over him, holding a big rock. He threw the rock at the man’s head, smashing it. The rock rolled away, and the one who had thrown it followed it, and picked it up. By the time he came back to the man, his head had been restored to its former state. Then he (the one who had thrown the rock) did the same as he had done before. I said to (my two companions), ‘Subhaan Allaah! What is this?’ They said to me: Move on…” At the end of the hadeeth, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “They said to me: ‘The first man whom you saw with his head being smashed with the rock, is the man who learned the Qur’aan then abandoned it, and he went to sleep, neglecting the obligatory prayers.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6640  Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi said:  I heard Ishaaq – i.e., ibn Raahawayh – say: It was narrated in a saheeh report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that the one who does not pray is a kaafir. It was the opinion of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that the one who deliberately does not pray, without any excuse, until the time for the prayer ends, is a kaafir. The time for the prayer ending means delaying Zuhr until sunset and Maghrib until sunrise.  Ta‘zeem Qadr as-Salaah, 2/929  For the ruling on the one who does not pray, please see the answers to questions no. 7864, 5208 and 2182  With regard to praying in congregation in the mosque: Just as the prayer is what differentiates between the Muslim and the kaafir, praying in congregation is the sign that differentiates between the believer and the hypocrite. The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) regarded the one who did not attend prayer in congregation as a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was known.  Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked:  I am a young man, not married, and I pray but not continually, i.e., I do not always offer the prayer on time, and sometimes I miss the prayers for a whole day, or I do them all together. What is the Islamic ruling on that?  He replied:  The Muslim is required to offer the prayers regularly on time, with the congregation of Muslims. It is not permissible to delay the prayer until its time is over. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [an-Nisa’ 4:103], i.e., it is enjoined at specific times, at which it should be offered. According to a report: “Allah has deeds at night that He does not accept during the day, and deeds during the day that He does not accept at night.” Delaying the prayer until the time for it is over is neglecting it. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) (i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.) and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell, except those who repent…” [Maryam 19:59, 60].  Putting two prayers together is not permissible, unless there is a legitimate shar‘i excuse at the time of one of them, such as putting Zuhr together with ‘Asr, or Maghrib together with ‘Isha’. But putting the prayers of an entire day together is not permissible and prayers are not valid if done in this manner.  Al-Muntaqa min Fatawa al-Fawzaan, 5/56, 57  You will find the evidence for prayer in congregation being obligatory in the answer to question no. 8918.  With regard to how the early generations of Muslims were with regard to praying in congregation in the mosque: They regarded it as something of the utmost importance, to which they paid a great deal of attention and were keen to offer the prayer in congregation in the mosque even if they had excuses not to do so.  Wakee‘ ibn al-Jarraah said, narrating from al-A‘mash Sulaymaan ibn Mahraan: al-A‘mash was nearly seventy years old but he never missed the first takbeer.  Muhammad ibn al-Mubaarak as-Soori said: If Sa‘eed ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez al-Tanookhi missed the prayer in congregation, he would weep.  It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Khafeef that he had a pain in his side that, when it affected him, prevented him from moving. But when the call to prayer was given, he would be carried on a man’s back. It was said to him: Why don’t you take it easy on yourself? He said: If you hear (the words of the adhaan), Hayya ‘ala as-salaah (come to prayer) and you do not see me in the row (of worshippers), then look for me in the graveyard.  ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abdillah ibn az-Zubayr heard the mu’adhdhin when he was dying and he said: Hold my hand (and take me to the prayer). It was said: You are sick. He said: I can hear the caller of Allah; should I not respond to him? So they took him by the hand and he joined the imam in praying Maghrib; he prayed one rak‘ah then he died.  For more information see the answer to question no. 47123 – very important.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/50591/how-can-he-advise-someone-who-is-falling-short-with-regard-to-prayer

She forgot to do ghusl from janaabah until the sun set

Question What is the ruling on a woman who forgot to purify herself from janaabah one day in Ramadaan? Please note that intercourse had taken place before the adhaan of Fajr, but she forgot to purify herself before Maghrib.

Praise be to Allah.If a fasting person becomes junub as a result of a wet dream or intercourse, he does not have to do anything, so long as that intercourse took place before the adhaan of Fajr. This is indicated by the fact that Fajr would come in Ramadaan when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was junub not as the result of a wet dream, and he would do ghusl and fast. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1926; Muslim, 1109, from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).  Based on this, your fast on that day is still valid, but you should have hastened to do ghusl, because you have to pray, and the prayers must be done on time, it is not permissible to delay them.  Prayer is very important in Islam; it is more important that fasting or zakaah or Hajj or any other act of worship. Being lazy with regard to the prayer is a very serious matter, and some of the scholars were of the view that the one who misses a single prayer with no excuse and does not offer it before its time is over is a kaafir. A warning is issued to the one who does not pray in the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not pray ‘Asr, his good deeds are cancelled out.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 553.  For more information and commentary on this hadeeth, see question no. 49698.  The lady who asked this question has to repent to Allah for not praying and for being lazy about praying on time. Allah accepts the repentance of those who repent, and He forgives those who return to Him.  For more information see question no. 21806. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/43307/she-forgot-to-do-ghusl-from-janaabah-until-the-sun-set

He does not pray for one or two days or more

Question Sometimes the shaytaan tempts me and makes me do what is called masturbation, which leads me to stop praying for five days or two days or more or less according to the circumstances. What do I have to do? Do I have to repeat the obligatory prayers I missed? Or can I do naafil prayers to expiate for that?.

Praise be to Allah.You have to hasten to give up that bad habit, which is contrary to dignity and chivalry. In the answer to question number 329 we have quoted the evidence for it being haraam.  You also have to repent for missing the prayers, because not praying is a serious major sin; in fact many scholars say that it is kufr.  Repentance includes giving up the sin, regretting what one has done and resolving not to go back to that haraam deed.  Do a lot of naafil prayers, to make up for the prayers that you have missed, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The first deed for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best: ‘Look at the prayer of My slave and see whether it is complete or lacking.’ If it is complete, it will be recorded for him as being complete, and if anything is lacking from it, He will say: ‘Look and see whether My slave has any involuntary (prayers to his credit).’ If he has involuntary (prayers to his credit), He will say: ‘Complete the obligatory prayers for My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then other deeds will be judged in the same manner” Narrated by Abu Dawood (864).  We ask Allah to forgive us, you and all the Muslims, and to grant us all well being and to make us all steadfast. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/90143/he-does-not-pray-for-one-or-two-days-or-more

A Christian woman is close to becoming Muslim and is married to a (Muslim) man who does not pray. What is the ruling on her marriage?

Question There is a Christian woman who lives in Canada and is married to a Muslim man. She wanted to find out about Islam, and she has learned a lot at close hand and wanted to embrace it some day, but she was frustrated because she sees that her husband is careless about prayer, and the matter is so bad that he stopped praying a few months ago, until now. After he lost his job, he started to stay at home and his wife is the one who works and spends on household expenses. He just sits at the computer, talks to women and watches permissive movies on the net. To make matters worse, the wife found out about that by means of spy programs.  What advice can you offer them? Please note that scholars differ as to whether the one who does not pray is a kaafir. I hope that you can explain this issue to us according to both views. May Allaah bless you. And I hope that you could send us the answer in both Arabic and English. May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  The scholars are unanimously agreed that the one who does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir who is doomed to remain eternally in the fire of Hell if he dies in that state, but they differed concerning the one who does not pray, not because he denies that it is obligatory, but because he is lazy and heedless. The majority of them said that he should be asked to repent, and if he repents all well and good, otherwise he is to be executed as a hadd punishment. Others said that he should be given a disciplinary punishment (ta’zeer) and imprisoned until he starts to pray. So there are three opinions concerning this issue:  The first opinion: that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, without differentiating between the one who denies it and the one who is lazy. This is the view of the Sahaabah, and no difference of opinion is known among them. Among those who hold this view are: Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) according to the more correct of the two opinions narrated from him, Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh and Mansoor al-Faqeeh among the Shaafa’is. It was also narrated from Abu’l-Tayyib ibn Salamah among the Shaafa’is.  The second opinion: that the one who does not pray because he is lazy and heedless, not because he denies it, is one of the evildoers among the Muslims, but he is not a kaafir. However, he should be asked to repent -- although they differed concerning the time that should be allowed for that -- then if he repents, all well and good, otherwise he is to be executed as a hadd punishment! Like the married adulterer, but he should be executed with the sword. This is the view of Maalik and his companions, and it is the view of al-Shaafa’i and most of his companions.  The view that someone like this should be executed as a hadd punishment is subject to further discussion. We have explained the error of this opinion in the answer to question number 6035.  The third opinion: that the person who does not pray deliberately, because he is lazy and heedless, although he acknowledges that it is obligatory, is not a kaafir and should not be executed, rather he should be given a disciplinary punishment (ta’zeer) and imprisoned until he begins to pray.  This is the view of Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him) and his companions, and of a number of the people of Kufah, Sufyaan al-Thawri, and of al-Mazani the companion of al-Shaafa’i, but it is the weakest of the opinions.  Many practical rulings are based on the difference in opinion on the ruling on one who does not pray, such as: whether he inherits, inheritance from him, whether he is to be washed and buried in the Muslim graveyard, whether the funeral prayer is to be offered for him, ruling on meat slaughtered or hunted by him, whether his marriage remains valid and other rulings.  For those who say that the one who does not pray is a kaafir -- even if he does not deny it is obligatory -- all the rulings on apostates apply to him. So he cannot inherit or be inherited from, he cannot be washed (after he dies), he cannot be buried in the Muslim graveyard, the funeral prayer cannot be offered for him, meat slaughtered by him is not halaal and his marriage contract becomes invalid.  For those who ruled that he is not a kaafir, the rulings mentioned above do not apply to him; rather he is regarded as an evildoer among the Muslims and one who is committing a major sin, but the majority of them say that he should be asked to repent, then if he does not pray, he is to be executed as a hadd punishment! Similarly -- in their view -- if he is married to a Christian or Jewish woman, then his marriage contract is deemed to be valid, and is the marriage contract between a Muslim man and a woman from the People of the Book.  The more correct of these two opinions is the first one, because of the apparent meaning of the evidence from the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and because of the consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) concerning that.  This is what was stated in fatwas by shaykhs such as: Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, the scholars of the Standing Committee and others, despite the difference of opinion concerning the hadd punishment which the one who does not pray is thought to deserve.  Based on that: the marriage contract between this man and that woman is a marriage contract between an apostate and the Christian woman -- if she is still following her religion -- and her situation is less serious than his, because she is a woman of the People of the Book, whilst he is an apostate from his religion.  See also the answers to questions number 2182, 5208, 33007 and 10094.  Secondly:  With regard to the woman asked about, if she has become Muslim, it is not permissible for her to stay with a man who does not pray. The ruling on that has been discussed above in detail.  But if she is still a nonbeliever, then their are no rulings that have to do with her marriage to him, because they are both not Muslim. Neither of them is Muslim so that the rulings of sharee’ah would apply to their marriage.  We advise her to leave this man and marry a man who is really a Muslim. Because he does not pray, he is not regarded as a Muslim, and the evils and sins that he commits are not part of the Muslim’s attitude. Moreover, as seems to be the case to us from the question, he is lacking in chivalry and decency, because he agrees to his wife going out to work and bearing the burden of earning a living, whilst he sits at home. By Allaah, his attitude would be wrong even if he were staying home to read Qur'aan and pray, whilst his wife goes out to work and support him, so what should we say about him when he is staying home to commit sin and evil?  What we say to this wife is: O female slave of Allaah, do not look at the religion on the basis of its people or on the basis of one of them; rather look at what there is in it of truth, goodness, honesty and righteousness. As for the people, if your husband is as you describe, then among the Muslims there are people who adhere to its etiquette, rulings and morals and manners apart from this man. There are still people, among both Muslims and non-Muslims, who are sincere, righteous and decent, and there are some who are not like that. But the attitude of the Muslim, if he still follows his religion properly is more sublime and more righteous and purer than the attitude of others. Think about it and you will find that this is true. Remember that most of the Muslims around you are interested in worldly gains and greed, and they have gone against the rulings of their religion which forbid living in the lands of the kuffaar for the sake of worldly gains and greed, so what kind of attitude do you expect from them? Very few of them adhere to the commands of their religion, or they are living there for a reason which makes that permissible.  O female slave of Allaah, hasten and do not delay; do not let people and their attitudes be a barrier between you and light from your Lord. Every soul is a pledge for that which it has earned, and people will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection one by one, and no soul will bear the burden of another: it will get what it deserves, good or bad. So come to the light that you have seen, and beware of delaying, lest darkness overwhelm you and the light of guidance disappear.  If there is something that is keeping you away from the light, remove it from your eyes no matter what it is, and hasten towards your Lord on His straight path.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/115985/a-christian-woman-is-close-to-becoming-muslim-and-is-married-to-a-muslim-man-who-does-not-pray-what-is-the-ruling-on-her-marriage

He fasts in Ramadaan then he does not pray after Ramadaan

Question If a man is keen to fast in Ramadaan and to pray in Ramadaan only, but he gives up praying as soon as Ramadaan is over, is his fasting valid?

Praise be to Allah.Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is the most important pillar after the Shahaadatayn (twin testimony of faith). It is also an individual obligation. Whoever does not do it because he denies that it is obligatory or he does not do it because he is lazy and heedless, is a kaafir. As for those who fast in Ramadaan and pray only in Ramadaan, they are trying to deceive Allaah. How bad are those who only acknowledge Allaah in Ramadaan. Their fast is not valid if they only pray in Ramadaan, rather by doing this they are kaafirs who are guilty of major kufr, even if they do not deny that prayer is obligatory; this is according to the more correct of the two scholarly views. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 22428; al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 431; Ibn Maajah, 1079 – with a saheeh isnaad from Buraydah al-Aslami (may Allaah be pleased with him). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The head of the matter is Islam, its foundation (or its pillar) is prayer and its pinnacle is jihad for the sake of Allaah.” Narrated by Imam al-Tirmidhi, 2616, with a saheeh isnaad from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh, 82, from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ansaari (may Allaah be pleased with him). And there are many similar ahaadeeth. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/12675/he-fasts-in-ramadaan-then-he-does-not-pray-after-ramadaan

A hadeeth for which there is no basis warning those who do not offer the five daily prayers

Question I seen people posting on Internet(facebook) about reward of performing each salah which I have not read in Quran nor in any hadiths. they post  '' REMINDER~♥:THOSE WHO DO NOT SAY THEIR PRAYERS OF: -FAJR : The Glow of their face is taken away. -ZUHR: The Blessing of their income is taken away. -ASR : The Strength of their body is taken away. -MAGHRIB : They are not benefited by their children. -ISHA : The Peace of their sleep is taken away. '' Would you please tell us whether this is correct or something invented from people.

Praise be to Allah. This hadeeth does not appear in any of the books of Sunnah, or any books of saheeh (sound) hadeeth or even books of da‘eef (weak) hadeeths. This indicates that it has no basis and no isnaad. Rather some people have fabricated it and spread it in chat rooms and on some websites, thinking that they can scare some people and stop them giving up prayer. They do not know that they have committed a great sin by doing this. Some scholars even stated that the one who tells a lie about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) deliberately is a kaafir.  Al-Ameer as-San‘aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The majority are of the view that telling a lie deliberately about Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is a major sin, because the definition of a major sin is applicable in this case, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned one who tells a lie about him deliberately, and this case comes under the category mentioned in the hadeeth of being deserving of punishment.  al-Juwayni said:   It – i.e. this major sin – constitutes kufr. This is indicated by the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):  “So who does more wrong than he who forges a lie against Allah or denies His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)? Surely, the Mujrimoon (criminals, sinners, disbelievers and polytheists) will never be successful!” [Yoonus 10:17].   This verse describes telling a lie about Allah and denying His signs as being equal, and there is no doubt that denying His signs constitutes kufr. And telling a lie about the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is like telling a lie about Allah, may He be exalted. From this verse, in which Allah denounces this action, we understand that it is a sin and that there is no sin or wrongdoing greater than that. Al-Juawyni said: and because the one who fabricates a lie about Allah or His Messenger may do so in order to waive a well established ruling, and waiving a well established ruling constitutes kufr, because it is rejecting what the Lawgiver has ordained, which constitutes kufr. Moreover, fabricating lies about sharee‘ah (and its rulings) is inevitably indicative of a lack of respect for it. And Allah knows best. End quote from Tawdeeh al-Afkaar, 2/88  The Standing Committee was asked about this hadeeth and others, and they responded as follows:  These hadeeths cannot be attributed to any of the books of Sunnah, and after researching the matter, we do not know of any basis for them. So what must be done is prevention of their distribution and publishing. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol. 2, 3/259)  Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked about this hadeeth and he said:  This has no basis as far as I know and there is a strong warning in the Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah concerning the one who forsakes prayer, which is sufficient. For example, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What stands between a person and kufr is giving up prayer” (narrated by Muslim). And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is the prayer; whoever gives it up has becomes a kaafir.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb, 564. And Allah says concerning the sinners: “ ‘What has caused you to enter Hell?’ 43. They will say: ‘We were not of those who used to offer their Salat (prayers)’” [al-Muddathhir 74:42-43]. The primary reason for which they were admitted to Hell is that they failed to offer the prayer; abandoning the prayer constitutes kufr – Allah forbid – and puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, whether he neglects it because he denies that it is obligatory, or he neglects it even though he acknowledges that it is obligatory, except in the case of one who forgets to pray or falls asleep.  With regard to the message quoted by the questioner, I do not know of any basis for it or for what is distributed in some publications, “Whoever neglects the prayer will be punished with fifteen punishments.” There is no basis for this. End quote from Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, 20 Muharram 1427 AH (0.17-0.19 on the tape)  So it is not permissible to publish this hadeeth or to attribute it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather what must be done is warning people about it and explaining that it has no basis in the books of Ahl as-Sunnah.  Whoever would like to see saheeh hadeeths that warn against abandoning or neglecting the prayer should read the book Saheeh at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb by Shaykh al-Albaani, 1/136-140  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/172024/a-hadeeth-for-which-there-is-no-basis-warning-those-who-do-not-offer-the-five-daily-prayers

His wife pretended to be religious before he married her, then she became heedless about prayer after marriage; should he divorce her?

Question I live in UK, I married a sister in Muslim country, for her religiousness. But after marriage, I find that she is not as religious as she showed before the marriage. I only married her for her religion but not for her beauty or wealth or nobility. Now I feel disappointed marrying her as she is much lower in religiousness then what she showed and what I expected. I am not sure what to do? My future plan was to make future children scholars of Islam (InshaAllah) but i feel she is not the right mother for it. I made my future plans clear to her before marriage. she doesnt like my beard after marriage, but she didn't complaint before marriage. She is persistently disobedient. one time i said if you don't obey then i will divorce you, then she started to obey for a while. I try to teach her Islam but not interested. She refuses to pray fajar because she needs to have bath. So, I stopped having relation which makes bath obligatory. We have been married for 2 months. Should I divorce her or be patient?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  There is no doubt that asking about the woman’s religious commitment is the first thing that the man should look at if he wants to get married, as the Prophet (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us. Moreover one of us can rule only on the basis of what appears to be the case, from asking about the woman and her family, and how she is before marriage. So he should not be content with what she shows or what he thinks from her outward appearance or from a few events. If he tries hard to check and ask, then it becomes clear that she is different from what he expected, this is the matter of the divine decree and has nothing to do with him, and in that case he needs to see the best way to deal with the situation.  The matter of religious commitment is a relative matter. When it comes to details, some people want the level of religious commitment that suits them, such as striving hard to offer naafil fasts, pray qiyaam al-layl, memorize the Holy Qur’aan or a specific portion of it, or have some shar‘i knowledge, etc. Others may vary in the level of religious commitment they seek.  In fact, examining this issue and the possibility of getting what you want is to be done before marriage. After marriage, however, there are two possible scenarios:  -1- There is a certain level of religious commitment but it is less than expected or less than required. It is possible to accept this situation, even if it is less than we hoped for, if the level of commitment is limited to doing obligatory duties and staying away from haraam things.  If the woman adheres to that minimum obligatory level of performing duties and avoiding haraam things, then she will be fine, in sha Allah, so long as that includes obedience to her husband.  Imam Ahmad narrated (1573), in a report that was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a woman offers her five (daily) prayers, fasts her month, guards her chastity and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise from whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.’”  After that, the man and his wife can work together to do more good deeds and naafil acts of worship.  -2- But the serious problem is if the shortcoming in doing acts of obedience reaches the level of omitting some obligatory duties or falling into haraam actions.  Imam Ahmad (6664) narrated, in a report that was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Every action starts with enthusiasm, then the enthusiasm wanes; anyone whose enthusiasm wanes but (remains within the limits of) my Sunnah will prosper, but anyone whose enthusiasm wanes and drifts away to something else, will be doomed.”  What this means is that there may be times when a person is very energetic and enthusiastic about worship and acts of obedience, then these energetic times are followed by a decrease in enthusiasm, laziness and a drop from the level previously reached. This is something natural and there is the hope that the individual will still prosper, but that is only if, during the times of decreased enthusiasm and weakness, he does not neglect the obligatory duties, because if he abandons them or takes them lightly, he will be doomed.  Doom is not caused by merely falling into sin, for we are all sinners; rather a person is doomed when sins appear in his general behaviour and that becomes his situation most of the time and he does not care or feel regret or repent; rather he persists in that sin and feels at ease with it.  Secondly:  It is clear from the way you described your wife that her decrease in enthusiasm and backtracking is of the type that is dangerous, and indeed is of the type that makes one doubt that she really was as religiously committed as she appeared to be. Even if she has grown lazy about some acts of worship, what does your beard have to do with her that she should feel annoyed by it?!  What you have to do now is not to show any compromise towards her situation. Being too lazy to get up for Fajr prayer is a major sin and serious offence. In fact it is kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam according to many of the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That was also stated in a fatwa by Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him). So it is not permissible for you to approve of that. If ghusl is what is preventing her from getting up, then you should not let her go to sleep except in a state of purity, so that she will have no excuse.  We share your anxiety about your wife and we advise you to delay having children with her and to try again with her. If you see that she is praying regularly on time and is serious about it, including – first and foremost – Fajr prayer, and she is obeying you and fulfilling the rights that you have over her, then be patient with her for a while and see how things go. Try to discipline her and teach her, and be patient in putting up with her crookedness and weakness, in the hope that Allah may guide her and set her straight.  But if you find that she is persisting in neglecting the prayer or trying to interfere with your religious commitment and objecting to your beard, then there is nothing good for you in her and we advise you to leave her before having children from her, which would only make the problem more complicated.  See also the answer to question no. 141289 and 98624.  We ask Allah to guide you.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/147867/his-wife-pretended-to-be-religious-before-he-married-her-then-she-became-heedless-about-prayer-after-marriage-should-he-divorce-her

She is asking about the ruling on her husband who went to practitioners of magic and stopped praying

Question My mother emotionally blackmailed me into marrying my first cousin 9 years ago when I was just 15 years old. i kept quiet out of fear and since then have been blessd with 3 beautifil boys alhamdulillaah. Since the last 2 years we have been problems and he went to see someone who plays with magic. As far as my limited knowledge is concerned that takes one out of the fold of islam. Also for a while he was neglecting his prayers and would only d pray sometimes anod do his jumah. But he has rpented since and prays 5 times a day alhamdulillaah. HE also said he didnt know what he was doin with regards to the magic as he was not in the right state of mindbut i dont know what to think as he said he diddnt know it was wrong amd kufr as he thought it would get us out of a difficult situation. He possesses no knowledge with regards to deen so my questions are: 1. Did the magic take him out of islam??, is it the same ruling for one who knows that its wrong and one who doesnt ?. 2. Also did the fact he neglected some of his prayers take him out of islambecause said he repented and started praying agai.n. 3.Also he left the house 3 months ago and before he left he said to my mum she is finished from me and me from her' does tha count as a talaq? As he wa angry and left the house. He is currently abroad and hasnt really provided for the kids or me. H left all our debts to me but he said he will contribute once i let him back in but i dont know what to do. i love my kids and would do anything for them. I hope you can assist me in this matter soon as this has affected me and especiallymy 3 children who are all under the age of 8. It has left them distrssed and they want him back in the house. He has gone abroad for now and will be back iwthin a few weeks and i need this matter resolved soon inshaAllaah.

Praise be to Allah.Going to practitioners of magic, soothsayers and fortune-tellers is a major sin, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.” Narrated by Muslim, 2230.  And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”  The one who goes to a fortune teller or practitioner of magic and believes his claim to have knowledge of the unseen has gone out of Islam.  But if he goes to him but does not believe his claim to have knowledge of the unseen, then he has committed a major sin but he has not gone out of Islam by doing that.  If the man was ignorant and did not realise that going to practitioners of magic is haraam, then we hope that this is an excuse for him before Allah, may He be exalted. So there are no consequences for his going to them and he has not gone out of Islam by doing that.  But in the case of one who goes to a practitioner of magic knowing that that is haraam, this is the one who has committed a major sin that may reach the level of going out of Islam.  See also the answer to questions no. 112069 and 32863.  Secondly:  The ruling that the one who does not pray out of laziness becomes a kaafir is the subject of a great difference of opinion among the scholars and each point of view has evidence on which it relies. The fatwa adopted by this website suggests the most likely opinion to be correct is that which says that the one who does not pray is a kaafir; this is the view of many scholars.  This has been discussed previously in the answers to questions no. 10094 and 5208.  Who has blessed your husband and guided him to start praying and to pray regularly.  Thirdly:  If a man says concerning his wife, “she is finished from me and me from her”, this is a phrase that may be understood as referring to divorce or it may not. Hence it cannot be deemed to count as a divorce unless the husband aimed thereby to divorce her and that was his intention; if he did not intend to divorce her and did not aim to do that, then no divorce has taken place.  See also the answer to questions 98670, 85575 and 127280.  As your husband has come to his senses and has started to pray regularly and has repented from going to practitioners of magic in addition to the fact that he was unaware of the shar‘i ruling at that time, what you have to do is to turn over a new leaf with him. And we ask Allah to bestow His mercy upon you and to reconcile between your hearts and bring you back together.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/164414/she-is-asking-about-the-ruling-on-her-husband-who-went-to-practitioners-of-magic-and-stopped-praying

They lived under Communist rule and did not know anything about praying and fasting; do they have to make it up?

Question I am a Muslim woman from Bulgaria. We were living under Communist rule and we did not know anything about Islam; in fact many acts of worship were banned. I did not know anything about Islam until I reached the age of twenty, and after that I began to adhere to the laws of Allah. My question is: do I have to make up what I missed of prayer and fasting?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  We praise Allah for saving you from unjust and oppressive communist rule after it suppressed the Muslims for more than forty years, during which mosques were destroyed and some were turned into museums, Islamic schools were abolished and they strove to change Muslim names and wipe out Muslim identity.  “but Allâh will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the Kâfirûn (disbelievers) hate (it)” [al-Tawbah 9:32 – interpretation of the meaning].  Communist rule, with its tyranny and oppression, ended in 1989, to the great joy of the Muslims, who went back to their ancient mosques, which they refurbished and renovated. They went back to teaching their children Qur’aan and the hijab of Muslim women appeared again in the streets. We ask Allah to bring the Muslims back to their religion in the best way and to support them and grant them victory and defeat their enemies.  Secondly:  A generation of Muslims grew up in Bulgaria under the oppression of Communist rule and they did not know anything about Islam apart from the fact that they were Muslims. The communist regime prevented them from learning Islam and even banned the import of the Holy Qur’aan and Islamic books into Bulgaria.  Those who did not know anything about the rulings of Islam and Islamic worship and other duties are not obliged to make up any of those acts of worship. If the Muslim was not able to acquire Islamic knowledge and the rulings of sharee‘ah did not reach him, then he is not obliged to do anything because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286].  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  There is no difference of opinion among the Muslims that if a person was living in dar al-kufr (non-Muslim lands) and he believed but he was unable to migrate (to a Muslim land), he is not obliged to observe Islamic rituals and laws that he is unable to; rather he is only obliged to do what he is able to. The same applies to matters concerning which he did not know the rulings. If he did not know that prayer was obligatory for him and he did not pray for a while, he does not have to make up those prayers according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and the literalists, and it is one of the two views of the madhhab of Ahmad.   The same applies to all the other duties such as fasting the month of Ramadan, paying zakaah, and so on.  If he did not know that alcohol is haraam and he drank it, then he is not to be subjected to the hadd punishment, according to Muslim consensus. They only differed with regard to whether he has to make up the prayers…  The basic issue with regard to all of this is: are the laws obligatory for one who did not know them or is it the case that no one is under any obligation until after he comes to know?  The correct view concerning this matter is that there is no obligation to adhere to a ruling unless there is the possibility of acquiring knowledge thereof, and nothing has to be made up if it was not known that it is obligatory. It is proven in al-Saheeh that some of the Sahaabah ate after dawn in Ramadan until they could tell the white thread apart from the black thread, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct them to make up those fasts. Some of them used to remain in a state of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity or nocturnal emissions for which ghusl or full ablution is required) for a while and not pray; they did not know that it is permissible to pray with tayammum (dry ablution) – as happened to Abu Dharr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and ‘Ammaar. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct any of them to make up the prayers.  No doubt some Muslims in Makkah and in the wilderness continued to pray facing towards Jerusalem until news reached them that that had been abrogated (and the qiblah had been changed to the Ka‘bah), but they were not instructed to repeat those prayers. And there are many similar examples. This reflects the principle that the early generation and the majority of scholars followed, namely that Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. Things are only obligatory when one is able to do them, and the punishment only applies when one fails to do something that is enjoined or does something that is forbidden, after proof has been established. End quote.  Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 19/225  Based on that, you do not have to make up any of the acts of worship that you did not know were obligatory.  Our advice to you is to focus on learning the rulings of Islam and gaining understanding of the religion; try hard to learn Islam and follow it, and teach the next generation of Muslims, so that they will be able to face the challenges that face all Muslims, and especially in your country.  We ask Allah to cause Islam and the Muslims to prevail.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/97501/they-lived-under-communist-rule-and-did-not-know-anything-about-praying-and-fasting-do-they-have-to-make-it-up

Is Fasting Without Praying Accepted?

Question Is it permissible to fast without praying?

Praise be to Allah.Will good deeds be accepted from those who do not pray? No good deeds will be accepted from one who does not pray – no zakah, no fasting, no Hajj or anything else.  Al-Bukhari (520) narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not pray ‘Asr, his good deeds will be annulled.”  What is meant by “his good deeds will be annulled” is that they will be rendered invalid and will be of no benefit to him. This hadith indicates that Allah will not accept any good deed from one who does not pray, so the one who does not pray will not benefit at all from his good deeds and no good deed of his will be taken up to Allah.  It seems from the hadith that there are two types of those who do not pray: those who do not pray at all, which annuls all their good deeds, and those who do not offer a particular prayer on a particular day, which annuls the good deeds of that day. So annulment of all good deeds happens to those who forsake all the prayers, and annulment of the good deeds of a particular day happens to the one who omits a particular prayer.  Does your fast count if you don't pray? Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin was asked in Fatawa al-Siyam (p. 87) about the ruling on the fasting of one who does not pray.  He replied:  “The fast of one who does not pray is not valid and is not accepted, because the one who does not pray is a disbeliever and an apostate . Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism], perform As-Salah (Iqamat-as-Salah) and give Zakah, then they are your brethren in religion.” [al-Tawbah 9:11] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and disbelief stands his giving up prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim, 82) And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that separates us from them is prayer; whoever gives up prayer is a disbeliever.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi)  This is also the view of most of the Companions, if not their consensus. ‘Abd-Allah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him), who was one of the well-known Tabi’in, said: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not think that omitting any action made a person a disbeliever, except for prayer. Based on this, if a person fasts but he does not pray, then his fast is rejected and not accepted, and it will not avail him anything before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. We say to him: Pray then fast, because if you fast but do not pray, then your fast will be rejected, because acts of worship are not accepted from a disbeliever.” The Standing Committee (10/140) was asked: if a person is keen to fast in Ramadan and to pray in Ramadan only, but he stops praying as soon as Ramadan is over, does his fasting count?  They replied:  “Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam , and it is the most important pillar after the Shahadatayn. It is an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn), and whoever does not do it because he denies that it is obligatory, or he does not do it because he is careless and lazy, is a disbeliever. With regard to those who fast Ramadan and pray in Ramadan only, this is trying to cheat Allah, and unfortunate indeed are those who only acknowledge Allah in Ramadan. Their fasting is not valid if they do not pray at times other than Ramadan, rather this makes them disbelievers in the sense of major kufr (kufr akbar), even if they do not deny that prayer is obligatory, according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions.” And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/49698/is-fasting-without-praying-accepted

He is mentally ill and does not pray or fast; what is the ruling?

Question What is the ruling on a person who is psychotic bipolar and does not offer prayers, or fast? Whenever he is advised to do so he says that he is ill and Allah will forgive him but actually the person is not physically disable to offer prayer. Also, what about his sense of judgement? He thinks he is always right even though when sometimes he is not, and he thinks others are always wrong and he backbites them.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  We ask Allah to heal this sick person from this sickness that he is suffering, and we ask Him, may He be glorified, to guide us and him to the truth and the right path, for He is able to do that.  Secondly:  The conditions of accountability with regard to commands and prohibitions are being an adult and being of sound mind. When a person becomes an adult of sound mind, it becomes obligatory for him to do what is enjoined of praying, fasting, giving zakaah, performing Hajj and other obligatory duties, and he is also obliged to avoid things that are prohibited.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol. 2, 6/370): Prayer is obligatory upon the individual and is not waived under any circumstances so long as he is of sound mind, because the conditions of accountability are being an adult and being of sound mind. The command to pray is not waived because of loss of a limb or physical faculty, or because of sickness, or similar problems, because of the general meaning of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and scholarly consensus to that effect. But if a person suffers some physical harm and is not able to do all the obligatory actions and essential parts of the prayer, then he may pray according to what he is able to do. End quote.  Based on that, if this mental illness does not affect the person’s reasoning or consciousness, as appears to be the case in the situation mentioned, then it is obligatory for him to pray and fast, because he is still accountable.  But if he loses his mind sometimes, and is of sound mind sometimes, then he is excused at the times when he loses his mind, but when he comes back to his senses the excuse is no longer applicable, and he has to offer the prayer that is currently due and make up the prayers that he missed during the time when he lost his mind.  What you must do is advise this man and remind him of the great importance of prayer and fasting, and tell him that the one who does not do these duties without any excuse is in grave danger; in fact keeping away from remembrance of Allah is one of the greatest causes of mental illness, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship” [Ta-Ha 20:124]. Allah, may He be glorified, also tells us of the means of attaining peace of mind, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” [ar-Ra ‘d 13:28].  It should be noted that the individual is responsible for all of his deeds before his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, so long as he is aware of what he is saying or doing. His illness is not an excuse for him to commit whatever sins he wants, such as neglecting the prayer, backbiting and spreading malicious gossip. … The individual has no argument against his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted; rather Allah has the perfect proof and argument against all His creation.  We ask Allah to set the affairs of the Muslims straight and to bring them back to Him.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/193006/he-is-mentally-ill-and-does-not-pray-or-fast-what-is-the-ruling

Can we eat meat slaughtered by one who does not pray?

Question I would like to ask what we should do if my brother does not pray, so he is regarded as a kaafir according to sharee’ah; can we eat meat that is slaughtered by him or not?.

Praise be to Allah. What you have to do is to advise your brother to pray regularly, and tell him of the ruling of Allaah concerning one who does not pray. Do not let him slaughter the meat for you himself, and tell him the reason why, which is that the one who does not pray is regarded as a kaafir, so meat slaughtered by him is not halaal. Perhaps knowing the ruling will have an effect on him, and he will come back to his religion and start to pray regularly. This will be better for him in his religious and worldly affairs, in this world and in the Hereafter.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:   Is it permissible to eat meat slaughtered by one who deliberately does not pray, knowing that if he is told of that he will claim that he says the Shahaadah? What should we do if we cannot find any butcher who does pray?  He replied:  If a person does not pray, we should not eat meat slaughtered by him. This is the correct view, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ansaari (may Allaah be pleased with him). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad and the four authors of Sunan with a saheeh isnaad from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him). And he said: “The head of the matter is Islam and its pillar is prayer.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi with a saheeh isnaad from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him). If the pillar of a thing falls, it cannot stand straight or remain; when the pillar falls, whatever rests on it falls too.  Thus it is known that the one who does not pray has no religion, so meat slaughtered by him cannot be eaten. If you are living in a land where there are no Muslim butchers, you should laughter your own meat and use your hands to do something that will be benefit to you, or look for a Muslim butcher to slaughter meat for you even in his own house. Praise be to Allaah, this is something easy so you should not be heedless about this matter.   You should advise this man to fear Allaah and pray. His suggestion that the Shahaadatayn is sufficient is a serious mistake, because the Shahaadatayn come with conditions that must be fulfilled, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have been ordered to fight the people until they bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, and establish regular prayer and pay zakaah. If they do that, then their blood and wealth are safe from me, except in cases dictated by Islamic law, and their reckoning will be with Allaah.” Saheeh –  agreed upon.  So prayer and zakaah are mentioned alongside the Shahaadatayn. According to another version: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, and if they say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, then their blood and wealth are safe from me, except in cases dictated by Islamic law, and their reckoning will be with Allaah.” Prayer is one of these conditions and zakaah is one of these conditions.  What the believer must do is fear Allaah, and everyone who claims to be a Muslim must fear Allaah and offer the five prayers regularly, for prayer is the foundation of Islam and it is the greatest of the five pillars of Islam after the Shahaadatayn. Whoever neglects it neglects his religious commitment, and whoever does not pray has left the faith. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.  This is the truth and this is what is correct. Some of the scholars said that such a person is not a kaafir in the sense of major kufr, rather his kufr is minor kufr, and he is a sinner who has committed a grave sin, one that is worse than adultery, worse than stealing, worse than drinking alcohol. But he is not a kaafir in the sense of major kufr unless he denies that prayer is obligatory. This is the view of a number of scholars. But the correct view is that which is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is that such a person is a kaafir in the sense of major kufr, as stated in the ahaadeeth quoted above, because he has neglected the pillar or foundation of Islam which is prayer.  We should not take this matter lightly. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq al-‘Aqeeli, the great Taabi’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not regard the omission of anything as being kufr, except in the case of prayer.”  And he mentioned that the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed that the one who did not pray was a kaafir in their view. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.  So we must be careful, and adhere to this important obligation and not take the matter lightly if someone does not pray. We should not eat meat slaughtered by him, or invite him to any feasts, or accept his invitations. Rather he should be shunned until he repents to Allaah and starts to pray. We ask Allaah to guide us all. End quote.  Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 10/274-276  See also the answer to question no. 1553  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/70278/can-we-eat-meat-slaughtered-by-one-who-does-not-pray

Their father tells them to pray and adhere to the teachings of Islam but he does not pray

Question my dad knew every thing about what do you have to do to be a muslem, and he always tell us to do what god ask us to do and he always tell us or show us the right way and he love the god he always tell us to pray and fast everything that make god yerdah anna , but he never did them and never say anthing bad about the islam and he want everybody to be a muslem , but he never pray or fast or anything like that ; what do you call that ? what should we do ?

Praise be to Allah. Firstly: It is not permissible for your father to neglect prayer, because neglecting prayer is kufr (disbelief). See the answer to Question # 2182 and 10094.  Secondly: Your father must beware of the consequences of this action, which is that he is telling others to do what is right but not doing it himself, and forbidding them to do what is wrong but doing it himself. There are severe warnings to those who do this.  It was narrated that Usaamah ibn Zayd said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and will be thrown into Hell, where his intestines will be spilled out and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of Hell will gather around him and say: O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3027; Muslim, 5305)  Thirdly: Your duty towards your father is to try your best to call him (da’wah) and tell him that it is obligatory to do the prayers, with wisdom and beautiful preaching. Your eagerness to guide your father is one of the greatest ways in which you can honour him. You have to be patient when doing that, and strive hard in making du’aa’ that he will be guided.  Remember the story of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and his father, who was calling him to shirk, and how Ibraaheem replied to him and was kind and gentle in the way that he spoke to him.  And remember the story of Abu Hurayrah with his mother, and how keen he was to call his mother and guide her to Islam. Perhaps (these stories) may encourage you to strive in calling your father.  It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “I used to call my mother (to Islam) when she was still a mushrikah. I called her one day and she said something about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of  Allaah be upon him) that upset me. I went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaaah be upon him), weeping. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I was calling my mother to Islam and she refused. I called her today and she said something about you that I upset me. Pray to Allaah to guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaaah be upon him) said, ‘O Allaah, guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ I left, feeling hopeful because of the du’aa’ of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When I got home, I went to the door and found it slightly ajar. My mother heard my footsteps and said, ‘Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah!’ I could hear the sound of water. She bathed and put on her garment, and hastened to put on her khimaar, then she opened the door and said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.’ I went back to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) weeping with joy. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, Allaah has answered your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah. He praised and thanked Allaah, and said good words. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, pray to Allaah to make me and my mother beloved to the believers and make them beloved to us.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaaah be upon him) said, ‘O Allaah, make this little slave of Yours – meaning Abu Hurayrah – and his mother beloved to Your believing slaves and make the believers beloved to them.’ No believer heard of me or saw me but he loved me.” (Narrated by Muslim, Fadaa’il al-Sahaabah, 4546)  May Allaah help us all to do that which He loved and which pleases Him.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/13708/their-father-tells-them-to-pray-and-adhere-to-the-teachings-of-islam-but-he-does-not-pray

His father denies that prayer is obligatory and reviles the Sahaabah. What is the ruling concerning him, and how should he interact with him?

Question Who has guided us and blessed us with the blessing of Islam. I started to become religiously committed a few months ago, but my father is opposing me in that. My father does not pray, because he does not acknowledge that prayer is obligatory. He even reviles some of the Sahaabah and speaks against ‘Aa’ishah, and he speaks ill of some of the righteous such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. He doubts any hadeeth and he favours the Shi’ah. He treats me, my mother and my siblings badly, and he even mistreats my mother and humiliates her. He does not let my younger brother go to the mosque on the grounds that he should study, and he does not let me speak to my siblings about religious matters. He does not like anyone to advise him, and he cannot bear to listen to Qur’aan or to religious programs, and he thinks they are tools of misguidance. Every time he sees me watching a religious programme, he changes the channel.  What is the Islamic ruling concerning him? How can I deal with him? Please note that I treat him kindly, praise be to Allaah, and I pray for him, but he mistreats me and humiliates me, and he tells my siblings that I am a terrorist, and he encourages them to listen to music and not to watch religious programs or listen to me.  I hope that you can answer my question. May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  We ask Allaah to increase your reward for the hardship that you are going through, and we ask Him to guide your father before his life ends.  As for the ruling on your father, he has done and said things some of which imply that he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, so how about if they are taken all together? That includes not praying even if that is due to laziness, and denying that prayer is obligatory. These two things constitute kufr and put one beyond the pale of Islam. With regard to the former, according to the correct scholarly view, that applies even if one does not pray because of laziness, and the latter is something on which there is scholarly consensus. There is no difference of opinion concerning the fact that the one who does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam.  Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  The scholars are unanimously agreed that the one who does not pray and denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, and that he should be executed as a kaafir if he does not repent.  Adwa’ al-Bayaan (4/335).  Your father is not failing to pray because he is lazy, rather he is failing to pray because he denies that it is obligatory. Even if he failed to pray due to laziness he would still be a kaafir, so how about if does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory?  As for his reviling some of the Sahaabah, it seems that he only spares some of the Sahaabah and reviles some of the others. It seems to us from your question that your father is a believer in the evil Raadifi school of thought, which accuses the Sahaabah of being apostates apart from a very few of them. This means that they are kaafirs, and those scholars who did not rule that they are kaafirs ruled that they should be imprisoned until they repent or die.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  Reviling the Sahaabah falls into three categories:  1 – Reviling them by saying that most of them were kaafirs or that all of them were evildoers. This is kufr because it is a rejection of the praise of Allaah and His Messenger for them and their approval of them. The one who doubts that such a person is a kaafir is himself a kaafir, because this view implies that those who transmitted the Qur’aan and Sunnah were kaafirs or evildoers.  2 – If he reviles them by cursing them, then there are two scholarly views as to whether he is a kaafir. According to the view that he is not a kaafir, he is still to be flogged and imprisoned until he dies or recants what he said.  3 – If he reviles them in a way that does not reach the level of doubting their religious commitment, such as saying that they were cowardly or miserly. He is not a kaafir, but he should be given a disciplinary punishment (ta’zeer) to serve as a deterrent. This was stated by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in al-Saarim al-Maslool, where he narrates on p. 573 that Ahmad said: It is not permissible for anyone to mention any of their bad qualities or to criticize any of them for a fault or shortcoming. Whoever does that should be disciplined, then if he repents all well and good, otherwise he should be flogged in prison until he dies or recants.  Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (5/83, 84).  One of the implications of criticizing the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is that one is criticizing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and Islam, and the Lord of mankind, may He be glorified and exalted.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  Reviling the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is not only an insult against the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), rather it is an insult against the Sahaabah, against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), against the laws of Allaah and against Allaah Himself, may He be glorified and exalted.  -As for its being an insult against the Sahaabah, that is clear. -As for its being an insult against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that is by suggesting that his companions, confidants and successors as rulers of his ummah were among the worst of people. It is also an insult against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in another sense, which is that it is a rejection of what he said about their virtues and good qualities. -As for it being an insult against the laws of Allaah, that is because the intermediaries in the transmission of the sharee’ah from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to us were the Sahaabah. If they were not of good character, then the sharee’ah that they transmitted cannot be trusted either. -As for it being an insult against Allaah, may He be glorified, that is by suggesting that He sent His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the worst of mankind and chose them to be his companions and to convey his sharee’ah to the ummah. Look at the serious issues that are implied by reviling the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them).  We disavow the way of these Raafidis who revile and hate the Sahaabah. We believe that loving the Sahaabah is obligatory and that refraining from speaking ill of them is obligatory. Our hearts – praise be to Allaah – are filled with love for them, because of the faith and piety that they had, and because they spread knowledge and supported the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  And we disavow the ways of the Naasibis (such as the Khawaarij) who revile the Ahl al-Bayt in word or deed.  Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (8/616).  So it comes as no surprise that the scholars of Islam described as a heretic everyone who criticized the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).   Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  The imam of his age, Abu Zar’ah al-Raazi – one of the greatest of Muslim shaykhs – said:  If you see a man criticizing any of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah, then you should know that he is a heretic, because the Messenger is true, the Qur'aan is true, and what he brought is true. All of that was transmitted to us by the Sahaabah, so whoever criticizes them is intending to prove that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false. So he is the one who most deserves to be criticized and the ruling that he is a heretic who has gone astray and is a liar and evildoer is more apt.  Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah (2/608).  The same may be said about slandering the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) – the one who does that is a kaafir and apostate.  For more details please see the answer to question no. 954.  If the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are not safe from a person, then the imams of guidance who came after them will not be safe from him either, such as the Taabi’een and those who followed them, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. By reviling the Sahaabah and criticizing their religious commitment, he has proven that he follows a religion other than ours.  Secondly:  As for how to deal with your father:  You have to use different ways of explaining the truth to him and strive to guide him. Do not despair or give up. By his beliefs, words and actions he has gone out of Islam altogether, but you have to do what you think is best for him. We advise you to do several things such as the following:  1-You have to disavow his beliefs, words and deeds. 2-Be gentle in conveying the truth to him. 3-Use various means of calling him and explaining the truth to him. There are debates that have taken place between Ahl al-Sunnah and the Raafidis, in which they were roundly defeated. So you can make use of them to convince him to watch and listen to them. There are also audio tapes and books that may suffice to call those who criticize the Sahaabah and refute their specious arguments. 4-Strive not to let your father influence your mother and siblings, so that the influence of kufr and apostasy will not spread any further. 5-Defend yourself by means of your good attitude and good manners with him and your family. 6-Do not despair about him being guided, and continue to call him, either directly or through others of Ahl al-Sunnah whom you know and trust. 7-Always pray for him and choose good times such as the last third of the night, and good situations, such as when prostrating in prayer. The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:  How should we deal with a man who reviles the three companions?  They replied:  The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are the best of this ummah, whom Allaah praised in His Book. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success” [al-Tawbah 9:100]  “Indeed, Allaah was pleased with the believers when they gave the Bay‘ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As‑Sakeenah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory” [al-Fath 48:18] And there are other verses in which Allaah praises the Sahaabah and promises them admittance to Paradise. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali are among the foremost to embrace Islam and those who swore allegiance (bay’ah) to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) under the tree. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) himself swore allegiance on behalf of ‘Uthmaan [who had been sent as a envoy to negotiate with Quraysh in Makkah] which was testimony in his favour and a sign of his trust in him, and this oath of allegiance was stronger than the oath of others to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), according to many ahaadeeth, especially the oath of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali. They were given the glad tidings of Paradise along with a number of other Sahaabah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against reviling them, as he said: “Do not revile my companions, for if one of you were to spend the equivalent of (Mount) Uhud in gold, that would not equal the mudd of one of them, or even half of it.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh via Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri. Al-Bukhaari also narrated it from Abu Hurayrah.   The one who reviles or insults the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), especially the three: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, who are asked about here, has gone against the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and has contradicted them by reviling them. He will be deprived of the forgiveness which Allaah has promised to those who follow them and pray for forgiveness for them and pray to Allaah not to allow hatred in their hearts towards the believers.   Because of his criticism of these three and their like, he must be advised and told of their virtue and status, and their seniority in Islam. If he repents, then he is one of our brothers in faith, but if he persists in reviling them, then he must be disciplined, whilst paying attention to the shar’i policy of denouncing according to what one is able to do; the one who is unable to denounce with his tongue or hand (i.e., by speaking out or taking action) must do so with his heart, but this is the weakest of faith, as is proven in the saheeh hadeeth.  Fataawa Islamiyyah (1/12).  We ask Allaah to help you in your efforts and to make you steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to guide your father.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/95588/his-father-denies-that-prayer-is-obligatory-and-reviles-the-sahaabah-what-is-the-ruling-concerning-him-and-how-should-he-interact-with-him

His wife does not pray and she disobeys him in a lot of things. What is the ruling concerning her? How should he deal with her?

Question My wife disobeys me about many matters: about bringing our children up, education, our relationships with relatives, and about many marital matters. What should I do with her? I asked her to pray and read Quran, but she did not listen. Please make du’a that Allah guides her.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: Happy homes are those which are built on mutual understanding and love and consolidated with affection and compassion between spouses. None of this can be achieved without the spouses doing the duties that are specific to them. For example, the husband is obliged to spend on his wife and children, and the wife is obliged to obey her husband. If the wife wants to deny her husband the right of qawwaamah (being in charge of the household) or to be wilfully defiant and refuse to obey him, then she is destroying her home by her own hand, and she will be the cause of her children being lost and neglected because of her bad actions. Wives in general have to understand that obedience to their husbands is an Islamic duty that is required of them. The husband should do a good job of being in charge of his wife and family, by guiding them to that which is in their best interests and will bring them happiness. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means” [al-Nisa’ 4:34] Wives should ponder the following ahaadeeth: 1- It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone else, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands.” Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi (1159); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 2- It was narrated that Abu Umaamah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three whose prayer goes no further than their ears: the runaway slave until he returns, a wife whose husband remains angry with her overnight, and a imam who leads the people in prayer when they object to him doing so.” Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi (360). 3- It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No woman offends her husband in this world but his wife among the hoor al-iyn says, ‘Do not offend him, may Allah kill you, for he is only with you for a short time and soon he will leave you and come to us.’” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1174) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 4- It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a woman to fast when her husband is present except with his permission, or to allow anyone to enter his house without his permission.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4899) and Muslim (1026). Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this hadeeth: As a woman is obliged to obey her husband and satisfy his desire, so it is more appropriate that she is required to obey him with regard to things that are more important than that, such as the upbringing of their children, the well being of the family, and other rights and duties. Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath: This hadeeth shows that the husband’s rights over the wife are more important than doing voluntary good deeds, because fulfilling his rights is obligatory, and that which is obligatory takes precedence over voluntary acts. Adaab al-Zafaaf (p. 210). Secondly: The husband has to look for the causes of his wife’s wilful defiance and find out the ways in which he can treat her sickness and lead her to the way of guidance and salvation, so that she will be protected from the wrath and punishment of Allah. These causes may include the husband! Yes, you may be one of the causes of her wilful defiance, either because of sins that you are committing – as one of the salaf said: “I see the effect of my sins in my mount and my wife”, in her bad attitude or refusal to obey him – or the husband may have a bad attitude towards his wife so her behaviour is a reaction against the way he deals with her. Other causes may include her family, relatives, neighbours or friends who share a role with the shaytaan in causing separation between man and wife. If the cause has to do with her – due to the weakness of her faith and her ignorance of the rulings of sharee’ah – then he should remind her of Allah and play a role in strengthening her faith and teaching her what she does not know about the rights that her husband has over her. If that does not work, then he may hit her in a way that is not severe and that does not cause injury, and if that does not work, then he may forsake her in her bed. If his efforts do not succeed and she does not respond to good advice from him or from someone else, then he may divorce her once (one talaaq). This may serve as a reminder and “wake up call”. But if she persists in her defiance and disobedience, then there is nothing good in her and Allah may give him someone better than her. The basic principle for this gradual approach in setting things straight is to be found in the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “As to those women on whose part you see ill‑conduct, admonish them (first), (next) refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance). Surely, Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great” [al-Nisa’ 4:34] Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “As to those women on whose part you see ill‑conduct” means: who refuse to obey their husbands in word or in deed; he may discipline her by using the lightest means then the next lightest. “admonish them” means: explain the ruling of Allah with regard to obeying and disobeying the husband, and encourage her to be obedient, and warn her against disobedience. If that produces the desired results, all well and good, otherwise the husband should refuse to share her bed, by not sleeping with her or being intimate with her, to whatever extent will produce the desired result. Otherwise he may hit her in a way that is not severe and that does not cause injury. If one of these methods produces the desired result, then “seek not against them means (of annoyance)” i.e., you have got what you wanted, so stop pursuing rebuking her for what is past and seeking out faults mention of which will cause harm and provoke evil. Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 142). Whatever the case, the husband is the one who knows his wife best. If he knows that the reason for her wilful defiance is something that he can remedy, then he should do that. If he cannot deal with her, then he should appoint someone else from among his family or hers to undertake this mission. Someone else may have a stronger influence over her than him. Thirdly: What we have said above is general in meaning and applies to any husband who is suffering because of his wife’s wilful defiance. It would also include the wife asked about here, if she was one of those who pray. But as she does not pray, what we have said does not apply to her, because dealing with her is different. By not praying she is a kaafir woman and it is not permissible for him to be close to her or have intercourse with her, unless she prays. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism], perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah) and give Zakaah, then they are your brethren in religion” [al-Tawbah 9:11] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim (116). And he said: “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi (2621); al-Nasaa’i (463); Ibn Majaah (1079); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. Hence you have to start with this important matter and try by whatever means are available to you to remind her of the ruling on prayer, and that not praying is major kufr, and that your marriage contract with her will be rendered invalid if she persists in this grave sin. If she responds, then praise be to Allah, and you can go on to do the things that we have mentioned above. If she does not respond, then do not try to deal with her wilful defiance, and do not ask about her shortcomings in raising the children, because it is not permissible for you to remain married to her. Warn her before her marriage is annulled – and annulment may be by your divorcing her, because most courts do not regard not praying as a reason for annulling a marriage. Give her another chance; perhaps Allah will guide her and open her heart to the truth. See also the answer to question no. 47425 which describes the best way to call one who does not pray. See also the answer to question no. 12828 . We ask Allah to guide her and help her to pray regularly, and to guide her to all that is good, and to guide her hearing, sight and physical faculties, and to enable her to give thanks for the blessings that Allah has bestowed on her. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/98624/his-wife-does-not-pray-and-she-disobeys-him-in-a-lot-of-things-what-is-the-ruling-concerning-her-how-should-he-deal-with-her

Tips on How to Remain Steadfast in Your Faith

Question I have a problem and a question: Allah has guided me months ago. But I started to relapse with time. I do not know why. My Iman started to decrease gradually until I left prayers and became weak. But, Alhamdulillah, I tried not to fall into sins. But I missed many prayers while sleeping or away. By time I left prayers totally for days. I feel I have a complex regarding praying. I miss many prayers; I feel I will not get rid of this complex. What is the solution and what shall I do?

Praise be to Allah.Be thankful to Allah You should appreciate the blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you by enabling you to repent and adhere to your Religion, before death comes suddenly. So you should thank Him greatly for this blessing , which should make you strive harder to obey Him.   Al-Bukhari (4836) and Muslim (2819) narrated that al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood (in prayer) until his feet became swollen. It was said to him: Allah has forgiven your past and future sins. He said: “Should I not be a thankful slave?”  Seek refuge with Allah from a bad situation after a good situation So how can you accept to respond to goodness with something bad, and to go back to square one after you had gone so far in the way of righteousness? Rather we hope that you will go back to the way you were when you started to follow the straight path, for you have deviated and gone astray from the path after Allah blessed you with righteousness.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from such a thing. In Sahih Muslim (1343) it is narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Sarjis said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) travelled, he would seek refuge with Allah from the hardships of travel, from bad consequences, from a bad situation after a good situation, from the prayer of one who has been wronged, and from an ill-fated outcome with regard to family and wealth.  In His Noble Book, Allah strikes a similitude for the one who goes back to bad ways and destroys what he has built up, and turns away from the path of guidance, which explains the bad situation he is in and what he has chosen for himself, and He warns His slaves against doing this foolish deed:  “And fulfil the Covenant of Allah (Bai‘ah: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths after you have confirmed them — and indeed you have appointed Allah your surety. Verily, Allah knows what you do. And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong, by taking your oaths as a means of deception among yourselves, lest a nation should be more numerous than another nation. Allah only tests you by this (i.e. who obeys Allah and fulfils Allah’s Covenant and who disobeys Allah and breaks Allah’s Covenant). And on the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly make clear to you that wherein you used to differ (i.e. a believer confesses and believes in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad which the disbeliever denies and that is their difference amongst them in the life of this world).” [al-Nahl 16:91-92] Shaykh Ibn al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “This includes everything that a person has covenanted to Allah, such as acts of worship, vows and faith, because fulfilling that is righteousness. It also includes that which he and others have covenanted, such as covenants between people.   “And be not” in breaking the covenants in the worst and most foolish manner, “like her” who spins a strong thread, then when she has nearly finished it, she breaks it and it comes undone, so she exhausted herself spinning the thread and then undoing it, and she did not gain anything but frustration, exhaustion and foolishness. The same applies to the one who breaks the covenant; he is a wrongdoer, ignorant, foolish, lacking in religious commitment and manliness.” (p. 447)  Giving up prayer is a grave sin  So hasten to repent from this, for giving up prayer is one of the gravest of sins by which Allah is disobeyed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described not praying as kufr, and he said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kafir.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2545) and by Ahmad and others; classed as sahih by al-Albani.  It is strange how the brother can say: I have tried not to fall into sin,” then he says that he missed a lot of prayer. What is his concept of sin in that case?!  Giving up prayer is the greatest and most serious sin. You have tried to prevent yourself from doing every sin except associating others with Allah (shirk).  So hasten to repent and regret what you have done, before there comes a moment when man regrets at the time when regret is to no avail.  Do not help your enemy (Satan) against yourself As for you saying that you have a “complex about prayer” and you feel that you will never recover from this complex, this is a trick of the shaytan who makes this idea seem attractive. You are the one who has helped your enemy against yourself, and you let him fill your mind with the idea of this complex which stems from illusions and laziness, and lack of resolve to do good. So hasten to solve this problem by obeying Allah, may He be exalted, and keeping your wudu, and hastening to pray when the time for prayer begins.  It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Shaytan ties three knots at the back of the head of any one of you when he goes to sleep, striking each knot and saying: “You have a long night ahead, so sleep.” If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone. If he does wudu, two knots are undone. If he prays, all the knots are undone, and he starts the day energetic and in a good mood. Otherwise, he starts his day in a bad mood and feeling lazy.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari (3269) and Muslim (776)  Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “This hadith indicates that the shaytan causes a person to sleep and makes him feel heavy and lazy through his efforts and waswas, and his ability to tempt, mislead and make falsehood seem attractive, except the sincere slaves of Allah.  This hadith indicates that the shaytan may be expelled by means of remembrance of Allah (dhikr), as well as wudu and prayer.” (Al-Tamhid (19/45) Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “Undoubtedly prayer itself offers good health to the body, and helps the body to rid itself of impurities and keep that which is the most beneficial thing for it, as well as offering protection to one’s faith and happiness in this world and the Hereafter.  Similarly, qiyam al-layl is one of the most beneficial means of protecting one’s well-being and preventing many chronic diseases, and it is one of the most energizing things for the body, soul and heart, as it says in al-Sahihayn… and he quoted the hadith.” (Zad al-Ma'ad, 4/225) Seek the help of Allah and do not feel helpless Do not feel weak before your enemy, and do not let him gain any power over you. Seek the help of Allah and do not feel helpless – as your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has enjoined you. Remember that “ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytan (Satan)” [al-Nisa 4:76]. Remember that the obligatory prayers are easy and the Muslim will not find it burdensome to perform them regularly.  Keep good company With regard to what you mention about losing interest, the reason for that may be the kind of people with whom you are keeping company. Try as much as you can to attend gatherings of dhikr and knowledge, and to sit with good companions, for acts of worship are easy when a person sees others whom he can take as examples and who can help him with it.  A person will inevitably be exposed to situations which make him feel stronger and more keen to do good, and other situations where that keenness will be less. But it is not permissible to let that lead you to giving up obligatory duties or committing haram actions.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every deed has a period of enthusiasm, and every period of enthusiasm is followed by a slackening off. If a person’s enthusiasm is for my Sunnah, then he has succeeded, but whoever chooses something else when he slackens off is doomed.” (Narrated by Ahmad (6725) and classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami’ (no. 2151)  Set a regular program for yourself Hence our advice to you is to set a regular program for yourself which you should not neglect, including the obligatory and confirmed nafl prayers. If you do more than that occasionally that will be good upon good, and if you fall short then do not fall short in doing the obligatory prayers.  How to make up missed prayers With regard to the prayers that you have missed in the past , whatever you missed because of sleep, there is no sin on you for that but you have to make them up . As for those that you missed with no excuse, i.e., you were too lazy to do them before the time for them ended, then you have to repent, and in that case making them up will not avail you anything. What you have to do is offer a lot of nawafil prayers and pray for forgiveness, so that Allah may forgive you.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/98682/tips-on-how-to-remain-steadfast-in-your-faith

Should she do Hajj and give charity on behalf of her mother who did not pray?

Question Is it permissible for a daughter to do Hajj and give charity on behalf of her deceased mother, knowing that the mother did not pray when she was alive?.

Praise be to Allah. The one who does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus. The one who does not pray out of negligence and laziness is a kaafir according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” And there is other evidence to that effect from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Based on that, it is not permissible to do Hajj or give charity on behalf of someone who has died and did not pray, just as it is not permissible to do Hajj and give charity on behalf of any other kaafir.  And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.  Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/109302/should-she-do-hajj-and-give-charity-on-behalf-of-her-mother-who-did-not-pray

He delayed the prayer until the time for it was over with no excuse; does he have to do ghusl?

Question Does delaying the prayer with no excuse necessitate ghusl? Because it is mentioned in this website that this puts a person beyond the pale of Islam.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  Prayer is the foundation of faith, the mark of the successful, the joy of the righteous. Allah has prescribed it for the believers, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):    “Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [al-Nisa’ 4:103]  “Successful indeed are the believers. 2. Those who offer their Salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. 3. And those who turn away from Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden). 4. And those who pay the Zakaah. 5. And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts) 6. Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess, - for then, they are free from blame; 7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors; 8. Those who are faithfully true to their Amanaat (all the duties which Allah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts) and to their covenants;   9. And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational) Salawaat (prayers) (at their fixed stated hours)” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-9]  Prayer is the first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection is his prayer. If it is sound then he will have succeeded, but if it is not sound he will be doomed.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 413, Abu Dawood, 864; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abu Dawood.  Allah erases sins by means of prayer and raises people in status thereby. It is the last religious commitment to be forsaken and if it is neglected then all religious commitment is lost. See question no. 33694.  My brother, adhere to regular prayer before you die… pray before the funeral prayer is offered for you.  If you are already praying regularly, then continue to do so. If you have been negligent about prayer, then repent and seek forgiveness before it is too late. Whoever turns to Allah, Allah will turn to him.  Allah says, according to the hadeeth qudsi: “If he draws near to Me a hand span, I draw near to him an arm’s length, and if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length, and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7405; Muslim, 2675.  So repent sincerely to Allah, and Allah will accept your repentance.  Secondly:  Being careless about prayer and delaying it until the time for it is over with no excuse is a major sin. See question no. 47123.  Some of the scholars are of the view that the one who omits a single prayer with no excuse until the time for it is over is to be viewed as a kaafir. See question no. 39818. This is the view on which the answer to your question is based, which is the command to the one who omits a single prayer with no excuse until the time for it is over to do ghusl.   That is because it is prescribed for a kaafir who becomes Muslim to do ghusl, as it is also prescribed for an apostate who returns to Islam.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/202):  If a kaafir becomes Muslim, he has to do ghusl whether he is new to Islam or had apostatized.  “New to Islam” means one who formerly belonged to another religion all his life, such as a Jew or Christian or Buddhist, etc.  “Had apostatized” means that he had been a Muslim, then he apostatized from Islam – we ask Allah to keep us safe and sound from that – such as one who did not pray, or thought that Allah has a rival or partner, or prayed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) seeking his help at a time of hardship, or prayed to someone else seeking his help in a matter in which he could not help.  The evidence that ghusl is required in such cases is as follows:  1 – The hadeeth of Qays ibn ‘Aasim, who said that when he become Muslim the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered him to do ghusl using water and lotus leaves. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 605; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. So the basic principle with regard to this matter is that it is obligatory.  2 – He has cleansed himself inwardly from the filth of shirk, so wisdom dictates that he should cleanse himself outwardly by doing ghusl.  Some of the scholars said that he does not have to do ghusl, and they quoted as evidence the fact that no general command was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), such as saying whoever becomes Muslim let him do ghusl, as he said, “Whoever comes to Jumu’ah, let him do ghusl.” How many of the Sahaabah become Muslim but there is no report that he told them to do ghusl or said, whoever becomes Muslim let him do ghusl. If it were obligatory it would have been well known because the people need to know about it.  We could say that the first view, that ghusl is required, is stronger, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) issued a rule to one member of the ummah for which there is no reason to assume that it applied only to him, so it may be assumed that it applies to the ummah as a whole. The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) issued the command to one person does not imply that he did not issue the same command to others as well.  With regard to the fact that it is not narrated from each one of the Sahaabah that he did ghusl when he become Muslim, the fact that there are no reports does not mean that it did not happen, because the basic principle is to do that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded, and it is not essential for there to be a report from each person who did it.  Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni:  If a kaafir becomes Muslim he has to do ghusl, whether he is new to Islam or had apostatized… this is the view of Maalik, Abu Thawr and Ibn al-Mundhir.  It says in al-Mawso’oah al-Fiqhiyyah (31/206):  The Maalikis and Hanbalis are of the view that a kaafir’s becoming Muslim necessitates ghusl. If a kaafir becomes Muslim, he must do ghusl. They did not make any distinction between a kaafir who is new to Islam and one who had apostatized. Ghusl is also required of an apostate who comes back to Islam.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46562/he-delayed-the-prayer-until-the-time-for-it-was-over-with-no-excuse-does-he-have-to-do-ghusl

Is it permissible for them to use their father’s money when he does not pray?

Question My father, May Allah guide him, does not pray. He does not pray unless he is in a public place or at work, so he does not become embarrassed if people notice that he does not pray. But he does not consider prayers with care. An imam and a congregation from a masjid have advised him to pray, he prayed for a few weeks then stopped. He used to pray Friday prayer before, and now he stopped even praying the jumu’ah prayer.   My question is: Is his money that he spends on us halal or haram? Does the hadeeth of the prophet, peace be upon him that says: “There is no flesh that is nourished by haram things, but the Fire will be more entitled to it.” Apply to us, his children, or not?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  Not praying is a major sin and cause of doom; in fact it is kufr according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, as has been explained in the answer to question no. 5208 and 2182.  The kufr of the one who does not pray leads to numerous rulings in life and after death. Meat slaughtered by him is not halaal, it is not valid for him to be a wali (guardian) or witness in case of marriage, and if he dies he is not to be washed or the prayer offered for him, and he cannot be buried with the Muslims.  You should carry on calling him, advising him and reminding him, in the hope that he may repent and come back to Islam. See the answer to question no. 47425.  Secondly:  The money that he spends on you is not regarded as haraam or impure, so long as he earns it in a permissible manner, such as a job or trade and the like. What is meant by the hadeeth, “Every body that is nourished on haraam, the Fire is more befitting for it” [narrated by al-Tabaraani and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (4519)] is wealth that is taken in haraam ways such as stealing, deceit and so on.  We ask Allaah to guide you and give you strength, and to guide your father and enable him to repent.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/105103/is-it-permissible-for-them-to-use-their-fathers-money-when-he-does-not-pray

He does not pray and they are afraid that he is working as a pimp

Question I found out that my sister’s husband earns his money through haram activities. He brings women from their country where to the gulf countries to work as prostitutes. He also commits adultery with them, he confessed to my other sister’s husband. I told my father but he did not believe and said that he is a good man and said also that my other sister’s husband is jealous of him and this is why he is lying about him. But I believe my other brother in law, because my first brother in law is always out, especially at night. My sister told me something; she doubts that he is betraying her. He lies to her and she believes him. She is pregnant now, and has a daughter. I did not tell my sister what I heard about her husband, I want to know my duty towards my sister. For two years since she got marries to him, she suffers from psychological diseases. He does not pray, nor does he fear Allah, and Allah knows best. Please tell me what should I do in this situation? Should I disclose his matter and tell my sister or shall I keep it a secret? I always ask Allah to guide him. What worries me the most is my fear. I fear he gets a dangerous disease and passes it unto my sister. I fear her children will be negatively affected.

Praise be to Allah. What we advise you to do with regard to this problem is three things: make sure of what your sister’s husband is actually doing, advise him if it is proven that what he is doing is evil deeds, and strive to have the marriage annulled if he persists in doing it, whether it is committing adultery or not praying.  With regard to the first issue:  It is known that the basic principle concerning a Muslim is that he is innocent, and it is not permissible to accuse him of something that is not true, otherwise the one who is making the accusation is guilty of sin.  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, they bear (on themselves) the crime of slander and plain sin” [al-Ahzaab 33:58].  It is essential to establish the truth of anything you hear before basing any decision or ruling on it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” [al-Hujuraat 49:6].  Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:   This is another etiquette which should be adopted and followed by those who have understanding, which is that if an evil person tells them something, they should verify his report and not just accept it willy-nilly, because there is grave danger in that and the possibility of falling into sin. If his report is treated in the same manner as the report of an honest person of good character and is acted upon, then it results in unlawful loss of life or wealth because of that report, it will be a cause of regret. Rather if news comes from an evil person, it must be checked and verified. If evidence and circumstances indicate that it is true, then it may be acted upon and believed, but if it indicates that it is false, then it should be disbelieved and not acted upon. This indicates that the news of an honest person is acceptable and the news of a liar is to be rejected, and the news of an evildoer is to be examined further, as we have said.  Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 799).  The basic principle is not to accuse people, and that people are to be presumed innocent. The lie may come from one who claims that the person admitted it to him, and this is not far fetched. If it is proven that the one who brought the news is telling the truth, and that this is what is really happening, then we move on to:  The second issue:  Which is advising and exhorting.  It was narrated from Tameem al-Daari that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Religion is sincerity.” We said: To whom? He said: “To Allaah, to His Book, to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.” Narrated by Muslim (55).  It was narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: I gave my oath of allegiance to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), pledging to establish regular prayer, pay zakaah and be sincere towards every Muslim.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (501) and Muslim (56).  That is based on the condition that the advice be given in the best manner to correct faults.   Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Invite (mankind, O Muhammad صلىالله عليه وسلم) to the way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’aan) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided” [al-Nahl 16:125].  The best thing you can advise him to do is to pray. It is essential for him to understand that not praying is kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam, and that if he dies when he is not praying then he will have died a death of Jaahiliyyah, and will have died as an apostate. Then after that he should be advised to give up the haraam actions such as immoral and evil deeds with those female servants, and pimping them to others. Bringing in female servants in the first place, even if the aim is for work only, involves many reprehensible matters. We have discussed previously the issue of female servants and the ruling on bringing them in from their countries and the haraam things into which people fall when female servants work in their homes. This may be read in the answer to question no. 26282.  If what has been said about him is proven to be true, and he does not respond to advice and he persists in not praying and in doing evil deeds, then what you must do is:  The third issue:  Which is: separating him and his wife by annulling the marriage contract, because the one who does not pray is an apostate, and his marriage contract with a Muslim woman is to be annulled. Moreover it is not permissible for a chaste woman to remain married to an immoral adulterer. His not praying dictates that the marriage contract should be annulled; as for his committing immoral actions, it does not dictate that the marriage contract be annulled, but her acceptance of his actions makes her a partner with him in them. Such a person cannot be trusted with a daughter or a wife, and there is no guarantee that he will not transmit deadly diseases to her.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  Not praying is kufr which puts one beyond the pale of Islam. If he has a wife, then his marriage to her is annulled, meat slaughtered by him is not permissible, his fasting and charity will not be accepted, and it is not permissible for him to go to Makkah and enter the Haram; if he dies it is not permissible for him to be washed or shrouded, or the funeral prayer to be offered for him, or for him to be buried with the Muslims. Rather he should be taken out into the desert, and a ditch dug for him, and he should be buried into it. If a person’s relative dies and he knows that he did not pray, it is not permissible for him to deceive the people by bringing him to them for them to offer the funeral prayer for him, because offering the funeral prayer for a kaafir is haraam, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And never (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave. Certainly they disbelieved in Allaah and His Messenger, and died while they were Faasiqoon (rebellious, — disobedient to Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم)” [al-Tawbah 9:84]   “It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allaah’s forgiveness for the Mushrikoon, even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief)” [al-Tawbah 9:113] Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (12/question no. 26)  See also the answers to questions no. 10094, 2182 and 5208  But we reiterate and remind you not to rush to say such things about him or to tell your sister and ruin her life and break up her family without legitimate proof. Our concern about the sacred limits if Allaah being transgressed should be greater than our fear of disease being transmitted or our being offended by marital betrayal. She should strive to make du’aa’ for him and ask that he be guided, and that your sister set her affairs straight, and ask Allaah to protect her and her off spring from his evil and from the evil of all evildoers.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/103291/he-does-not-pray-and-they-are-afraid-that-he-is-working-as-a-pimp

The best way to call those who do not pray and to deal with innovators

Question What is the best way to call those who do not pray? What about innovators?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  We should consider the person being called to pray or to do other acts of worship, and pay attention to the most effective means of encouraging him or warning him. The general principle in Islam is to combine both approaches (encouraging and warning). It is also important to pay attention to how receptive or otherwise the person being called is, and whether he will be influences or put off by preaching.  Secondly:   The best way to call those who do not pray can be summed up as follows:   1 – Reminding them of the obligation of prayer and that it is the greatest of the pillars of Islam after the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith).  2 – Telling them some of the virtues of prayer, for it is the best of the duties that Allaah has enjoined on His slaves, and the best way by means of which a person may draw closer to his Lord. It is the first of his religious affairs for which a person will be brought to account. The five daily prayers are an expiation for whatever sins come in between them, so long as he avoids major sins. A single prostration raises a person in status by one degree, and erases one sin… and there are other virtues of prayer that have been narrated. This may open his heart and perhaps prayer may become a source of delight, as it was for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).   3 – Telling them of the stern warnings that have been narrated concerning not praying, and the different opinions of the scholars as to whether this constitutes kufr (disbelief) and riddah (apostasy). Islam does not give the one who does not pray the opportunity to live freely among people, because in his case he must he invited to pray, and if he persists in not praying, he is to be executed as an apostate according to the view of Ahmad and those who agreed with him among the salaf (early generations of Islam); or he is to be executed as a hadd punishment, according to the view of Maalik and al-Shaafa’i; or he is to be detained and imprisoned, according to the view of Abu Haneefah.  But no scholar says that he is to be left free. So it should be said to the one who does not pray: are you happy that the scholars disagreed as to whether you are a kaafir and whether you should be killed or imprisoned?  4 – Reminding them of the meeting with Allaah, death and the grave, and what will happen to the one who does not pray, namely a bad end and the torment of the grave.  5 – Explaining that delaying prayer until the time for it is over is a major sin:  “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by 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” [Maryam 19:59 – interpretation of the meaning]. Ibn Mas’ood said concerning al-Ghayy (translated here as “Hell”): it is a valley in Hell that is very deep and has a foul taste.  And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites), 5. Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)” [al-Ma’oon 107:4-5] 6 – Explaining the serious implications of the view that they are kaafirs, such as their marriages being rendered invalid, it being forbidden for them to remain with and be intimate with their wives, and the fact that they will not be washed and prayed for after they die. Among the texts that indicate that the one who does not pray is a kaafir is the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim, 82. and he said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463; Ibn Maajah, 1079.  7 – Giving them some booklets and tapes that deal with the subject of prayer and the punishment of the one who does not pray or is careless concerning the prayer.  8 – Forsaking and shunning them if they persist in not praying.  With regard to innovators, the way in which we deal with them varies according to the type of innovation involved. We should advise them and call them to Allaah, and establish proof against them, and refute their specious arguments. If the innovator persists in his innovation he should be forsaken and shunned, if it is thought that this will most likely benefit him. We have first to be sure that a person is an innovator before resorting to these measures, and reference should be made to the scholars. We should differentiate between the innovation and the one who practices it, because he may have the excuse of ignorance or misunderstanding. For more details please see Haqeeqat al-Bid’ah wa Ahkaamuhu by Sa’eed ibn Naasir al-Ghaamidi.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/47425/the-best-way-to-call-those-who-do-not-pray-and-to-deal-with-innovators

Ruling on the fasting of one who only prays in Ramadaan

Question What is the ruling on the fasting of one who only prays in Ramadaan, or who maybe fasts and does not pray?.

Praise be to Allah. If a person is deemed to be a kaafir, all his deeds are invalidated. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them” [al-An’aam 6:88]  “And whosoever disbelieves in Faith, [i.e. in the Oneness of Allaah and in all the other Articles of Faith i.e. His (Allaah’s) Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al‑Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers” [al-Maa’idah 5:5].  A number of scholars are of the view that he is a not a kaafir in the sense of major kufr if he affirms that prayer is obligatory, but he is guilty of minor kufr, and this action of his is worse and more abhorrent than the action of the adulterer or thief and the like. Despite that, his fasting and Hajj are still valid, in their view, if he does them in the proper manner as prescribed in Islam. But his offence is that he is not praying regularly, and he is in grave danger of falling into major shirk according to a number of scholars. Some of them narrated that the majority are of the view that he is not a kaafir in the sense of major kufr if he does not pray because he is lazy or heedless, rather he is committing minor kufr thereby, but his crime is still serious and an abhorrent evil that is worse than adultery, stealing, disobeying one’s parents, drinking alcohol and so on. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.  But the more correct of the two scholarly views is that he is a kaafir in the sense of major kufr – we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound – because of the shar’i evidence quoted above. So if a person fasts but does not pray, his fasting does not count, and neither does his Hajj. End quote.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/105362/ruling-on-the-fasting-of-one-who-only-prays-in-ramadaan

Can We Pray after Masturbation without Ghusl?

Question I used to masturbate since I reached puberty and I did not know that it is prohibited, and I used to pray without doing Ghusl. Now I have repented, praise be to Allah.  My question is: should I make up the prayers that I missed with every obligatory prayer, or should I offer them all at one time? Should I offer them in order i.e., should I start with Fajr first and then Zuhr and so on?

Praise be to Allah.Deliberately praying without having purified oneself is a grave sin , and the one who does that comes under the same ruling as one who does not pray, because he has failed to do something without which his prayer is not valid .  Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “The ruling on not doing Wudu or Ghusl in the case of major impurity, and not facing the Qiblah when praying, and not covering the `Awrah, is the same as the ruling on the one who does not pray. Similarly the ruling on not standing, bowing or prostrating when one is able to do so is like the ruling on not praying.” (As-Salah wa Hukm Tarikiha, p. 42) It seems from your question that you did not do Ghusl in the case of major impurity because you were unaware that it is obligatory. The scholars differed concerning one who does that – does he have to repeat the prayer or not?  If it never occurred to you that it is obligatory to do Ghusl after masturbating, then we hope that you do not have to make up the previous prayers , but you have to repent and be righteous, and do a lot of good deeds. Allah say (interpretation of the meaning):  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death).” [Ta-Ha 20:82] And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/89935/can-we-pray-after-masturbation-without-ghusl

Can a person be excused for not praying because he is unaware that it is obligatory?

Question If a Muslim dies who did not pray in a non-Muslim country, or a Muslim did not pray in a Muslim country, who is worse off than the other? Does the one who died in a non-Muslim country have any excuse after death because he was living in a non-Muslim environment and did not hear the adhaan for example?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  Not praying is major kufr and the person who does not pray is beyond the pale of Islam because of his not praying. This is indicated by the Qur'aan and Sunnah and by the consensus of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).  Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, 39. Except those on the Right (i.e. the pious true believers of Islamic Monotheism). 40. In Gardens (Paradise) they will ask one another, 41. About Al‑Mujrimoon (polytheists, criminals, disbelievers) (and they will say to them): 42. ‘What has caused you to enter Hell?’ 43. They will say: ‘We were not of those who used to offer the Salaah (prayers)’ [al-Muddaththir 74:38-43] It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim (82).  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Anybody who is accountable and dies when he is not praying, is a disbeliever; he should not be washed, the funeral prayer should not be offered for him and he should not be buried in the Muslim graveyard; his relatives do not inherit from him, rather his wealth belongs to the bayt al-maal of the Muslims according to the more correct scholarly view, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in this saheeh hadeeth: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.”. Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh; and because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray has disbelieved.” narrated by Imam Ahmad and the authors of al-Sunan with a saheeh isnaad, from Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him).  ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq al-‘Aqeeli, the great Taabi’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not think that failing to do any action was kufr except prayer. And there are many hadeeth and reports with similar meanings.  This applies to the one who does not pray because he is lazy, but he does not deny that it is obligatory. As for the one who denies that it is obligatory, he is a disbeliever and an apostate from Islam according to all the scholars. End quote.  Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (10/250).  Secondly:  If a person who is not praying dies, it makes no difference whether he is in a Muslim country or a non-Muslim country, but his sin is greater if he was living among Muslims, because he could see the people praying and hear the call to prayer at all times.  Thirdly:  Some people may become Muslim and be living in a non-Muslim state and not know anything about the pillars and duties of Islam, such as prayer and so on. This may be imagined in the case of one who grew up in a wilderness far away from knowledge and Muslims, or who lived in the jungle and so on. Such a person is not judged to be a disbeliever or even a sinner, because he is excused due to his ignorance.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  But among people are some who are ignorant of some of these rulings and may be excused for that, so no one should be judged to be a disbeliever unless proof is established in his case that the message reached him, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the (coming of) Messengers” [al-Nisa’ 4:165]. Hence if a man became Muslim and did not know that prayer was obligatory upon him, or he did not know that alcohol was haraam, he does not become a disbeliever for not believing that the former is obligatory or that the latter is haraam; indeed he will not be punished unless proof from the Prophet reached him.  Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (11/406)  Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  There is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the fact that if a man became Muslim and did not know the laws of Islam, so he believed that alcohol was permissible and that a person did not have to pray, and the ruling of Allah had not reached him, he is not a disbeliever. And there is no difference of opinion concerning that, unless proof was established to him and he persisted. In that case, according to the consensus of the ummah, then he is a disbeliever.  Al-Muhalla (11/206)  With regard to his ignorance, it is stipulated that the person should not have been able to dispel it by means of asking and seeking knowledge.  Al-Qaraafi al-Maaliki (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  The shar’i principle indicates that any kind of ignorance which the accountable person could have dispelled does not count as evidence for the ignorant, for Allah sent His Messengers to His creation with His messages, and He commanded them all to learn it, then act upon it. So learning and acting upon it are obligatory, and the one who does not learn and act accordingly, and remains ignorant, has committed two sins because he has failed to fulfil two obligations.  Al-Furooq (4/264).  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This excuse does not count unless one is unable to remove it, otherwise if a person is able to learn the truth but falls short in that, he is not excused. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (20/280)  Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  As for the one who is able to learn but he was careless about it, and gives precedence to individual’s opinions over what he knows of the revelation, this is the one who is not excused. Adwa’ al-Bayaan (7/357)  See also the answer to question number 10065.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/104412/can-a-person-be-excused-for-not-praying-because-he-is-unaware-that-it-is-obligatory

Is the person who prays Friday prayer only not a kaafir?

Question Is it correct that who prays Friday prayer only is not considered kaafir? I read that sheikh Ben Uthaimeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said: whoever prays Friday prayer is not a kaafir; because he never neglects it, because the prophet, peace be upon him, said (the prayer) not (prayer). Is it true that ibn Uthaimeen and ibn Taymiyah said this?.

Praise be to Allah.There is a difference of opinion among those who say that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, with regard to the exact definition of the omission of prayer which makes him a kaafir. Most of them are of the view that he becomes a kaafir if he omits one obligatory prayer or two obligatory prayers.  Some of them are of the view that the one who does not pray does not become a kaafir unless he gives up prayer altogether.  The former opinion was narrated by Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) from the Sahaabah and Taabi’een. Imam Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Maroozi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I heard Ishaaq say: it is narrated in a saheeh report from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, and this was the opinion of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until our own time, that the one who deliberately does not pray without any excuse until the time for the prayer is over is a kaafir.  The ending of the time means delaying Zuhr until sunset and delaying Maghrib until the sun rises.  The end of the times for prayer was set as described above because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) joined prayers at ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah and when travelling, so he prayed one of them at the time of the other. Because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the first prayer at the time of the second in some cases, and the second prayer at the time of the first in other cases, the time for both became one time in cases where one has an excuse, just as the menstruating woman, if she becomes pure before sunset, is commanded to pray both Zuhr and ‘Asr, and if she becomes pure at the end of the night, she is commanded to pray both Maghrib and ‘Isha’. End quote from Ta’zeem Qadr al-Salaah (2/929).   Muhammad ibn Nasr (Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Imam Ahmad said: No one becomes a kaafir because of sin except the one who deliberately does not pray. If he does not pray until the time for the next prayer begins, he must be asked to repent three times. End quote.  It was narrated that Ibn al-Mubaarak said: Whoever deliberately does not pray with no excuse until the time is over, is a kaafir. Ta’zeem Qadr al-Salaah (2/297).  Ibn Hazm said: We narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (me Allah be pleased with him), Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Ibn Mas’ood  and a number of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and from Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on them), and from 17 of the Sahaabah in total (may Allah be pleased with them) that the one who deliberately and consciously does not offer an obligatory prayer until the time for it ends is a kaafir and an apostate. This is also the view of ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Maajishoon, the companion of Maalik. And it was the view of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Habeeb al-Andalusi and others. End quote from al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Ahwa’ wa’l-Nihal, 3/128.  He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: And it was narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah and others among the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) that the one who deliberately does not offer one obligatory prayer until the time for it ends is a kaafir and an apostate. End quote from al-Muhalla (2/15).  This view was also expressed in fatwas by the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, led by Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (6/50, 40)  Some of the scholars quoted as evidence for this opinion the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Whoever does not pray ‘Asr, all his good deeds are cancelled out.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (528), because cancellation of good deeds can only happen as a result of becoming a kaafir, and because of what has been quoted above from the Sahaabah who narrated these hadeeths.  With regard to the second opinion, which is that the one who does not pray does not become a kaafir unless he gives up prayer altogether, this is the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), although he also ruled to be a kaafir the one who misses some prayers and is called by the ruler to pray but does not pray. He also stated that the one who prays sometimes and does not pray sometimes, if he resolves in his heart to give up prayer altogether, then he is inwardly a kaafir, i.e., it is between him and Allah, may He be exalted.  See: Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 22/49, 7/715; Sharh al-‘Umdah, 2/94.  This was also the view of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: What appears to be the case from the evidence is that he does not become a kaafir unless he gives up prayer all the time, in the sense that he has decided not to pray, so he does not pray Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha’ or Fajr. This is the one who is a kaafir. But if he prays one or two obligatory prayers, then he is not a kaafir and he cannot truly be described as having given up prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr stands his giving up prayer (al-salaah)” and he did not say “salaah (a prayer)”. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/26).  We could not find any written comment of his concerning one who only offers Friday prayer, but we asked him about that verbally and he replied that it seems that he does become a kaafir because Friday prayer is one of 35 prayers in the week, so the one who only prays Friday prayer can be described as giving up prayer altogether so he could become a kaafir as a result.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/52923/is-the-person-who-prays-friday-prayer-only-not-a-kaafir

She lost her mind because of drinking and missed some prayers. What is the ruling?

Question Please give me fawtaw on this i had drank 1 night and got druink and delayed my prayrs 3 and 4 and fajer but made them up be for the 1 after fajer i read that makes me a non beliver iam praying now and ask allah to for give me i never stop beleving in allah and will ask him to for give me for drinking to the question is if that made me a non belive does that mean the my merriage is in valid to i have to ge remarried or is it like 3 times and we can never marry again my allah for give for iam very sorry for what i have done.

Praise be to Allah.We ask Allaah to accept your repentance and to make your repentance sincere.   “Truly, Allaah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance” [al-Baqarah 2:222 – interpretation of the meaning] With regard to your missing these prayers – in the situation which you mentioned – you did not become a kaafir because of that, in sha Allaah, because this missing the prayers was not a deliberate action on your part, even though what caused it was your drinking intoxicants, which is a great sin, but perhaps Allaah will expiate for it by means of your sincere repentance.  Based on this, then you are still a Muslim, praise be to Allaah. Your marriage is not affected at all and you do not have to renew the marriage contract etc.  After repenting sincerely, you have to pray regularly on time, and beware of neglecting prayers by omitting them or delaying them. Strive to give your husband and children their rights, and turn sincerely to Allaah by giving up sins both major and minor.  We ask Allaah to bless us and our Muslim brothers with guidance and steadfastness, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/23355/she-lost-her-mind-because-of-drinking-and-missed-some-prayers-what-is-the-ruling

Ruling on sitting with one who does not pray and who denies that hijab is obligatory and mocks it, and mocks ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)

Question What is the ruling on being in company with a person who does not pray or fast, he also denies that hejab is obligatory and makes fun of it. I heard him once making fun of A’esha may Allah be pleased with her. What is the ruling especially if he was not one of my womb-related relatives?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  These actions of the person you are asking about sitting with constitute kufr and apostasy, and we are amazed that he claims to be a Muslim when this is the case. Not praying is major kufr, as is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and by the consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them).  With regard to women’s hijab, if what is meant is covering the face (niqaab), there is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning it. The more correct view is that it is obligatory for all women and that it does not apply only to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).   Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:    With regard to niqaab, covering the face is obligatory, according to the correct scholarly opinion, and this is what is supported by the saheeh evidence, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” [al-Noor 24:31].  And Allaah said concerning the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): “And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts” [al-Ahzaab 33:53].  The fact that it is speaking of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) does not mean that the ruling should not apply to other Muslim women, because the reason for that is general, namely “that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.”  So the reason is general and applies both to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and to other women. Purity is required of all, because Allaah says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning):  “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed” [al-Ahzaab 33:59].  End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh al-Fawzaan (4/242, 243; question no. 250).  For more information please see the answer to question no. 11774.  But if what is meant by hijab is covering the head, then there is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the fact that it is obligatory. His rejection of both types, and his making fun of them, is apostasy from Islam, because even though covering the face is not obligatory according to some scholars, they are unanimously agreed that it is prescribed in Islam and that it is part of the religion of Allaah, so denying it and making fun of it is kufr which puts one beyond the pale of Islam.  There is no excuse at all for this heretic to make fun of the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), rather it is indicative of what is in his heart of hypocrisy and heresy, which shows itself in this slip of the tongue. ‘Aa’ishah is the Mother of the Believers and the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whose innocence was declared by Allaah in verses that will be recited until the Day of Resurrection. The one who makes fun of her is in fact making fun of her husband, who is the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the one who denies that she is the Mother of the believers is putting himself outside of their circle, but he does not harm her at all.  Secondly:  If this is the case with this relative, then he should be told that he is doing something which implies that he is an apostate, and that he must repent and come back to his religion. If he meets his Lord in this state, he will not be meeting Him as a Muslim.  What you must do – after advising him – is shun his company and beware of him, unless the one who wants to sit with him has a sufficient level of knowledge to repel his kufr. His companions should beware of his evil, and upholding ties of kinship with him is not obligatory, rather it is not permissible to initiate the greeting of salaam with him.  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And when they hear Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: ‘To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not (the way of) the ignorant’” [al-Qasas 28:55]. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  “And when they hear Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk)” from an ignorant person who addresses it to them, “they say” – the words of the slaves of the Most Merciful who have understanding – “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds” i.e., each will be requited for his deeds that he did by himself, and he will not bear anything of the burden of another. This implies that they are innocent of what the ignorant do of laghw (vain talk), falsehood and idle talk.  “Peace be to you” i.e., you will not hear anything from us but good, and we will not address you as your ignorance deserves. Even if you allow yourselves to indulge in this rotten talk, we declare ourselves to be above it and we protect ourselves from indulging in it. “We seek not (the way of) the ignorant’” in any sense.  Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 620).  The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:  Is it permissible for me to sit with one who does not pray?  They replied:  The one who does not pray deliberately and denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, according to scholarly consensus. If he does not pray because he is heedless and lazy, then he is a kaafir, according to the correct scholarly opinion. Based on that, it is not permissible to sit with these people, rather they should be shunned and cut off, after explaining to them that not praying is kufr, if they are the type of people who may be unaware of the ruling. It is narrated in a saheeh report from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” And it is narrated in another saheeh report that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. This includes both the one who denies that it is obligatory and the one who does not do it out of laziness.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (12/374, 375)  The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:  Is it permissible to say salaam to one who does not pray?  They replied:  The one who does not pray because he denies it is obligatory is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus, and the one who does not pray out of laziness, but does not deny that it is obligatory is a kaafir, according to the correct scholarly view. So it is not permissible to say salaams to him, or to return his salaam if he greets you with salaam, because he is regarded as an apostate from Islam.   Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (24/141, 142)  The scholars of the Standing Committee said:  The one who makes fun of the religion of Islam or the Sunnah that is proven from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as letting the beard grow, shortening the clothes to above the ankles or halfway up the calves, when he knows that this is proven, is a kaafir. The one who mocks the Muslim and makes fun of him because of his adhering to Islam, is a kaafir, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say: ‘Was it at Allaah ( عز و جل ), and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?’ 66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed” [al-Tawbah 9:65-66] Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (2/43-44).  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  What you must do is shun the one who does not pray, and cut off ties with him, and do not accept his invitation, until he repents to Allaah from that; but you should also advise him and call him to the truth, and warn him of the consequences of not praying in this world and in the Hereafter, in the hope that he may repent and Allaah may accept his repentance.  Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (10/266)  Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:  Is it permissible for me to sit and eat and drink with someone who does not pray and persists in not praying?  He replied:  It is not permissible for you to sit with him and eat and drink with him, unless you are advising him and rebuking him, and you hope that Allaah may guide him at your hands. If you are sitting with him, then this is what you must do with him, because this comes under the heading of denouncing evil and calling people to Allaah, and perhaps Allaah may guide him at your hands.  But if you are sitting with him and eating and drinking with him without denouncing him, and he is persisting in not praying, or is persisting in some major sin, then it is not permissible for you to mix with him. Allaah cursed the Children of Israel for something similar to this. He says (interpretation of the meaning):   “Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawood (David) and ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allaah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. 79. They used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar (wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed” [al-Maa'idah 5:78-79]. In the commentary on this verse it is narrated that one of them would see another committing sin and tell him not to do that, then he would meet him the next day and he would still be persisting in sin, and he would not tell him not to do that and he would mix with him, and would eat and drink with him and sit with him. When Allaah saw that they did that, He set them against one another, and cursed them on the lips of their Prophets.  And the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against doing such things, lest there befall us the punishment that befell them.  End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh al-Fawzaan (2/246, question no. 215)  See also the answer to questions no. 4420 and 47425.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=3

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/115156/ruling-on-sitting-with-one-who-does-not-pray-and-who-denies-that-hijab-is-obligatory-and-mocks-it-and-mocks-aaishah-may-allaah-be-pleased-with-her

He goes back to sleep after waking without praying

Question I have on some occasins awoken either at the very point of Fajr or a little before its time and have gone back to sleep, I on 2 occasins was aware that it was Fajr time and slept, I then heard that Shaykh Abdul Azeez Ibn Abdullaah Ibn Baaz (May Allah have mercy on him)said such a person is a kaafir (Murtaad) Is this correct? and what is the correct view according to the Ahlul Sunnaah Wal Jammaah? (If so what do I do?) Another question was, If I miss the Asr Salaah (The entire time passed and I did not preform the prayer for it) do I become a kaafir? (However I still offer my 5 times fard salaah daily) I am aware that all my good deeds are lost for the day according to a narration in Saheeh Al Bukharee, however I ask you, Who I know is guided upon the haqq and on the tareeqah of Rasulullaah (SalAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallaam)

Praise be to Allah.1-If you woke up at the time of Fajr, then were overtaken by sleep, but you had the intention of waking up after a short while, before the time for the prayer was over, but you did not wake until the time was over – then get up and do the prayer straight away, and be determined to get up in the future. Do not let the Shaytaan play with you. We ask Allah to forgive you. 2-But if you had the intention of not doing the prayer until after the time was over, or you were hesitant about the matter – this is the action which, according to some of the scholars, makes a person a kaafir. If this applies in your case, then repent to Allah from now, and resolve not to do it again. Pray the prayers that you have missed if you know how many they are. Allah will accept the repentance of those who repent. This will be the expiation (kafaarah) for you. The same applies to ‘Asr prayer as applies to the morning prayer.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/10914/he-goes-back-to-sleep-after-waking-without-praying

Ruling on marriage contract with one who was not praying then Allaah guided him

Question I wonder if you could please answer my question as it worries me alot. My husband didn't pray at the time I got married, three years ago. Although shortly after marriage I convinced him to and he does now. I was wondering whether this marriage is null considering that at the time of the Nikkah, he didn't pray. What can I do now?

Praise be to Allah.Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a marriage contract with one who was not praying then Allaah guided him. He said:  If the wife, like the husband, was not praying at the time of the marriage contract, then the marriage is valid, but if she was praying then the contract must be renewed, because it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a kaafir man, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans) till they believe (in Allaah Alone)” [al-Baqarah 2:221]  This means that Muslim women should not marry them until they become Muslim, because Allaah says in Soorat al-Mumtahinah (interpretation of the meaning):  “then if you ascertain that they [emigrant Muslim women] 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” [al-Mumatahanah 60:10]

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/12467/ruling-on-marriage-contract-with-one-who-was-not-praying-then-allaah-guided-him

He committed adultery with a woman and she married someone else, and the adulterer wants to marry her

Question I am in a dilemma . I was contacted by a brother from my home ('muslim') country who had a relationship with a relative of mine (and he informed me of this just now as i had no knowledge of it beforehand) and he claims that they had zina and she may be expecting his baby soon. He was supposed to marry her soon. Recently she was married to someone else and she is here in XXX presently. The brother who contacted me was shocked when he returned from business trip and discovered this. He wishes for me to allow him to contact her, and I wish to advise him to forget her and to repent as she has been playing with him for past couple of years. She also played with me for a while before Allah guided me. I dont think any of the above-mentioned people are practising the deen, probably dont even pray. What would be the responsible and islamic thing for me to do - and should i consult any others?

Praise be to Allah. Your question includes a number of serious issues, not just one problem.  The details are as follows:  1 – The neglect of prayer on the part of your friend and your relative, who claim to be Muslims. This action is kufr. See Question no. 5208 and 2182. Indeed, you say that they do not practise Islam, and this is disaster upon disaster, kufr upon kufr. We seek refuge with Allaah from that.  2 – Falling into zina (fornication, adultery), which is forbidden in Islam, as is well known. It is forbidden even in the other divinely-revealed religions.  3 – Marrying an adulteress when she is pregnant as a result of zina.  4 – The adulterer seeking to marry an adulteress after she has gotten married to someone else.  Which disaster should we begin with? Which question should we answer? Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (there is no power and no strength except with Allaah).  Let us start with the most serious:  1 – Kufr as a result of not praying and neglecting all the rituals of Islam.  There is no doubt that kufr (disbelief) dooms one to enter Hell, Allaah says describing the mushrikeen and how they will answer concerning the reason why they entered Hell:  “They will say: ‘We were not of those who used to offer the Salaah (prayers), Nor we used to feed Al‑Miskeen (the poor); And we used to talk falsehood (all that which Allaah hated) with vain talkers. And we used to belie the Day of Recompense, Until there came to us (the death) that is certain’” [al-Muddaththir 74:43-47 – interpretation of the meaning] Ibn Katheer said, commenting on this passage:  “ ‘We were not of those who used to offer the Salaah (prayers)’ means ,we did not worship our Lord.  ‘Nor we used to feed Al‑Miskeen (the poor)’ means, we did not show any kindness to His creation of our own kind (our fellow human beings).  ‘And we used to talk falsehood (all that which Allaah hated) with vain talkers’ means, we used to speak of that of which we had no knowledge. Qutaadah said: (it means), everyone who went astray, we followed him.  ‘And we used to belie the Day of Recompense’. Ibn Jareer said: we used to deny the Day of Recompense, of reward and punishment; we did not believe in reward, punishment or reckoning.  ‘Until there came to us (the death) that is certain’ means death, as in the aayah, ‘And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death)’ [al-Hijr 15:99].”  But what you have to do is to advise them, establish proof against them and explain to them that what they are doing is destroying the most important pillar of Islam, so they must hasten to repent from neglecting the prayer and all the rituals of Islam. It is not permissible for you to turn a blind eye to one who neglects prayer under any circumstances. Start by advising and guiding him, then shun him and turn away from him, do not greet him, eat his food or sit with him, if that will do him some good. Make him aware of how great his sin is, so that perhaps he will turn back to his Lord and repent.   2 – Falling into zina (adultery) is a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him)” [al-Isra’ 15:32] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “An adulterer, at the time he is committing illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer; and a drinker, at the time he imbibes an alcoholic drink is not a believer; and a thief, at the time of stealing, is not a believer. And a robber  who robs (takes illegally something by force) while the people are looking at him, is not a believer at the time he is robbing (taking).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2475).  It is a major sin, and the one who commits this sin is issued with a warning of a painful torment. It says in the great hadeeth about the Mi’raaj (Prophet’s ascent to the heavens): “… We went on, and we came to something like a Tannoor (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread).” I [the narrator] think he said, “In that oven there was much noise and voices.” He said, “We looked into it and found naked men and women, and a flame of fire was reaching up to them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried loudly. I asked them [the two angels], ‘Who are these people?’…  They [the two angels] said, ‘We will tell you… those naked men and women whom you saw in a structure resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari in Baab Ithm al-Zunaah, no. 7047).  Please see also Question no. 11195.  3 – With regard to the third question, which concerns marrying an adulteress when she is pregnant, it should be noted that “it is not permissible to marry an adulteress until she repents, and if a man wants to marry her, he must wait to make sure that she is not pregnant, which is shown by her having a menstrual period, before he can marry her. If it becomes apparent that she is pregnant, then it is not permissible for him to marry her until she has given birth…” (Fatwa of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem – may Allaah have mercy on him. See al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 2/584)  Based on that, marriage to this woman when she is pregnant from an adulterer is an invalid marriage, and the person who married her has to leave her at once, otherwise he is an adulterer and the hadd punishment for adultery must be carried out on him.  But if he leaves her and she gives birth, and her womb becomes empty, and she repents sincerely, then it will be permissible for him to marry her, after he also repents.  4 – As for the first man – the adulterer – he must also repent to Allaah, and it is not permissible for him to marry her at all, for two reasons:  (i)because they are bother adulterers, and marriage to adulterers is forbidden to believers. See Question no. 11195. (ii)Because of her relationship with another man. So he has to forget about her completely, and repent to Allaah from his serious sin. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah al-‘Aliy al-‘Azeem  (there is no power and no strength except with Allaah the Exalted, the Almighty).  O Allaah, guide the misguided Muslims, and help us to turn back to You, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/22448/he-committed-adultery-with-a-woman-and-she-married-someone-else-and-the-adulterer-wants-to-marry-her

He hears the call to prayer but he does not respond

Question What is the ruling on one who hears the adhaan and even the iqaamah and the prayer itself, but does not come to pray? What is the ruling on one who prays Jumu’ah (Friday prayer) only?

Praise be to Allah. If a person hears the call to prayer but does not respond, his prayer (elsewhere and not in the mosque) does not count, unless he has a valid excuse. What is meant is that his prayer is imperfect and he is a sinner because he kept away from the prayer in congregation. Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one keeps away from the prayer (in congregation) except a hypocrite who is known for his hypocrisy.” (Narrated by Muslim, 654) Not responding to the muezzin implies weakness of faith, lack of religious commitment, not caring about reward and forsaking the houses of Allaah.  With regard to the ruling on one who prays Jumu’ah only, some of the scholars are of the view that one who prays Jumu’ah only is a kaafir, because he comes under the same ruling as one who does not pray at all, because he prays only one of the thirty-five prayers required each week, so he is like one who does not pray at all. Among those who expressed this view were Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them). Some of the scholars said that he is not a kaafir but he is committing a great sin that is worse than riba (usury), adultery, stealing, drinking alcohol etc.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/10292/he-hears-the-call-to-prayer-but-he-does-not-respond

Is it permissible to pray on behalf of someone who does not pray?

Question say if someoe close in yuor family does not read namaz and u tel this person to pray bt they dont listen.......can i pray for them , i mean can i do thir prayers?because i know they will not pray.

Praise be to Allah.Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam and it is not valid except when done by the one who is obliged to do it. Not praying is kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam; see question no. 2182. It is not permissible for you to offer prayers on behalf of someone else who does not pray. This ruling is one upon which there is consensus and there is no difference of opinion among the scholars.  Ibn Qudaamah said: “The visible acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, purifying oneself (wudoo’) cannot be delegated to others because they have to do with the body of the person who is obliged to do them, so no one else can take his place, except in the case of a vowed fast, which a person may do on behalf of one who has died, but this cannot be done by way of delegation.  Al-Mughni, 5/207  You have to keep on advising this person to pray, and encouraging him and warning him. May Allaah open his heart to beneficial words.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/22828/is-it-permissible-to-pray-on-behalf-of-someone-who-does-not-pray

His boss doesn’t let him pray

Question My boss does not let me pray at work the four obligatory prayers from Zuhr until ‘Isha’ which come at the time when I am at work. What is the ruling on this situation? Can I do all the prayers after work?.

Praise be to Allah.Delaying the prayer until after the time when it is due, with no valid excuse, is a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites), Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)” [al-Ma’oon 107:4-5] Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas was asked whether delaying prayer is counted as abandoning prayer. He said, “No, but it means delaying it until after its time.”   Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “ ‘Those who delay their Salaah’ means those who delay it until after its time.”  Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 12/706.  Work is not a reason for not praying until the time for prayer is over. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “In houses (mosques) which Allaah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is remembered [i.e. Adhaan, Iqaamah, Salaah (prayers), invocations, recitation of the Qur’aan]. Therein glorify Him (Allaah) in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings, Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing AsSalaah (Iqaamat asSalaah) nor from giving the Zakaah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection)” [al-Noor 24:36-37] al-Sa’di said:  These men, even though they engage in trade and buy and sell, that does not distract them from remembering Allaah and establishing regular prayer and praying zakaah. Rather they make obedience and worship of Allaah their main aim and ultimate goal, and whatever comes between them and that goal, they shun it.  Based on this, you should either ask your boss to allow you enough time to pray on time, or you should leave this job which is keeping you from prayer. And whoever gives up something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better than that.  See also Question no. 34617  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/38106/his-boss-doesnt-let-him-pray

Doing righteous deeds when one is careless about prayer

Question In the past I did not pray regularly. I would pray for a few days, then stop for a few days, then go back to praying. I used to give a lot of charity, seeking the pleasure of Allaah, and I upheld the ties of kinship, doing that only for the sake of Allaah. Will the good deeds I did be rejected because my prayers were incomplete, or might Allaah accept them if He wills?.

Praise be to Allah.Negligence in performing prayers is a great sin, and a sign of extreme negligence, because prayer  is the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn (twin testimony of faith). Allaah warns those who take the matter of prayer lightly and do not pray on time, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by 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), and work righteousness. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught” [Maryam 19:59, 60]  A number of scholars were of the view that the one who misses a single prayer and delays it until its time is over, with no excuse, is a kaafir. So what you have to do is to repent to Allaah from this great sin, and pray regularly on time, as well as doing a lot of naafil prayers, in the hope that Allaah will forgive you and accept your good deeds.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (Fatwas of the Standing Committee), 6/50:  Question:  Four years ago we went on a pleasure trip. During this trip I missed a prayer – either Zuhr or ‘Asr, I can’t remember now – because I was being careless and lazy. Now I regret the sin that I committed and I ask Allaah to forgive me for every sin. What do I have to do, and is there any expiation?  The Standing Committee replied:  You have to repent to Allaah sincerely, but you do not have to make up the prayer you missed, because deliberately missing an obligatory prayer is major kufr [disbelief], as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives up prayer is a kaafir.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. There is no expiation for that but sincere repentance.  Secondly:  The good deeds of a kaafir are of no avail before Allaah unless he becomes Muslim, then his good deeds will benefit him and their reward will be written for him, as it says clearly in al-Saheehayn, where it is narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, there are some things that I used to do as acts of worship during the Jaahiliyyah, such as giving charity, freeing slaves and upholding the ties of kinship. Will I get any reward for that?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You entered Islam with the good that you had done before.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1436; Muslim, 123.  Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  Ibn Battaal and other scholars were of the view that the apparent meaning of this hadeeth indicates that if a kaafir becomes Muslim and dies in Islam, he will be rewarded for the good deeds that he did when he was still a kaafir. They quoted as evidence the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a kaafir enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allaah records for him all the good deeds that he had done previously, and erases thereby between ten and seven hundred (bad deeds) the like thereof, and each bad deed will only count as one, unless Allaah forgives him.” It was mentioned by al-Daaraqutni in Ghareeb Hadeeth Maalik, and narrated from him through nine isnaads, in all of which it states that if a kaafir becomes a good Muslim, every good deed that he did when he was still a mushrik will be recorded for him.  Ibn Battaal (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the hadeeth: Allaah may bestow His bounty upon His slaves as much as He wills, and no one can question Him for that. This is like what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him): “You entered Islam with the good that you had done before.”  And Allaah knows best.  With regard to the words of the fuqaha’: “The worship of a kaafir is not valid, and if he enters Islam it will not count,” what they meant is that it is not subject to shar’i rulings in this world, and there is no expectation (at the time of doing it) of reward in the Hereafter, but if someone suggests that if he becomes Muslim he will not be rewarded for his good deeds in the Hereafter, then that view should be refuted by referring to this saheeh Sunnah.   And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/40111/doing-righteous-deeds-when-one-is-careless-about-prayer

He does not pray and he lives with his girlfriend; he wants to repent and marry her

Question There is a French Muslim man who does not pray or fast, and he lives with his Christian girlfriend. He wants to repent and fast, but he is using the fact that this woman is living with him as an excuse. Is it permissible for him to marry her now, knowing that tomorrow is the first day of Ramadaan? If that is permissible, then what is the prescribed shar’i procedure for that?.

Praise be to Allah.This person and others should note that not praying is kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam. Islam does not accept for any of its followers not to pray or fast and to live with a girlfriend.  What you have to do is to advise him and explain to him what Islam really is, which is submitting to the rulings of sharee’ah. The Muslim should be an example to others, especially in that (non-Muslim) country, for he is not representing himself only, rather he is representing Islam which he has embraced and committed himself to. So he has to give up the sin that he is committing and adhere to the rulings of sharee’ah, especially prayer which is the thing that distinguishes between Islam and kufr.  Secondly:  We are very happy to learn that he wants to repent, so what is stopping him from repenting? Allaah rejoices over the repentance of His believing slave. When a person turns to Allaah, Allaah turns to him and forgives his sin. So he should hasten to repent and not delay it or make it conditional upon certain things happening, lest he dies without having repented and he meets his Lord with a burden of sin and may even meet Him in state of kufr.  Tell him that Allaah turns bad deeds into good deeds for the one who repents. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:70] So he must hasten to repent by giving up all that he is doing that incurs the wrath of Allaah, namely not praying and living with his girlfriend.  See the answers to questions no. 624, 13990, 34905, 22912.  Thirdly:  If he repents to Allaah, he should note that it is not permissible for him to marry that girlfriend, not because she is Christian, but because she is a zaaniyah (fornicatress) – according to what he has said. One of the conditions of marrying a woman of the People of the Book (i.e., a Jewish or Christian woman) is that she should be chaste, not a fornicatress or a woman who has a lover or boyfriend. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Made lawful to you this day are At‑Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods, which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]. The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time when you have given their due Mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girlfriends” [al-Maa’idah 5:5] Allaah has stipulated that in order to marry them, they must be chaste. It is not permissible for a Muslim to marry a woman of the people of the Book who is not chaste. Even if a woman is a Muslim but she is not chaste, it is not permissible for a chaste Muslim man to marry her. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “The adulterer — fornicator marries not but an adulteress — fornicatress or a Mushrikah; and the adulteress –fornicatress, none marries her except an adulterer — fornicater or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islamic Monotheism)” [al-Nur 24:3] For more details on this issue, please see the answer to question no. 11195 and 2527.  If he wants to marry her, that can only happen after he repents and comes back to Islam by starting to pray, and after they both repent from zina (fornication).  This applies if he wants to marry her.  The duty of being sincere (naseehah) compels us to tell him of the best way we know of setting straight both his religious and worldly affairs, which is that he should repent to Allaah sincerely, and hasten to leave this woman without any hesitation or delay, and look for another woman who is a chaste, believing Muslim. If he repents to Allaah, he will need someone who understands her religion and will stand by him and encourage him to obey the Most Merciful after this deviation. As for that woman, even if she repents from fornication she will never be able to help him to obey Allaah and she will never be trustworthy with regard to his household, his wealth and his honour, and she will never be fit to raise his sons and daughters. We mean nothing but good by offering this sincere advice. Let him use his mind and avoid being emotional, then he will know that this is right.  If he looks around him, he will see other Muslims who have married non-Muslim women, and how bad their situations are, and how they regret it and wish that they had not married non-Muslim woman.  See also the answer to questions no. 20227 and 45645.  And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/50508/he-does-not-pray-and-he-lives-with-his-girlfriend-he-wants-to-repent-and-marry-her

He does not remember the number of prayers and fasts that he owes. What should he do?

Question If someone doesn't remember that how many prayers and fasts he/she has left, how should he/she proceed to make over them?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  If prayers have been missed, one of the following three scenarios must apply:  1 – The prayer was missed for a reason such as sleeping or forgetting. In that case it must be made up, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, the expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 572; Muslim, 684.  He should offer these prayers in order as enjoined, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah, according to which ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) came on the day of al-Khandaq after the sun had set, and started cursing the kuffaar of Quraysh and saying, “O Messenger of Allaah, I could hardly pray ‘Asr until the sun had almost set.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, I did not pray it either.” We went to Bat-haan and he did wudoo’ for prayer and so did we, then he prayed ‘Asr after the sun had set, then he prayed Maghrib after that. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (571) and Muslim (631).  2 – He omitted the prayer for a reason but he was not aware of it, such as unconsciousness. In this case the prayer is waived for him and he does not have to make it up.  The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:  I was involved in a car accident and I stayed in the hospital for three months, where I did not wake up and I did not pray for all that time. Is it waived for me or do I have to make up all the missed prayers?  They replied:  The prayers during the period mentioned are waived in your case, so long as you were unconscious throughout that period. End quote.  They were also asked:   If a person remains unconscious for a month and does not pray throughout that period, then he regains consciousness after that, does he have to repeat the missed prayers?  They replied:  He does not have to make up the prayers that he missed during that period, because he comes under the same ruling as one who is insane, and the Pen is lifted from one who is insane (i.e., his deeds are not recorded). End quote.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 6/21  3 – He missed the prayers for no reason. One of two scenarios applies in this case:  Either he denied and refused to accept that they are obligatory. In this case there is no dispute that this is kufr and he has nothing to do with Islam. He has to enter Islam and then do all the duties and obligations of Islam, but he does not have to make up the prayers he missed when he was a kaafir.  Or he did not pray because he was negligent and lazy. In this case the prayers are not valid if he makes them up, because he had no excuse at the time when he missed them. Allaah has enjoined prayers at certain, clearly-defined times, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [al-Nisa’ 4:103] And the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2697; Muslim, 1718. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:  I did not pray until the age of twenty-four. Now with every fard (obligatory prayer) I offer another fard. Is it permissible for me to do that? Should I carry on doing that, or is there something else I have to do?  He replied:  The one who missed prayers deliberately does not have to make them up, according to the correct scholarly view. Rather he has to repent to Allaah, because prayer is the foundation of Islam, and failing to pray is the greatest of sins. In fact, failing to pray constitutes major kufr according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because it is narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad and the authors of al-Sunan with a saheeh isnaad from Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him).   And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him). And there are other ahaadeeth which indicate the same thing.  What you have to do is repent sincerely to Allaah by regretting what you have done in the past, giving up not praying, and sincerely resolving not to go back to it. You do not have to make up anything, either with every prayer or otherwise. Rather all you have to do is repent. Praise be to Allaah, whoever repents, Allaah accepts his repentance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.”  You have to be sincere in your repentance, and take stock of yourself, and strive to offer prayers regularly on time in congregation. And you have to ask Allaah to forgive what you have done, and do a lot of righteous deeds, and be optimistic, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] After mentioning shirk, murder and zina (adultery) in Soorat al-Furqaan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. 69. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; 70. Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68] We ask Allaah to guide us and you, to make our repentance sound and help us to remain constant in doing good. End quote.  Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 10/329, 330  Secondly:  With regard to making up missed fasts, if you did not fast during the time when you did not pray, then you do not have to make up those fasts, because the one who does not pray is a kaafir in the sense of major kufr that puts him beyond the pale of Islam – as stated above. When a kaafir becomes Muslim, he is not obliged to make up acts of worship that he did not do when he was a kaafir.  But if you did not fast at a time when you were praying, then one of the following two scenarios must apply:  Either you did not form the intention to fast from the night before, and you decided rather that you would not fast. In this case making up the fasts would not be valid in your case, because you failed to do the act of worship at the time prescribed for it by Islam, with no excuse.  Or you started to fast then you broke the fast during the day. In this case you have to make it up, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded the one who had had intercourse during the day in Ramadaan to offer expiation for that, he said to him: “Fast one day in its stead.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2393; Ibn Maajah, 1671; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 940.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on breaking the fast during the day in Ramadaan with no excuse. He replied:  Breaking the fast during the day in Ramadaan with no excuse is a major sin, which makes a person a faasiq (disobedient, evildoer) who has to repent to Allaah and make up the day when he broke his fast. I.e., if he fasted then during the day he broke his fast with no excuse, then he has sinned, and he has to make up the day when he broke the fast, because when he started it, it became binding upon him, so he has to make it up, like a vow. But if he did not fast at all, deliberately, with no excuse, then it is most likely that he does not have to make it up, because that will not benefit him at all, for it will never be accepted from him. The basic principle with regard to every act of worship which is to be done at a specific time is that if it is delayed beyond that time with no excuse, it will not be accepted, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.” And he has transgressed the limits set by Allaah, and transgressing the limits set by Allaah is zulm (wrongdoing), and good deeds are not accepted from the wrongdoer. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And whoever transgresses the limits ordained by Allaah, then such are the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)” [al-Baqarah 2:229] If he had done this act of worship ahead of time – i.e., before the time for it began – it would not have been accepted of him, and by the same token, if he does it after that it will not be accepted from him, unless he has an excuse. End quote. Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (19, question no. 45)  What he has to do is repent sincerely from all sins, and perform obligatory duties regularly and on time, and give up evil deeds, and do a lot of naafil deeds and acts of worship.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/72216/he-does-not-remember-the-number-of-prayers-and-fasts-that-he-owes-what-should-he-do

It is difficult for him to pray qiyaam because of his work situation and because he is a heavy sleeper

Question My work situation means that I work all night and I sleep in the day. It is difficult for me to get up and offer the four other prayers, because I get so tired at work. I cannot get up whilst I am sleeping and do the prayers and then go back to sleep. And there is another reason, which is that I am a heavy sleeper, and when I sleep no one can wake me up, even if I intend to get up and pray during the day.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  Some of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to do difficult work such as farming, herding livestock, gathering firewood and so on, but they did not neglect their prayers, rather they used to observe the prayers regularly, not just on time but also in congregation. They were regular in praying and seeking knowledge, and they were not granted any concession allowing them not to pray because of work.  Hence it is obligatory for those who work and others to offer the prayers on time. Allaah praises the believers who do not let their work distract them from obeying Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing As‑Salaat (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaat) nor from giving the Zakaah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). 38. That Allaah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace. And Allaah provides without measure to whom He wills” [al-Noor 24:37-38] Secondly:  The one who sleeps is excused at the time when he is sleeping, but when he wakes up it becomes obligatory for him to perform the prayer after he has woken up.  It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, the expiation for that is to pray it when he remembers it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (572) and Muslim (684).  This hadeeth indicates that the one who sleeps is not accountable during the time of his sleep, and there is consensus on this point.  The apparent meaning of the hadeeth is that there is no negligence in sleep if a person sleeps before the time for prayer begins or after that but before the time becomes too short. And it was said that if a person deliberately goes to sleep before the time becomes too short and he takes that as a means of not praying because he thinks it most likely that he will not wake up until the time for the prayer is over, then he is sinning. But the apparent meaning is that there is no sin on him because of sleeping, because he did that at a time when it was permissible to do it, so he is included in this hadeeth. But if he did it deliberately in order to miss the prayer, then there is no doubt that he is sinning thereby. End quote.  Nayl al-Awtaar 2/33, 34.  Thirdly:  What a person should do before going to sleep is to be keen to wake up at the time of prayer, and to take the means that will help him to perform the prayer on time. If he does that but does not wake up, then he is excused because he did what he had to, and “Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286]. That happened to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on some of his journeys.  It was narrated that Abu Qataadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We travelled with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by night and some of the people said: “Why don’t you let us stop at the end of the night so that we may rest, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said: “I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer.” Bilaal said: I will wake you up.” So they lay down and Bilaal leaned his back against his mount, but his eyes grew heavy and he slept. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up when the sun had risen. And he said: “O Bilaal, what about what you said?” He said: “I have never slept like that before.” He said: “Allaah took your souls when He willed and returned them to you when He willed. O Bilaal, get up and call the people to prayer.” And he did wudoo’ when the sun had risen high and turned white, then he stood and prayed. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (570) and Muslim (681).   The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took the means of waking up by appointing Bilaal to alert them when it was time to pray, but sleep overtook him, and he and the people slept until the sun had risen. They were not negligent, hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “There is no neglect among the people.”  As for one who stays up all night because of work etc and does not take the means and prays after the time for the prayer is over, he is regarded as deliberately not praying, and he is not excused because of his sleep.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about someone who stays up all night and is not able to pray Fajr until after the time for it is over – will it be accepted from him? And what is the ruling on the rest of the prayers which he offers on time?  He replied:  With regard to Fajr prayer which he delays until the time for it is over when he is able to offer it on time, because he could sleep early, this prayer of his will not be accepted from him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.” Narrated by Muslim. The one who deliberately delays a prayer until the time for it is over, with no excuse, will have it rejected, because he has done something that is not in accordance with the command of Allaah and His Messenger, so it will be rejected.  But he may say: I was asleep, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sleeps and misses a prayer or forgets it, let him pray it when he remembers it, for there is no expiation for it but that.”  We say: If he could have slept early so that he would wake up early, or he could have set an alarm clock to wake him up, or he could have asked someone to wake him up, then his delaying the prayer and not getting up for it is regarded as deliberately delaying the prayer, so it will not be accepted from him. End quote.  Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/question no. 14  Fourthly:  A man may be a heavy sleeper, and one of two scenarios must apply:  1 – He sleeps deeply because he has stayed up at night to work, seek knowledge or pray qiyaam. In this case it is not permissible for him to miss performing prayers on time because of that, and he should look for another job that will not cause him to miss the prayers. Similarly it is not permissible for him to let naafil deeds – even seeking knowledge, which is basically obligatory – distract him and cause him to miss the prayers. In this case his not praying is regarded as deliberate, because he could change his job and he could avoid staying up at night.  Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  What our brothers who go on trips should do is thank Allaah for this blessing, as He has made them prosperous and given them a life of comfort and ease, in an atmosphere of safety and freedom from fear, and they should do what Allaah has enjoined on them of praying on time, whether that is Fajr prayer or any other. It is not permissible for them to delay Fajr prayer on the basis that they are sleeping, because in most cases there is no excuse for this sleep, because they can use alarm clocks to wake them up to pray on time, and they can sleep early so that they can wake up refreshed. End quote.  Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (12/question no. 14)  2 – A person may be a naturally heavy sleeper, and it has nothing to do with work or staying up at night. This is known in the case of some individuals. If that is the case, then he is excused if he takes the means but does not wake up.  It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when we were with him and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, my husband Safwaan ibn al-Mu’attal does not pray Fajr until the sun has risen.” Safwaan was with him, so he asked him about what she had said, and he said: “O Messenger of Allaah, we are a family who are known not to wake up until the sun has risen.” He said: “When you wake up, then pray.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2459; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 7/65  Conclusion: in your case it seems that your sleeping heavily has to do with staying up at night, and you are staying up at night because of work. On this basis, it is not permissible for you to stay in that job, because it is causing you to forsake the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn. So look for another job, and Allaah will compensate you with something better than it. You will see a change for the better in your religious commitment, your body and your mental attitude. As for your religious commitment, performing the prayers on time is one of the most important duties, and not doing it is one of the worst of haraam actions. As for your body, the doctors have described many harmful effects suffered by those who work at night; sleeping during the day does not give the body the same rest as sleeping at night does. And all of that has a negative effect on one's mental attitude.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/65605/it-is-difficult-for-him-to-pray-qiyaam-because-of-his-work-situation-and-because-he-is-a-heavy-sleeper

He has repented from not praying and fasting; does he have to make up what he missed?

Question I was far away from religion and I did not know anything about Islam except that I was born to Muslim parents. I had a relationship with a girl for two years, and after that Allaah blessed me and I became committed. I ask Allaah to make me and you among those who have knowledge and act according to the rulings of Islam.  Now I am repenting from all my sins by Allaah’s leave, and I have resolved never to go back to them. What I would like to ask you is: I know that one of the conditions of repentance is regret and determination never to go back to the sin, and to restore people’s rights to them if I have wronged them. What should I do with regard to the prayers and fasts that I missed before I became committed? What should I do in order to correct the wrongs I did with that girl, knowing that until now she is not married and she is still not religiously committed?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  We praise Allaah for having blessed you with guidance, and we ask Him to increase you in knowledge and guidance. We remind you to give thanks to Allaah for this great blessing, for gratefulness increases the blessing. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allaah), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily, My punishment is indeed severe” [Ibraaheem 14:7] Secondly:  What you have mentioned about the conditions of repentance is correct. With regard to making up missed acts of worship such as prayer and fasting, there are two opinions among the scholars. Some of them say that they must be made up, and this is the view of the majority.   Some scholars say that the one who did not pray does not have to make up the prayers that he missed, based on the view that he was a kaafir (when he did not pray). Hence his repentance is his becoming Muslim, which erases all the sins that came before it.  Some of the scholars do not think that the one who did not pray deliberately has to make it up, whether they think that he was a kaafir or otherwise, because the text only speaks of those who have excuses, such as the one who sleeps and misses a prayer or forgets it.  What is indicated by the saheeh evidence is that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, whether he does not pray because of laziness or denial that prayer is obligatory. See the evidence for that in question no. 5208.  Obliging the penitent to make up the prayers he has missed makes repentance too difficult, and puts people off. But the penitent should do a lot of good deeds, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked: I went to the United States to study and I spent five years there, during which I did not pray or fast. Allaah has guided me and I have become righteous, praise be to Allaah. How can I make up these prayers and fasts?  They replied:  If the situation is as you describe, and you have repented and begun to follow the way of guidance, you do not have to make up the prayers and fasts that you deliberately did not do, because not praying is major kufr and apostasy from Islam, even if the one who does not pray does not deny that it is obligatory. This is according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions. If the apostate becomes Muslim again, he is not enjoined to make up the prayers and fasts that he missed during his apostasy, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam erases that which came before it, and repentance erases that which came before it.”  But in the future you have to pray regularly in congregation and on time with the Muslims in the mosque, and observe the Ramadaan fast. It is also prescribed for you to do a great deal of good deeds and naafil acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, upholding ties of kinship, giving charity and other good deeds, as much as you can, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82 We ask Allaah to make us and you steadfast in adhering to the truth and following the right path.  End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (6/41).  See also question no. 610.  Thirdly:  With regard to the girl, you should cut off all ties with her, so that the shaytaan will not find a way to tempt you to go back to a relationship with her. If you can find some righteous women who can call her to Islam, that is good.  We ask Allaah to increase you in steadfastness.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/91411/he-has-repented-from-not-praying-and-fasting-does-he-have-to-make-up-what-he-missed

He used to miss some prayers – does he have to renew the marriage contract?

Question We live in a society where prayer is neglected to a large extent. I grew up praying, praise be to Allaah, but I did not care sometimes if I prayed Zuhr on time or I made it up with ‘Asr, for example. I also missed some prayers at some points in my life, as did my wife. After we got married, this continued for a while, then we decided to repent to Allaah and now, praise be to Allaah, we offer all the prayers regularly on time. What is worrying me and making me feel that this deed is not rewarded is the view of some scholars, such as Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen and Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on them) that the one who does not pray out of laziness or carelessness is a kaafir and apostate, and they quoted evidence for that from the Qur’aan and Sunnah, even though there are scholars such as Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) who say that it is a lesser form of kufr. Even though I feel that this is the right opinion, I am afraid that I may be wrong, and I want to follow the view of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen so that I can put an end to doubt, but this involves several things, some of which I can do and some I cannot. They are: 1 – My wife and I doing ghusl for entering Islam and uttering the Shahaadatayn. This is something we can do. 2 – We need to renew the marriage contract, because it is regarded as invalid. My question is: how can we do this? Do we need the wife’s wali (guardian) and two witnesses? How can I tell my wife’s father about this and bring witnesses? This would be very difficult for my wife’s father and he may reject this idea or remain angry about it for the rest of his life, so I can never renew the marriage contract and the problem will get worse and worse. Also I cannot be certain that the witnesses always prayed regularly from the time they reached puberty until now. If I follow the view of Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him), will I be regarded as falling short? Do I have to make up the missed prayers even though I do not know how many they are, or can I offer more Sunnah and naafil prayers? How should I make them up? Can I pray ‘Asr for today, for example, then pray Fajr, Zuhr and ‘Asr for the past days, or should I offer every obligatory prayer that I missed at the time of that prayer? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you with good, because I am very confused and it is almost killing me. I do not want my good deeds to go to waste and I do not want to die a kaafir, Allaah forbid.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  The difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the ruling on one who does not pray out of laziness is justifiable. But what is indicated by the sound evidence is that he is a kaafir. For more information on the evidence please see question no. 5208.  Secondly:  If the one who does not pray repents and prays, then he has come back to Islam and he does not need to repeat the Shahaadatayn.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for the one who does not pray sometimes and does not make them up and does not intend to make them up, or he misses some of the obligatory parts of the prayer and does not make them up or intend to make them up, many of our companions ruled that he becomes a kaafir thereby… Then when he prays again he becomes a believer, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever misses ‘Asr prayer deliberately, his good deeds will be lost.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever misses a prayer deliberately is no longer under the protection of Allaah.” End quote.  He also said: If he prays after stopping praying, he comes back to Islam from apostasy, and his prayer is valid, unlike the one who was originally a kaafir, whose prayer is not valid until after he says the Shahaadatayn, because the kufr of the former is due to failing to do something, and if he does it he comes back to Islam. In the case where a person’s kufr results from rejecting (some of the obligations of Islam), if he then accepts and affirms the obligation, then he rejoins Islam.  If it is said that in cases other than this, the apostate’s return to Islam is not valid unless he utters the Shahaadatayn, no matter what form his apostasy took, the answer is that it is because he denied something, so he must speak words of affirmation, starting with the Shahaadatayn, which implies accepting everything else. But in this case (the one who does not pray), he accepts that it is obligatory, so all he needs to do is to do it in order to rejoin Islam. End quote.  Based on this, your saying “thus I am still a kaafir and Allaah will not accept any deed from me” is incorrect, rather your having repented to Allaah and your performing the prayers mean that you are no longer a kaafir, and the one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.  Thirdly:  You do not have to renew your marriage contract, unless it was done when one or both of you was not praying, in which case you have to renew it.  But if the prayers were missed after you got married, you do not have to renew the marriage contract, because if one of the spouses apostatizes then returns to Islam during the ‘iddah period, then the original marriage contract is still valid and they do not need to repeat the contract. Some scholars are even of the view that the original contract is still valid even if he comes back to Islam after the end of the ‘iddah, so long as they both agree to come back. This is the correct view. For more information on that please see question no. 21690.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on a married woman staying with a husband who does not pray and he has children from her?  He replied:  If a woman is married to a man who does not pray in congregation or at home, then the marriage is not valid, because the one who does not pray is a kaafir, as is indicated by the Holy Qur’aan and the Sunnah and the views of the Sahaabah. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq said: The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not regard the omission of any deed to be kufr except prayer.  It is not permissible for a kaafir to marry a Muslim woman because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “then if 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” [al-Mumtahanah 60:10] If he stops praying after getting married, then the marriage contract is annulled, unless he repents and comes back to Islam. Some of the scholars limited that to the end of the ‘iddah; once the ‘iddah ends then it is not permissible for him to go back to her if he becomes Muslim, except with a new marriage contract.   The woman has to separate from him and not allow him to be intimate with her unless he repents and starts to pray, even if she has children from him, because in this case the father does not have custody of the children.” End quote from Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 279.  This applies if he has stopped praying altogether. But if he misses some of the prayers, then some of the scholars do not regard him as having become a kaafir thereby. This is the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him). And some of the scholars say that the one who misses a single obligatory prayer deliberately until the time for it and the time for a prayer to which it may be joined is over, becomes a kaafir thereby, such as if he delays Zuhr until the sun sets. But if this person who has missed an obligatory prayer starts to pray again before the ‘iddah is over, he comes back to Islam and his marriage continues.  Your question does not suggest that either of you stopped praying for a long time that would include the ‘iddah period, rather at the most you did not pray sometimes, then you went back to praying. This means that the marriage contract is still valid, as stated above.  It seems to us from your question that you do not have to renew the marriage contract.  Firstly, because when you did not pray, you did not stop praying altogether, rather you missed some prayers, and this does not constitute kufr according to many scholars, unless one stops praying altogether.  Secondly: This missing some prayers – even if we assume that it is kufr – was for a short time during which the ‘iddah could not have ended, and going back to prayer before the ‘iddah ends does not invalidate the marriage contract and it remains valid as it was before missing prayers.  Fourthly:  If a person stops praying then repents from that, he does not have to make up the prayers that he missed, according to the more correct view, but he should do a lot of naafil acts of worship and good deeds, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] For more information on that, please see the answer to question no. 91411.  We ask Allaah to guide us and you.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/89722/he-used-to-miss-some-prayers-does-he-have-to-renew-the-marriage-contract

Can they offer the funeral prayer over one who did not pray for fear of fitnah that may result if they do not do it?

Question There is a village in which most of the inhabitants do not pray, but they adhere to some Islamic customs. There may be among them some who are kaafirs. We are a group who are religiously-committed and we are calling them to Allaah, and we have hopes that they will be guided. We only offer the funeral prayer for those who pray, but this causes fitnah if we do not offer the prayer for those who do not pray.  Is it permissible to offer the funeral prayer for all people for the sake of da’wah?.

Praise be to Allah. The ruling on offering the funeral prayer for one who did not pray is based on the difference of opinion among the scholars as to whether he is a Muslim who is a sinner or a kaafir. The apparent meaning of the texts and the consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is that the one who does not pray is a kaafir in the sense of major kufr. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 10061. In the answer to question no. 70278 we stated that if a person does not pray, we cannot eat meat slaughtered by him. In the answer to question no. 37820 and 49698 we stated that if a person does not pray, no good deeds, zakaah, fasting, Hajj or anything will be accepted from him. In the answer to question no. 7864 we stated that the Muslims should have their own graveyards, in which no one else should be buried, and the one who does not pray and dies when he is not praying should not be buried in the Muslim graveyard.  At the same time, we cannot deny that there is another scholarly opinion on this issue, and there is nothing wrong with the one who adopts it and believes in it.  If you think that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, then do not offer the funeral prayer for one who died when he was not praying, and put up with any trouble that may be caused to you by the foolish.  If you do not think that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, then there is nothing wrong with you offering the funeral prayer for one who died when he was not praying, although it is better not to offer the prayer for him, as a punishment to him and as a deterrent to others from this major sin. Perhaps by not offering the funeral prayer for him and others like him, you will motivate people to establish regular prayer.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/67113/can-they-offer-the-funeral-prayer-over-one-who-did-not-pray-for-fear-of-fitnah-that-may-result-if-they-do-not-do-it

Condition of saying Bismillaah in order for meat to be halal

Question What is the ruling on saying Bismillaah over the sacrifice, especially if the slaughterman does not pray?.

Praise be to Allah.Meat slaughtered by one who does not pray is not halal, whether he says the name of Allah over it or not. See question no. 70278.  With regard to saying Bismillah when slaughtering meat, the fuqaha’ differed concerning that and there are three points of view:  1 – That it is mustahabb only, which is the view of al-Shaafa’i.  2 – That it is a condition of the meat being halal, but if a person forgets it by mistake it is still permissible. This is the view of the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis.   3 – That it is essential and cannot be waived under any circumstances, whether it is omitted by mistake or deliberately or out of ignorance. This is the view of the Zaahiris and was narrated from Maalik and Ahmad, and it was the view of some of the salaf; it was also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is the correct view.  He also said: They quoted as evidence the general meaning of the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)” [al-An’aam 6:121] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:   “If the blood flows and the name of Allah is mentioned, then eat.” So in order for the meat to be halal, it is essential that the name of Allah be mentioned. It is well known that if the condition is not met, the thing is invalid, so if the name of Allah is not mentioned, the meat is not halal, as with any other condition. Hence if a person prays but he forgot to do wudoo’, he has to repeat the prayer. Similarly if he prays not realizing that he had broken his wudoo’ because he thought that breaking wind does not invalidate wudoo’, or that eating camel meat does not invalidate wudoo’, for example, then he must repeat it, because the thing is not valid without the conditions being met. So if he slaughtered it but the blood did not flow, by mistake or out of ignorance, then it is not halal, and the same applies if he does not mention the name of Allah, because it is mentioned in the same hadeeth. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/358).  See also: al-‘Inaayah Sharh al-Hidaayah (9/489); al-Fawaakih al-Dawaani (1/382); and al-Majmoo’ (8/387).  Based on this, he should not slaughter sacrifices or anything else unless he is one of those who pray regularly, and it is essential that he mentions the name of Allah when slaughtering and says Bismillaah (in the name of Allah).  It is also mustahabb to say takbeer, so he should say: Bismillaah, wa Allahu akbar (In the name of Allah and Allah is Most Great).  Al-Bukhaari (5558) and Muslim (1966) narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sacrificed two horned black and white rams. I saw him placing his foot on their sides, and he said the name of Allah and he said takbeer, then he slaughtered them with his own hand.  And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/85669/condition-of-saying-bismillaah-in-order-for-meat-to-be-halal

The difference between a Jewish or Christian wife and a wife who does not pray

Question I read a fatwa which you issued to a Muslim man whose Muslim wife does not pray, and you told him that he had to divorce her. I know that it is permissible for a Muslim man to have a Jewish or Christian wife, and Jewish and Christian women do not pray. Is there some mistake?.

Praise be to Allah.There is no mistake in the fatwa referred to. Rather the mistake comes from the questioner wanting to regard as equal a woman who is supposedly Muslim but does not pray and a woman who is Jewish or Christian, on the basis that neither of them prays.  This regarding them as equal is not valid, because there is a difference between them, which is that not praying is major kufr and apostasy that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam. This has been explained in many answers on this site, such as the answers to questions no. 9400 and 5208.  Based on this, the woman who does not pray is a kaafir and an apostate from Islam.  The ruling on one who has apostatized from Islam is more severe than the ruling on a Jew or Christian.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:  The apostate is worse than a kaafir in many ways. End quote.  Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 2/193  Hence meat slaughtered by an apostate cannot be eaten, whereas meat slaughtered by a Jew or Christian may be eaten. It is not permissible for a Muslim to marry an apostate woman, and if his wife apostatizes, the marriage contract becomes null and void, but it is permissible for a Muslim to marry a Jewish or Christian woman.  The crux of the matter is the ruling that one who does not pray is a kaafir. Those who are of this view forbade marriage to a woman who does not pray, and said that it is obligatory to leave a woman if she stops praying. This is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) and was stated in fatwas by a number of scholars, such as Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) and Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him). Our fatwa on this issue and similar issues is based on their fatwas.   Similarly, if a woman does something that implies kufr, such as vilifying Allaah, may He be exalted, or vilifying His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she persists in her kufr and does not repent, then it is not permissible for her to remain the wife of a Muslim. The same applies if a husband is ruled to be an apostate, then he and his wife must be separated.  And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=4

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/72245/the-difference-between-a-jewish-or-christian-wife-and-a-wife-who-does-not-pray

Father of fiancée does not pray

Question What should be done for a valid marriage contract if the father of the fiancée does not pray?

Praise be to Allah. So long as her father does not pray the five daily prayers, he is not fit to be her wali (guardian) in contracting her marriage. Look for someone else who could be her guardian, and if it is her brother mentioned in the question, then he can contract the marriage on her behalf. And Allaah is the greatest help.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/1681/father-of-fiancee-does-not-pray

Burying one who neglected prayer with the Muslims

Question In our country the Muslims are buried in a graveyard of their own, but anyone who bears the label of “Muslim” may be buried there, and most of them were people who did not pray or observe the limits set down by the religion. What should be done when visiting these graves in which there is no distinction between true Muslims and those who were not Muslim? What about me, if I die and am buried with people who did not pray? Can I leave instructions that I am to be buried with people who did pray, or what should I do? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah.Muslims have to have graveyards of their own, in which no one else should be buried. The person who does not pray and who dies when he is a person who has neglected prayer should not be buried in the Muslim graveyard, because the one who does not pray and denies that it is an obligation is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus. If he does not pray out of laziness, then he is a kaafir according to the more correct scholarly view. It is prescribed in Islam for a Muslim to leave instructions that he should be buried in the Muslim graveyard if there is also a non-Muslim graveyard in the vicinity, lest he be buried with the non-Muslims. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/7864/burying-one-who-neglected-prayer-with-the-muslims

He uttered the Shahaadatayn but he does not do any of the obligatory duties

Question What is the ruling on a man who says, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger,” but he does not pray or do any of the obligatory duties, and he thinks that this will not affect him and that he will go to Paradise, and that his body will be forbidden for the Fire? And another man says, “I ask for what I need from Allaah and from you” Is this false or not? Is it permissible to say this or not?

Praise be to Allah.Whoever does not believe that the five daily prayers, paying zakaah, fasting in Ramadaan and going on Pilgrimage to the Ancient House are obligatory, and does not regard as haraam the things which Allaah has forbidden such as obscene actions, wrongdoing, shirk and lying, is a kaafir and an apostate. He should be asked to repent, and if he repents then all well and good, otherwise he should be executed – according to the consensus (ijmaa’) of the imaams of the Muslims. It is not enough for him merely to speak the words of the Shahaadatayn.  If he says, I accept that that is compulsory for me, and I know that it is fard (obligatory), and that whoever does not do it deserves the condemnation and punishment of Allaah, but I do not do it, then he also deserves punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, according to the consensus of the Muslims. He is obliged to pray the five daily prayers, according to scholarly consensus. Most of the scholars say that he should be ordered to pray, and if he does not pray, then he should be executed. If he persists in not praying until he is executed then he is a kaafir, according to scholarly consensus; he should not be washed, the funeral prayer should not be offered over him, and he should not be buried in the Muslim graveyard.  Whoever says that everyone who says the words of the Shahaadatayn, but does not do the obligatory duties or avoid things which are haraam, will enter Paradise, and that none of them will be punished in the Fire, is a kaafir and an apostate. He must be asked to repent, and if he repents, all  well and good – otherwise he should be executed. Those who utter the Shahaadatayn are of various kinds, and some of them are munaafiqoon (hypocrites) who will be in the lowest level of Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning); “Verily, the hyprocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them. Except those who repent (from hypocrisy), do righteous good deeds, hold fast to Allaah, and purify their religion for Allaah (by worshipping none but Allaah, and do good for Allaah’s sake only, not to show off), then they will be with the believers” [al-Nisaa’ 4:145-146] “Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness…”[al-Nisaa’ 4:142]  In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “That is the prayer of the munaafiq. He waits until the sun is between the horns of the Shaytaan (i.e., just before sunset), then he pecks four times, and he does not remember Allaah, except a little.” (Muslim, 195/622).  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that the one who delays the prayer and pecks (prays too quickly) is a hypocrite, so how about the one who does not pray at all?!  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning); “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites), Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times). Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men),[al-Maa’oon 107:4-6]  The scholars said: those who delay their salaah are those who postpone it until after the appointed time, and those who are negligent with regard to the obligations of the prayer. If these worshippers are condemned, then how about people who do not pray at all?!  It was narrated in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will recognize his ummah by the bright marks that they will have (on their bodies) because of wudoo’ (Muslim, Kitaab al-Tahaarah, 249/39). These bright marks will appear on those who did wudoo’ and prayed. Their faces will be white because of wudoo’, and their hands and feet will be white because of wudoo’. The one who prays will have this bright mark, and the one who does not do wudoo’ or pray will not have this bright mark. So he will not have the symbol of the Muslims which is the “insignia” (like the symbol of the kings and princes of the Turks and Mamluks in Egypt) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), like the “insignia” by which a leader knows his companions. So he will not belong to the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was reported in al-Saheeh that the Fire will consume everything of the son of Adam apart from the marks of prostration (al-Bukhaari, no. 806). Whoever is not one of those who prostrate to the One God, the Forgiving, the Loving, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, will be consumed by the Fire. In al-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that stands between a person and shirk except his not praying.” (Muslim, 82/34). And he said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer. Whoever does not pray is a kaafir.” (al-Tirmidhi, 2621). And he said: “The first of his deeds for which the slave will be brought to account is his salaah.” (Abu Dawood, no. 864; al-Tirmidhi, 413).  No person should say, “What Allaah wills and what So-and-so wills” or “I ask for my need from Allaah then from So-and-so.” As it says in the hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Do not say, what Allaah wills and what Muhammad wills. Rather say: what Allaah wills then Muhammad wills.” (Ibn Maajah, 2118). A man said to him, “What Allaah wills and what you will.” He said, “Are you making me a rival to Allaah? Rather what Allaah Alone wills.” (Ahmad, 1/214)  And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless Muhammad.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/9558/he-uttered-the-shahaadatayn-but-he-does-not-do-any-of-the-obligatory-duties

Ruling on one who reads Qur’aan but does not pray

Question I used to read Qur’aan every day but I did not pray. I heard some people say that it is haraam for a person who does not pray to read Qur’aan, so I stopped reading Qur’aan. Is this right? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah.Prayer is the greatest pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a person and kufr and shirk stands the abandonment of prayer.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2766. Classed as saheeh by Ibn Maajah, 1078,and by al-Albaani).  Salaah is so called because it is a connection (silah) between a person and his Lord. Whoever does not pray, his zakaah, fasting, Hajj, jihaad, enjoining of what is good, forbidding of what is evil, reading of Qur’aan and upholding of family ties will not be accepted. Indeed, all his good deeds will be rejected if he does not pray.  The scholars, including Imaam Ahmad, said that whoever does not pray should be executed as a kaafir, and his body should not be washed or shrouded, the funeral prayer should not be offered over him, he should not be buried in the Muslims’ graveyard and his Muslim heirs cannot inherit from him.  It is not permissible for you to abandon prayer, because you never know when death will catch you unawares.  The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said at the end of his life, during his final sickness: “(Adhere to) prayer, (adhere to) prayer and (take care of) those whom your right hands possess (i.e., slaves).” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 3/117; Ibn Maajah, 2697; Ibn Hibbaan, 1220. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa’, no.2178).  Prayer is the pillar of Islam. Imaam Ahmad said: Your share of Islam is according to your share of prayer. What we want for you is for you to pray regularly, doing the prayers on time with the Muslims in their mosques. It is haraam for you to abandon prayer, for abandoning it is kufr. This issue has been discussed in great detail by the scholars in their books. And it was said that (the one who abandons prayer) is to be executed as a punishment, as is well known. And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/10094/ruling-on-one-who-reads-quraan-but-does-not-pray

Ruling on a dispute between two brothers

Question My father and my uncle – my father’s brother – are always arguing. We live in one house, with only a dividing wall between us. My father is single and my uncle is single; my mother has died and my uncle’s wife has died. I always advise them not to fight, but sometimes my uncle picks on my father. How can I advise both of them – my father and my uncle? Please note that my father prays and fasts, and my uncle prays sometimes and not at other times, but he does fast.

Praise be to Allah.Advise your uncle to pray regularly and explain to him that the salah is the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn. Forsaking prayer is kufr, and his fasting is not valid if he is not praying. His good deeds will not be accepted if he does not pray. Advise them both to be righteous and to fear Allah, and to uphold the ties of kinship and pay attention to the rights of relatives; whoever cuts the ties of kinship, Allah will cut him off, and whoever takes care of the ties of kinship, Allah will take care of him. Read to them both the aayaat of the Quran and the ahaadeeth of the Prophet which speak of that. Then if you uncle responds, then praise be to Allah, otherwise you have to shun him.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/11018/ruling-on-a-dispute-between-two-brothers

Eating the food of one whose income comes from selling wine

Question if one of our friends sells wine in his shop....infact wine is the basic thing being sold at his shop and he does not pray either ...then r we allowed to eat at his house.…

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to be friends with a man who is a “stranger” to her (i.e. he is not her mahram). The one who does not pray is not a Muslim, because of the hadeeth, “All that stands between a man and kufr is his giving up prayer.” If the source of his wealth is haraam, then do not eat at his house. This man who is not your mahram is a kaafir because he does not pray, and the source of his wealth is haraam, so what good is there in keeping company with him and eating his food? Fear Allaah and keep away from him at once. We ask Allaah to keep you safe and sound.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/6030/eating-the-food-of-one-whose-income-comes-from-selling-wine

How can a person still be Muslim if he reaches the point of being executed and still insists on not praying?

Question Dear Shaykh May Allaah increase you in good, the issue of the hukm on the one abandoning the salah has differences of opinions amongst the people of truth. After reading your fatawa and knowing the opinions of the salaf like the well known view of Imaam Ahmad (ra), what seems to be the truth based upon evidences is that abandoning the salah is Kufr which takes one outside the fold of Islaam. However in the opposing argument there is something I do not understand, Imaaam Shafiee and Imaam Malik (ra) and others said, 'To be killed but not kaafir', so he would be buried amongst the muslims. But if a person had to be killed for abandoning the salah having been given chance to repent how can he still be a muslim? He has prefered death over praying so by necessity must be a Kaafir. Please explain. JazakAllaahu Khairan

Praise be to Allah.This is a very good question, but those who say that such a person is not a kaafir do not have a good answer. Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) noted that this confusion arose among the later fuqahaa, because this was not known among the Sahaabah, may Allaah have mercy on them. As the questioner says, it is not possible that a person who is threatened with execution for not praying would choose death over prayer if there was even an atoms weight of Islam in his heart. This confusion does not arise if we say that the one who does not pray is a kaafir. If we read what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said about this matter, this will dispel any confusion. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: In the case of one who believes that prayer is obligatory yet still persists in not praying, the fuqahaa who have studied the matter in detail mentioned a number of points: The first of them is this point, which was stated by the majority of them, Maalik, Al-Shaafai and Ahmad: if a person persists until he is killed, is he killed as a kaafir and an apostate, or as a sinful Muslim like other sinful Muslims, as stated in the two well-known views reported from Ahmad? Such detailed discussion was not reported from the Sahaabah, and is excessive and futile. If the person believes in his heart that prayer is obligatory, this will not allow him to persist in not doing it until he is executed. Such a thing is not known among the sons of Adam, and has never happened in Islam. It is unheard of for a person to believe that it is obligatory and to be told, If you do not pray we will execute you and then to persist in not doing it even though he believes it is obligatory. This has never happened in Islam. When a person refrains from praying until he is executed, he does not really believe in his heart that it is obligatory and was not doing it, so he is a kaafir, according to the consensus of the Muslims, as it was stated in many reports that the Sahaabah would consider such a person to be a kaafir. This is also indicated by the saheeh texts, such as the ahadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Nothing stands between a person and Kufr except his giving up prayer (narrated by Muslim). The covenant that separates us from them is prayer, and whoever gives up prayer has become a kaafir. Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq said: The companions of Muhammad did not think that giving up any deed would make a person a kaafir apart from giving up prayer. Whoever persists in not praying and never prostrated to Allaah at all until he dies, can never be a Muslim who believes that prayer is obligatory. Believing that it is obligatory and that the person who does not do it deserves to be executed is sufficient motive to make a person do it, for if a person has the motive and ability to do something, it should be done. If he is able to do it but he never does it, this indicates that the motive is not present in his case. (Majmoo al-Fataawa, 22/47-49) Please also refer to Question #2182 And Allaah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/6035/how-can-a-person-still-be-muslim-if-he-reaches-the-point-of-being-executed-and-still-insists-on-not-praying

Advising one who does not pray

Question I've a friend who likes to pray five times a day, and he likes to advise others to pray. He'll listen to whatever I talk about Islam.  Whenever I approach him he'll listen to me and I tell him, why can't you pray?  He told me he will, and I have heard this for the past ten to twenty years. One day I call him to pray and he gives excuses. I think that during prayer time his mind goes somewhere else; after that he thinks "why can't I pray?".  I am very tired of telling him.  I need advice.

Praise be to Allah.If your friend is mentally sound, then all you have mentioned about him indicates his disrespect of prayers.  If he means what he says, then he would perform his prayers.  His claim that he likes prayers is not truthful; if it were, then he would perform them accordingly.  In fact, the following verse from the Holy Qur'aan applies to such a recalcitrant and unobservant person (interpretation of the meaning): "Then there has succeeded them a posterity who have neglected and lost the prayers, and followed their lusts; thus, they will face devastation (on the Day of Judgment, i.e., he will face Hell)." Surat Maryam 19:59. By completely ceasing to perform prayers, a person is judged to be a kaafir, based on several ahaadeeth of the Prophet  (peace be upon him), one of which is: "The obligation and pact between us and them (the munaafiqeen, the hypocrites) is the prayer, so whoever abandons it has indeed committed kufr (i.e., become a kaafir, a non-believer)." (Tirmidhi, hadeeth #2621, and it is sahih)  The meaning here is that the hypocrites are guaranteed their security and immunity from being fought by the Muslims as long as they perform their prayers; if they abandon their prayers, then they are among the kuffaar, and are subject to being fought and killed in the war against them.  The Prophet  further says, "What is between a person and committing shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) is abandoning the prayer." (Sahih Muslim, #82) The man in question, accordingly, is to be shunned--no one should eat the meat he slaughters; he is not to marry a Muslimah; he is not to inherit a Muslim relative; he is not allowed to enter Mecca; upon dying he is not entitled to Muslim burial rites such as the washing of the body or the shrouding or the funeral prayer; and his inheritance is to go to the the community fund and not to his inheritors. Thus, it is incumbent upon you to exert as much effort as possible in advising him and admonishing him concerning the gravity and danger of his crime, and of the punishment of Allah the Almighty.  If he persists and rejects your admonition, then you would not be wrong in abstaining from your friendship with him, until you can solicit help from other friends among those who accept guidance so that you may spend your time with them inviting him to Allah.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/266/advising-one-who-does-not-pray

Neglecting prayer out of laziness

Question If you do not pray salat out of laziness on purpose, are you a kafir or just a bad Muslim? Please answer.

Praise be to Allah.Imaam Ahmad said that the one who does not pray because of laziness is a kaafir. This is the more correct view and is that indicated by the evidence of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and by the words of the Salaf and the proper understanding. (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ ‘ala Zaad al-Mustanqi’, 2/26). Anyone who examines the texts of the Quran and Sunnah will see that they indicate that the one who neglects the prayer is guilty of Kufr Akbar (major kufr) which puts him beyond the pale of Islam. Among the evidence to be found in the Quran is: The aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism], perform As-Salat (Iqaamat-as-Salat) and give Zakaat, then they are your brethren in religion.” [al-Tawbah 9:11] The evidence derived from this aayah is that Allah defined three things that the Mushrikeen have to do in order to eliminate the differences between them us: they should repent from shirk, they should perform prayer, and they should pay zakaah. If they repent from shirk but they do not perform the prayer or pay zakaah, then they are not our brethren in faith; if they perform the prayer but do not pay zakaah, then they are not our brethren in faith. Brotherhood in religion cannot be effaced except when a person goes out of the religion completely; it cannot be effaced by fisq (immoral conduct) or lesser types of kufr. Allah also says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by 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 Allah and His Messenger Muhammad), and work righteousness. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught.” [Maryam 19:59-60] The evidence derived from this aayah is that Allah referred to those who neglect the prayer and follow their desires, Except those who repent and believe, which indicates that at the time when they are neglecting their prayers and following their desires, they are not believers. The evidence of the Sunnah that proves that the one who neglects the prayer is a kaafir includes the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)). It was narrated that Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is the prayer, and whoever neglects it has disbelieved (become a kaafir).’” (It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah). What is meant here by kufr or disbelief is the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made prayer the dividing line between the believers and the disbelievers. It is known that the community of kufr is not the same as the community of Islam, so whoever does not fulfil this covenant must be one of the kaafireen (disbelievers). There is also the hadeeth of ‘Awf ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, who pray for you and you pray for them. The worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, and you send curses on them and they send curses on you.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, should we not fight them by the sword?” He said, “Not as long as they are establishing prayer amongst you.” This hadeeth indicates that those in authority should be opposed and fought if they do not establish prayer, but it is not permissible to oppose and fight them unless they make a blatant show of kufr and we have evidence from Allah that what they are doing is indeed kufr. ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called us and we gave bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to him. Among the things that we pledged to do was to listen and obey him both when we felt enthusiastic and when we were disinclined to act, both at times of difficulty and times of ease, and at times when others were given preference over us, and that we would not oppose those in authority. He said: ‘unless they made a blatant show of kufr and you have evidence from Allah that what they are doing is indeed kufr.’” (Agreed upon). On this basis, their neglecting the prayer, for which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said we should oppose them and fight them by the sword, constitutes an act of blatant kufr for which we have evidence from Allah that it is indeed kufr. If someone were to say: is it not permissible to interpret the texts about a person who neglects prayer being a kaafir as referring to the one who neglects the prayer because he does not think it is obligatory? We would say: it is not permissible to interpret the texts in this way because there are two reservations about this interpretation: it involves ignoring the general description that the Lawgiver took into consideration and to which the ruling was connected. The ruling that the person who neglects prayer is a kaafir is connected to the action of neglecting prayer, not to his denial of it being obligatory. Brotherhood in religion is based on performing the prayer, not on whether a person declares it to be obligatory. Allah did not say, “If they repent and state that the prayer is obligatory”, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not say “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his denial that the prayer is obligatory” or “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is our statement that the prayer is obligatory, so whoever denies that it is obligatory has disbelieved.” If this is what Allah and His Messenger had meant, then not stating it clearly would have contradicted what is said in the Quran. For Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And We have sent down to you the Book (the Quran) as an exposition of everything” [al-Nahl 16:89] “And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Quran)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them” [al-Nahl 16:44] It is not correct to refer to a reason which the Lawgiver did not make a factor in ruling a person to be a kaafir, because if a person who does not have the excuse of ignorance denies that the five daily prayers are obligatory then he is deemed to be a kaafir, whether he prays or not. If a person performs the five daily prayers, fulfilling all the conditions of prayer and doing all the actions that are obligatory or mustahabb, but he denies that the prayers are obligatory with no valid reason for doing so, then he is a kaafir, even though he is not neglecting the prayers. From this it is clear that it is not correct to interpret the texts about neglecting the prayers as referring to denying that they are obligatory. The correct view is that the person who neglects the prayer is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, as is clearly stated in the report narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim in his Sunan from ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exhorted us: ‘Do not associate anything in worship with Allah, and do not neglect the prayer deliberately, for whoever neglects the prayer deliberately puts himself beyond the pale of Islam.” Moreover, if we interpret the ahadith about neglecting the prayer as referring to a denial that it is obligatory, there would be no point in the reports referring specifically to the prayer, because this ruling applies equally to zakaah, fasting and Hajj – whoever neglects any of these, denying that it is obligatory, is a kaafir, if he does not have the excuse of ignorance. Just as the one who neglects the prayer is deemed to be a kaafir on the basis of the evidence of the texts and reports, so he may also be deemed to be a kaafir on the basis of rational analysis. How can a person be a believer if he neglects the prayer which is the pillar of religion, and when there are aayaat and ahadith urging us to perform prayer which make the wise believer rush to do the prayer, and when there are aayaat and ahadith warning against neglecting it, which make the wise believer scared to ignore the prayer? Once we have understood this, a person cannot be a believer if he neglects the prayer. If a person were to say: can we not interpret kufr in the case of one who neglects the prayer as meaning a lesser form of kufr (kufr al-na’mah) rather than the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam (kufr al-millah)? Or can we not interpret it as being less than Kufr Akbar (major kufr) and more like the kufr referred to in the ahadith, “There are two qualities that exist among people which are qualities of kufr: slandering people’s lineage and wailing over the dead” and “Trading insults with a Muslim is fisq (immoral conduct) and exchanging blows with him is kufr”, etc.? We would say that this interpretation is not correct for a number of reasons: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made prayer the dividing line between kufr and faith, between the believer and the disbeliever. This is where he drew the line, and the two things are quite distinct and do not overlap. Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, so when the person who neglects it is described as a kaafir, this implies the kind of kufr that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because he has destroyed one of the pillars of Islam. This is a different matter from attributing kufr to a person who does one of the actions of kufr. There are other texts which indicate that the kufr of the one who neglects the prayer is the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, so what is meant here by kufr should be interpreted according to the apparent meaning, so as avoid contradictions between the texts. The description of kufr in those ahadith is different. Concerning neglecting the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr.” Here the word kufr is preceded in the original Arabic by the definite article “al”, which indicates that what is referred to here is the reality of kufr. This is in contrast to the other ahadith where kufr is referred to without the definite article, or in a verbal form, which indicates that this is a part of kufr or that the person has disbelieved by doing this action, but it is not the absolute kufr which places a person beyond the pale of Islam. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (p. 70, Al-Sunnah Al-Muhammadiyyah edn.), concerning the hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ““There are two qualities that exist among people which are qualities of kufr”: “The phrase ‘which are qualities of kufr’ means that these two qualities which exist among people are qualities of kufr because they are among the deeds of kufr and they exist among people. But not everyone who has a part of kufr becomes a kaafir because of it, unless there exists in his heart the reality of kufr. Similarly, not everyone who has a part of faith becomes a believer because of it, unless there exists in his heart the essential reality of faith. So there is a distinction between kufr that is preceded [in the original Arabic] by the definite article “al”, as in the hadeeth ‘Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands nothing but his neglecting the prayer’, and kufr that is not preceded by the definite article but is used in an affirmative sense.’” So it is clear that the person who neglects the prayer with no excuse is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, on the basis of this evidence. This is the correct view according to Imaam Ahmad, and it is one of the two opinions narrated from al-Shaafa’i, as was mentioned by Ibn Katheer in his tafseer of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts” [Maryam 19:59] Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in his book Al-Salaah that it was one of the two views narrated from al-Shaafa’i, and that al-Tahhaawi narrated it from al-Shaafa’i himself. This was also the view of the majority of the Sahaabah, indeed many narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah on this point. ‘Abd-Allah ibn Shaqeeq said: the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not think that neglecting any deed made a person a kaafir, apart from neglecting the prayer. This was reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh according to the conditions of (al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, the well known imaam, said, It was reported with a saheeh isnaad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that the one who neglects the prayer is a kaafir. This was also the view of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) until the present day: that the person who deliberately neglects the prayer with no valid excuse, until the time for that prayer is over, is a kaafir. Ibn Hazm said that it was reported from ‘Umar, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah and others among the Sahaabah. He said: “We do not know of any opposing view among the Sahaabah.” Al-Mundhiri narrated this from him in Al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, and added more names of Sahaabah: ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood, ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Abbaas, Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah and Abu’l-Dardaa’ – may Allah be pleased with them. He said: apart from the Sahaabah, there are also Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mubaarak, al-Nakha’i, al-Hakam ibn ‘Utaybah, Ayyoob al-Sakhtayaani, Abu Daawood al-Tayaalisi, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Zuhayr ibn Harb and others. And Allah knows best.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/5208/neglecting-prayer-out-of-laziness

Boycotting someone who is not praying

Question Respected Sheikh,my question is, a person's relative is not performing his/her prayers(Salah),therfore he/she has left the fold of Islaam.Is it permissable to greet them? Or should they be completely ignored

Praise be to Allah.Not performing one’s prayers is a dereliction of the most important duty among the pillars of Islam. Prayer is the pillar and cornerstone of the faith, and it is not permissible under any circumstances to be lenient towards the one who is not praying. First of all his family should advise and enjoin him to pray, then they should boycott him and turn away from him, and not greet him with salaam, or eat with him or sit with him, in order to point out to him the seriousness of sin, so that he will come back to Allaah and repent. The opinions of the scholars with regard to the one who does not pray may be summed up under the following two headings:  1.The opinion that the one who does not pray is a kaafir, which is the opinion narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Ali and Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was also the opinion of al-Hasan, al-Sha’bi, al-Oozaa’i, Ibn al-Mubaarak and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan; it was also reported from Ahmad, and is indicated by the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “All that stands between a person and kufr is his not praying.” (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah). 2.The opinion that the one who does not pray is not a kaafir. This is the opinion of Abu Haneefah, Maalik, and al-Shaafa'i, and is indicated by the hadeeth of ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit, who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are five prayers which Allaah has prescribed for His slave during the day and night, whoever does them and does not wilfully neglect them, Allaah will be bound to grant him admittance to Paradise. Whoever does not do them will have no such guarantee; if He wills, He will punish him and if He wills, He will grant him admittance to Paradise.” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 1531; Maalik, al-Muwatta’, 248; Ahmad, 21690).  However, according to both opinions, if a person insists on not praying, he should be asked three times to repent, and if he refuses, then his fate will be execution.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/4420/boycotting-someone-who-is-not-praying

Ruling on one who neglects prayer

Question The saheeh ahaadeeth state clearly that the one who neglects prayer is a kaafir. If we take the hadeeth at face value, it appears that we are obliged to deprive the person who neglects prayer deliberately of all his rights of inheritance, a separate cemetery should be allocated for such people, and we cannot pray for them or greet them with salaam, because there is no greeting of peace for a kaafir. Let us not forget that if we were to calculate the number of men, believers and non-believers alike, who pray, we will find it is only 6%, and among women the number is even less. What does Islam have to say about this? What is the ruling about giving or returning the greeting of salaam to one who neglects prayer?

Praise be to Allah.The scholars have differed concerning the Muslim who deliberately neglects salaah without denying that it is obligatory. Some of them say that he is definitely a kaafir who has gone beyond the pale of Islam. He is considered to be a murtadd (apostate) who is to be given three days to repent – if he does not, he is to be executed for his apostasy. The funeral prayer will not be recited over him, and he will not be buried in the Muslim graveyard. The greeting of salaam is not to be given to him, in life or in death, and his greeting is not to be returned; prayers for forgiveness and mercy for him cannot be offered; he cannot inherit, neither can his wealth be inherited, instead it is to be given to the Muslim treasury (bayt al-maal). This ruling applies whether the number of people who are neglecting their prayers are many or a few. This opinion is the soundest and most correct, because of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The difference between us and them is salaah. Whoever neglects it is a kaafir.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and the authors of Sunan with a saheeh isnaad); and: “(Nothing stands) between a man and kufr and shirk, except prayer: (whoever neglects it becomes a kaafir and a mushrik).” (Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh, with other similar ahaadeeth). The majority of scholars said that if a person denies that prayer is obligatory, he is a kaafir and an apostate from the religion of Islam. The ruling concerning such a person is as described above. If he does not deny that it is obligatory, but he neglects it because of laziness, for example, then he is guilty of a major sin (kabeerah), but he is not considered to be beyond the pale of Islam. He should be given three days in which to repent. If he does, then al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allaah); if he does not, then he should be executed, but this is a punishment, not because he became a kaafir. In this case, he should be washed (ghusl, after death) and wrapped in a shroud (kafn). The funeral prayer should be offered for him, prayers can be offered for forgiveness and mercy for him, and he should be buried in the Muslim graveyard. He can inherit and be inherited from. In general, all the rules concerning Muslims who are sinners apply to him, in life and in death.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/2182/ruling-on-one-who-neglects-prayer

Repentance for neglecting prayer

Question I am 38 years old man. till the age of 25 I did'nt prayed. please advice me what I have to do for this?

Praise be to Allah.Remember how Allaah has blessed you by bringing you back to Islam after you have been neglecting salaah, and keep on doing the prayers at the right times. Do more naafil (supererogatory or extra) prayers to make up for the fard (obligatory) prayers that you have missed, as was advised in the saheeh hadeeth narrated by Hurayth ibn Qubaysah, who said: I came to Madeenah and prayed, O Allaah, send me a righteous companion. I went and sat with Abu Hurayrah and said: I asked Allaah to bless me with a righteous companion; tell me a hadeeth that you heard from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so that I may benefit therefrom. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that the first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is sound, he will be successful, and if it is lacking in any way, he will be doomed. If his obligatory prayers are lacking, the Lord will say: Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary prayers which may be used to make up what is lacking in his obligatory prayers. Then all his deeds will be examined and dealt with in the same way. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 413; see also Saheeh al-Jaami, 2020). Abu Dawood reported from Anas ibn Hakeem al-Dabbi that he came to Madeenah and met Abu Hurayrah. He said: He asked me about my lineage so I told him about it, then he said: O young man, shall I not tell you a hadeeth? I said, Of course, may Allaah have mercy on you, and I think he mentioned it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said: The first thing that people will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection will be their prayers. Our Lord will say to His angels (although He knows best): Look at My slaves prayers: are they complete or is something lacking? If they are complete, they will be recorded as such, but if something is lacking, He will say: Look and see if My slave has any voluntary prayers to his credit. If this proves to be the case, He will say: Make up his (missing) obligatory prayers with his voluntary prayers. Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner. (Saheeh al-Jaami, 2571)

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/610/repentance-for-neglecting-prayer

Praying ‘Ishaa’ the next morning

Question At this time of year the Isha prayer is around 10:25 pm. I have school the next day so i'm not aloud to stay up that late. I wanted to know if it is haraam to pray it the next morning. My parents are willing to allow me to stay up for the Isha prayer if praying it the next morning is haraam. Thank you for your time.

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to delay praying Salaat al-Ishaa or any of the other prayers. Whoever prays them late, not at the proper time, is a sinner who is guilty of a major sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): Verily, Al-Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours. [al-Nisaa 4:103] Guard strictly (five obligatory) al-Salawaat (the prayers), especially the middle prayer (i.e., the best prayer Asr). And stand before Allaah with obedience [al-Baqarah 2:238] You have to pray on time, without delaying it, and advise your parents with regard to the issue of prayer times. Tell them that they have to let you stay awake so that you can pray, and try to help yourself by taking a nap during the day, which will make it easier for you to stay up for the prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade sleeping before Ishaa lest a person miss the prayer. If your parents force you to sleep, do not obey them, even if that means pretending to be asleep until the time comes and you pray. May Allaah bless you and help you to adhere firmly to the Straight Path.

Abandoning or neglecting salaat

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/77/abandoning-or-neglecting-salaat?page=5

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/5448/praying-145ishaa146-the-next-morning

Can he delay Hajj because his wife is sick?

Question My question is regarding what the reasons are for a man to delay his hajj until the following year. my husband is a business man which does carry dept but alhumdulilah it would be covered and sorted out by his business partner if something were to happen to him. also i am expecting our forth child marshaallah and am due to give birth 6 weeks before hajj begins, i also suffer with a joint problem called spd its in the hips, so my mobility is very limited during pregnancy and anf for a while after giving birth. i do not have family support around me to help the the other children and by my husband going for hajj this year i would find it very hard dealing homelife in his absence. are either of these reasons a valid excuse to delay hajj until 2012?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  What is obligatory for a Muslim when he has the means is to hasten to perform the obligation of Hajj, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do Hajj – i.e. the obligatory Hajj – for one of you does not know what is going to happen to him.” Narrated by Ahmad (2721); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (990). And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever wants to do Hajj, let him hasten to do it.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood (1524).  Secondly:  If the wife will be adversely affected by her husband travelling for the obligatory Hajj, in the sense of real harm and not something that is imaginary, then in this case it is permissible for the husband to delay Hajj until the following year, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].  If he fears for his family, then he cannot afford to go for Hajj.  But if the husband can leave with her a woman from among his relatives or a servant to help her, then he has to travel for Hajj, and he may not stay in Makkah for a long time after Hajj.  If he is not able to do that and his wife needs him to be with her, then there is nothing wrong with him delaying Hajj, and he is excused.  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/170799/can-he-delay-hajj-because-his-wife-is-sick

Should he perform the obligatory Hajj or give the money in charity to his neighbour who is poor?

Question If I still have to do the obligatory Hajj, and I am soon going to go for Hajj, but my neighbour cannot find enough to eat every day, is it better to go for Hajj or to give the money I had set aside for Hajj to my poor neighbour, and delay Hajj until next year?.

Praise be to Allah. The majority of scholars are of the view that it is obligatory to do Hajj immediately for everyone who has the means.  Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (3/212):  If a person is obliged to do Hajj and he is able to do it, he has to do it straight away and it is not permissible for him to delay it. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and Maalik. That is because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. End quote.  What is meant by having the means is having the physical and financial ability to do it.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (11/30):  Having the means with regard to Hajj means being in physical good health; having the means of transportation to reach the sacred House of Allah, by plane, car or mount, or by being able to pay for that according to one’s situation; and having sufficient provisions for the journey there and back. This is on condition that this is surplus to the expenses of those on whom one is obliged to spend until one comes back from Hajj. A woman should also be accompanied by her husband or a mahram even when travelling for Hajj or ‘Umrah. End quote.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  Having the means is of two types: having the physical means and have the financial means. Having the financial means is a condition of it being obligatory and having the physical means is a condition of performing it. End quote.  Al-Liqa’ al-Shahri, 1/391  As you have the means, it is an individual obligation upon you to go for Hajj, and this takes precedence over giving charity to your poor neighbour, because he is one of those on whom you are not obliged to spend and your charity to him – when this is the case – comes under the heading of voluntary and naafil actions, and what is obligatory takes precedence over what is voluntary.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  Doing Hajj in the manner prescribed in sharee‘ah is better then charity that is not obligatory.  But if he has relatives who are in need or there are poor people who are so poor that they need maintenance, then giving charity to them is better.  But if in both cases it is voluntary, then Hajj takes precedence because it is an act of worship that is both physical and financial. End quote.  Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, 116  And Allah knows best.  See also the answers to questions no. 83191 and 106555.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/146390/should-he-perform-the-obligatory-hajj-or-give-the-money-in-charity-to-his-neighbour-who-is-poor

What Is Hajj by Proxy?

Question In our country, there are some Hajj companies that offer Hajj al-badal (proxy Hajj, i.e., Hajj on behalf of another), i.e., we give them money – to cover the expenses of Hajj – and some seekers of knowledge will do Hajj on our behalf. Is that permissible?

Praise be to Allah.Many people have a careless attitude concerning Hajj al-badal (Hajj by proxy). There are guidelines, conditions and rulings on Hajj al-badal. We will mention whatever we can of them, in the hope that Allah will cause people to benefit thereby. Is Hajj al-badal valid? Hajj al-badal is not valid in the case of the obligatory Hajj on behalf of one who is able to perform Hajj himself. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is not permissible for one who is able to perform Hajj himself to appoint someone else to perform the obligatory Hajj on his behalf, according to scholarly consensus. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that if a person is required to perform the obligatory Hajj and he is able to perform Hajj, it is not acceptable for someone else to perform Hajj on his behalf.” (Al-Mughni, 3/185 ) When can Hajj by proxy be valid? Hajj al-badal may be performed on behalf of a sick person who has no hope of recovery, or one who is physically incapable, or one who has passed away, but not on behalf of one who is poor or one who is unable to do it because of political or security circumstances. An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The majority (of scholars) are of the view that it is permissible to appoint a proxy for Hajj on behalf of the deceased and one who is incapable and has no hope of recovery. Al-Qadi ‘Iyad gave the reason why the Maliki madhhab differed from the majority concerning this matter, which was that they thought that the hadith about fasting on behalf of the deceased and doing Hajj on behalf of the deceased was not sound. But this is not correct and the hadith is sound. It is sufficient evidence of its soundness to note that Muslim quoted it in his Sahih.” (Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim, 8/27) The hadith to which an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) referred and noted that some of the Malikis regarded it as unsound is as follows: It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whilst I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a woman came to him and said: I gave a slave woman in charity to my mother, then she died. He said: “Your reward is assured, and she (the slave woman) has been returned to you as an inheritance.” She said: O Messenger of Allah, she owed one month’s fasting, should I fast on her behalf? He said: “Fast on her behalf.” She said: She never went for Hajj, should I perform Hajj on her behalf? He said: “Perform Hajj on her behalf.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1149) Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Those who regard it as permissible to appoint a proxy for Hajj were unanimously agreed that it is not acceptable for the obligatory Hajj except when it is done on behalf of one who has passed away or who is paralyzed. That does not include the one who is sick, because there is the hope that he may recover; or the one who is insane, because there is the hope that he may come back to his senses; or the one who is imprisoned, because there is the hope that he may be released; or for the one who is poor, because there is the hope that he may become independent of means.” (Fath al-Bari, 4/70) The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: Is it permissible for a Muslim who has performed the obligatory Hajj to perform Hajj on behalf of one of his relatives in China, because he is not able to travel in order to perform the obligatory Hajj? They replied: “It is permissible for the Muslim who has performed the obligatory Hajj on his own behalf to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else, if the other person is not able to perform Hajj himself because he is elderly, or sick with an illness from which there is no hope of recovery, or because he has died, because of the sahih hadiths that speak of that. But if the person on whose behalf he wants to perform Hajj is not able to perform Hajj because of some temporary reason which it is hoped will pass, such as illness from which there is the hope that he will recover, or because of the political situation, or if the route is not safe and so on, then it is not acceptable to perform Hajj on his behalf.” (Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd Ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ud, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/51) Can Hajj by proxy Hajj be done on behalf of one who is financially incapable? Proxy Hajj (Hajj al-badal) cannot be done on behalf of one who is financially incapable (and cannot afford to go for Hajj), because the obligation of Hajj is waived for the one who is poor. Rather proxy Hajj is done for the one who is physically incapable. The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: Is it permissible for someone to do `Umrah or Hajj on behalf of his relative who lives far away from Makkah and does not have the means of travelling there, even though he is (physically) able to do tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka`bah)? They replied: “Your relative is not obliged to perform Hajj so long as he is not able to afford it. It is not valid to perform either Hajj or `Umrah on his behalf, because he would be physically able to do both if he was present himself in the holy places. It is only valid to do them by proxy on behalf of one who has died or one who is physically unable to do that himself.” (Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd Ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyyan, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/52) Can someone perform Hajj on your behalf? It is not permissible for anyone to perform Hajj on behalf of another unless he has already performed Hajj for himself. If he does do that, then his Hajj counts for him and not for the other person. The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “It is not permissible for a person to perform Hajj on behalf of another person before he performs Hajj for himself. The basic principle concerning that is the report narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard a man saying, Labbayk ‘an Shubrumah (Here I am (O Allah, for Hajj) on behalf of Shubrumah). He said: “Have you performed Hajj on your own behalf?” He said: No. He said: “Perform Hajj on your own behalf, then on behalf of Shubrumah.” (Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyyan, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/50) Can women perform Hajj on behalf of men and vice versa? It is permissible for a woman to perform Hajj on behalf of a man , and for a man to perform Hajj on behalf of a woman. The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “Performing Hajj on behalf of another person is permissible, if the proxy has already performed Hajj for himself. The same applies to paying a woman to perform Hajj on behalf of your mother, because it is permissible for a woman to perform Hajj on behalf of a woman or a man. There is proven evidence from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning that.”(Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/52) Can you perform Hajj on behalf of two or more people in one trip? It is not permissible for anyone to perform Hajj on behalf of two or more people in one Hajj, but it is permissible to do `Umrah for himself – or on behalf of someone else – and to do Hajj on behalf of a different person. The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “It is permissible to perform Hajj on behalf of one who has passed away and on behalf of one who is still alive but is unable to perform Hajj. But it is not permissible for a person to perform Hajj once and make it on behalf of two people. Hajj can only be done on behalf of one person, and the same applies to `Umrah. But if someone does Hajj on behalf of one person and he does `Umrah on behalf of another person in the same year, that is acceptable so long as the pilgrim has already performed Hajj and `Umrah on his own behalf.” (Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd Ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyyan, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ud, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Daa’imah, 11/58) Can you receive money for Hajj on behalf of others? It is not permissible for anyone to have the aim of earning money by performing Hajj on behalf of another ; rather his aim should be Hajj and reaching those holy places, and doing an act of kindness towards his brother by performing Hajj on his behalf. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Performing Hajj on behalf of another person is something that is mentioned in the Sunnah. A woman asked the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): The command from Allah to His slaves to perform Hajj has come when my father is an old man and cannot sit firmly in the saddle; can I perform Hajj on his behalf? He said: “Yes.” In the case of performing Hajj on behalf of another in return for payment, if one’s aim is the payment, Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The one who performs Hajj in order to earn a living will have no share in the Hereafter; as for the one who takes payment in order to perform Hajj, there is nothing wrong with that. But the one who takes payment in order to perform Hajj on behalf of another should have the intention of using the money he takes to help him to perform Hajj, and he should also have the intention of meeting his companion’s need, because the one who has asked him to do it on his behalf is in need and is happy to find someone who can do it in his stead. So he should have the intention of doing an act of kindness towards him in performing Hajj on his behalf. Then his intention will be good.” (Liqa’at Al-Bab Al-Maftuh, 89, question 6) And he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is unfortunate that many of those who perform Hajj on behalf of others only do so in order to earn money. But this is haram for them, because it is not permissible to do acts of worship with the intention of worldly gain . Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the new): “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do” [Hud 11:15-16] “But of mankind there are some who say: ‘Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!’ and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter” [Al-Baqarah 2:200]. Allah does not accept any act of worship that is not done for His sake, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade earning money in places of worship. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you see anyone buying or selling in the mosque, then say: May Allah not make your trade profitable.” If this has to do with the one who makes place of worship into a place for earning wealth, and he is to be prayed against, asking that Allah not make his trade profitable, then how about those who make the act of worship itself a means of worldly gain, as if Hajj were a commodity or a profession like that of a builder? You find the one who is asked to perform proxy Hajj asking for more and bargaining, saying: This is too little; this is not enough; give me more, for So and So gave me such and such, or So and So offered me such and such, and other such words that turn acts of worship into a profession. Hence the Hanbali fuqaha’ (may Allah have mercy on them) clearly stated that hiring a man to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else is not valid. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The one who performs Hajj in order to earn money has no share in the Hereafter. But if he takes on the task of performing it on behalf of another for a religious purpose, such as if he intends to benefit his brother by performing Hajj on his behalf, or if he intends to do more acts of worship, du`a and dhikr in the holy places, then there is nothing wrong with that and it is a sound intention. Those who take on the task of performing Hajj on behalf of others should make their intention purely for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted, and their intention should be to fulfil their desire to worship around the House of Allah, remembering Him and calling upon Him, as well as fulfilling their brothers’ needs by performing Hajj on their behalf. They should keep away from worldly intentions of earning money. If they have no intention in their hearts other than earning money, then in that case it is not permissible to take on the task of performing Hajj on behalf of others. If a person takes on the task of performing Hajj on behalf of another with the proper intention, then the money that he receives is all his, unless it was stipulated that he should return anything that is left over.” (Ad-Diya’ al-Lami‘ min al-Khutab al-Jawami‘, 2/477, 478) Can you do Hajj on behalf of a dead person who met the conditions of Hajj? If a Muslim dies without having performed the obligatory Hajj , and he met all the conditions of it being obligatory, then it is obligatory to perform Hajj on his behalf from the wealth that he left behind, whether he left instructions to that effect or not. The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “If a Muslim dies without having performed the obligatory Hajj, and he met all the conditions of it being obligatory, then it is obligatory to perform Hajj on his behalf from the wealth that he left behind, whether he left instructions to that effect or not. If someone who has already performed Hajj for himself performs Hajj on his behalf (i.e., on behalf of the deceased), then his Hajj on his behalf is valid and is acceptable in fulfilment of the obligation.” (Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd Ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyyan, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Mani‘, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/100) Will you get the reward of Hajj if you perform it on behalf of others? Will the one who performs Hajj on behalf of someone else have the reward of Hajj in full and will he go back (free of sin) as on the day his mother bore him? The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “With regard to evaluating the Hajj that a man performs on behalf of someone else , and whether it is like the Hajj he does for himself, or is lesser or greater in virtue, that is known only to Allah, may He be glorified.” (Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd Ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyyan, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Mani‘, Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/100) And they said: “If a person performs Hajj or `Umrah on behalf of another, with or without payment, the reward for Hajj or `Umrah will go to the one on whose behalf he did it, but there is the hope that he will also have a great reward, commensurate with his sincerity and his desire to do good. For everyone who reaches al-Masjid al-Haraam and does a great deal of different types of supererogatory acts of worship there, there is the hope that he will attain a great deal of good if his actions are sincerely for the sake of Allah.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/77, 78) Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It was narrated from Dawud that he said: I said to Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab: O Abu Muhammad, for which of them is the reward, for the one who performs Hajj or the one on whose behalf it is performed? Sa‘id said: Allah’s bounty, may He be exalted, encompasses both of them. Ibn Hazm said: Sa‘id (may Allah have mercy on him) spoke the truth.” (Al-Muhalla, 7/61) Whatever the proxy does of good deeds other than the rites of Hajj, such as praying in the Haram, reading Quran, and so on, the reward for that will go to him and not to the one who appointed him as his proxy. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The reward for actions connected to Hajj will go in its entirety to the one who appointed him as his proxy; with regard to the extra reward for prayers and tawaf that he does voluntarily outside of the rituals of Hajj, and reading Quran, (that reward) will go to the one who performs Hajj, not the one who appointed him as his proxy.” (Ad-Diya’ Al-Lami‘ min al-Khutab Al-Jawami‘, 2/476) Can you hire someone to perform Hajj on behalf of your parents? The best is for a son to perform Hajj on behalf of his father , and for a relative to perform Hajj on behalf of his relative, but if he hires a stranger to do it, that is permissible. Shaykh ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: My mother died when I was young, and she hired a trustworthy person to perform Hajj on her behalf. My father has also died, and I heard from some of my relatives that he performed Hajj. Is it permissible to hire someone to perform Hajj on behalf of my mother, or must I perform Hajj on her behalf myself? Also, should I perform Hajj on behalf of my father when I heard that he had performed Hajj? He replied: “If you perform Hajj on their behalf yourself, and strive hard to complete Hajj in the manner prescribed in Islam, that is preferable. But if you hire a person who is religiously committed and trustworthy to perform Hajj on their behalf, there is nothing wrong with that. The best is for you to perform Hajj and `Umrah on their behalf. You may also hire someone to perform Hajj and `Umrah on their behalf. This is part of your honouring them and treating them kindly. May Allah accept (good deeds) from us and from you.” (Fatawa Ash-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 16/408) Should you know the name of the one on whose behalf you perform Hajj by proxy? It is not stipulated that the one who performs Hajj on a person’s behalf should know his name; rather it is sufficient for him to have the intention to perform Hajj on his behalf . The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: I have approximately four relatives who have died among my paternal uncles and aunts and grandparents, both men and women. But I do not know the names of some of them. I want to send people to perform Hajj on behalf of each of them at my own expense.  They replied: “If the matter is as described, with regard to those whose names you know, both men and women, there is no problem. With regard to those whose names you do not know, it is sufficient for you to intend it to be on behalf of both men and women among your paternal and maternal uncles and aunts, according to their ages and descriptions, And it is sufficient to have the intention to do that, even if you do not know their names.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/172) If you are appointed to perform Hajj by proxy, can you appoint someone else to perform it? It is not permissible for the one who has been appointed to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else to appoint someone else to do it except with the consent of the one who originally appointed him. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is not permissible for the one who has taken on the task of performing Hajj on behalf of another to appoint someone else to do that, whether for a small or large payment, except with the consent of the one who gave the task to him.” (Ad-Diya’ al-Lami‘ min al-Khutab al-Jawami‘, 2/478) Is it permissible to appoint a proxy for a supererogatory Hajj (Hajj nafl)? There is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning this matter. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) favoured the view that it is not permissible to appoint a proxy except for the obligatory Hajj. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If a man has already performed the obligatory Hajj and wants to appoint someone to perform a nafl Hajj or `Umrah on his behalf, there is a difference of opinion concerning that among the scholars. Some of them said that it is permissible and some of them said that it is not allowed. What is more likely to be correct in my view is that it is not allowed, and that it is not permissible for anyone to appoint someone to perform Hajj or `Umrah on his behalf if that is nafl, because the basic principle concerning acts of worship is that they should be done by the individual himself. Just as no one should appoint another person to fast on his behalf – even though if he died and still owed obligatory fasts, his heir should fast them on his behalf – the same applies to Hajj; Hajj is an act of worship that a person should do himself and it is not an act of charity for the benefit of someone else. If an act of worship is a physical action that the person should do himself, it is not valid for someone else to do it on his behalf except in cases mentioned in the Sunnah, and there is no report in the Sunnah about anyone performing a nafl Hajj on behalf of someone else. This is one of the two opinions narrated from Ahmad, i.e., that it is not valid for a person to appoint someone else to perform a nafl Hajj or `Umrah on his behalf, whether he is able to do that or not. By expressing this opinion, we want to encourage those who are well off and physically able to perform Hajj themselves, because some people let years go by without going to Makkah, relying on the idea of sending someone to perform Hajj on their behalf every year, so they miss out on doing Hajj on the grounds that they are appointing others to perform Hajj on their behalf.” Who can perform Hajj by proxy? One should seek out good, sincere and trustworthy people who have knowledge of the rites of Hajj to perform proxy Hajj (Hajj al-badal). The scholars of the Standing Committee said: “The one who wants to appoint someone to perform Hajj on his behalf should seek out one who is religiously committed and trustworthy, so that he may be confident that he will do what is required.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 11/53) And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/111794/what-is-hajj-by-proxy

His wife is breastfeeding; should he delay Hajj until next year?

Question I intended to do Hajj this year, but my wife is breastfeeding, so I decided to delay Hajj until next year, in sha Allah. Please note that my financial situation is good, praise be to Allah. Do I have to do anything?

Praise be to Allah.If you have already done the obligatory Hajj, then you have the choice with regard to a voluntary Hajj between doing it this year or delaying it until next year, because of what you mentioned about being busy with your family or wanting to stay with them and so on. In that case you can choose not to do it at all, because it is voluntary and not obligatory.  But if the question is about the obligatory Hajj, then it depends. There are two scholarly views, one of which is when one becomes able to afford it, Hajj becomes obligatory and must be performed in the same year; the other view says that it may be delayed. However, the more correct view is that it becomes obligatory with immediate effect and must be performed in the same year. The one who can afford provisions and a means of transportation is obliged to do Hajj, and it is not permissible for him to delay it. Please see question no. 41702  Based on that, if your leaving your wife will not cause her or the child any harm, then you must do Hajj this year and you do not have the option of delaying it in the hope that your family could go with you. But if your wife has enough money to do Hajj, or you can pay the expenses of Hajj for her, and it will not harm her or her baby if she goes to Hajj, or she can leave the baby with someone who can look after him, then she is obliged to go for Hajj. Otherwise, it is permissible for her to delay it.  The point is that Hajj may be obligatory for the husband but not for the wife, depending on whether the conditions are met or there are any impediments. So the husband should not delay his obligatory Hajj because of wanting to take his wife with him for Hajj.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question: My wife has not yet done the obligatory Hajj, and we have a baby who is four months old and he is being breastfed by his mother. Should she do Hajj or stay with her baby? And is it better, if she goes for Hajj, to take pills in order to stop menses, or not? Please advise us, may Allah bless you.  He replied: If the baby will not be affected or harmed by her leaving him, in that he can be breastfed by someone other than his mother, and there is someone who can look after him properly, then there is nothing wrong with her doing Hajj, especially if it is the obligatory Hajj. But if there is any fear for the child, then it is not permissible for her to do Hajj even if it is the obligatory Hajj, because the breastfeeding mother is permitted to not observe the obligatory fast if she fears for her child. So how can it not be permissible for her to postpone Hajj if she fears for her child? If she fears for her child, then what she must do is stay, then when he is older she can do Hajj next year. There is no blame on her if she stays home and does not do Hajj, because in this case she is not obliged to do Hajj immediately.  With regard to using pills during Hajj or ‘Umrah, there is nothing wrong with that, because this is a need. But it is essential to consult a doctor, because the pills may be harmful and may cause her harm. End quote from al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, 10/25  And Allah knows best.

Ability

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https://islamqa.info/en/answers/108340/his-wife-is-breastfeeding-should-he-delay-hajj-until-next-year

Is the Hajj of one who has not paid off his debts valid?

Question I went for Hajj in 1422 AH, but I owed some debts to some people. The reason was that I gave loans to some people, but they betrayed me and did not return the money to me, and I was responsible for returning this money. I asked a shaykh whether it was permissible for me to do Hajj when I had not yet repaid my debts, and he said yes, it is permissible, because you know that you are going to pay them back, in sha Allah. After that I read your answer to the same question and I found it was different to what I had been told. Is my Hajj acceptable? Because I went for Hajj when I had not repaid the debts I owed, and I did not ask the creditors for their permission. If my Hajj is not acceptable, what should I do? Is my first Hajj the obligatory Hajj and the second one Sunnah?

Praise be to Allah. The questioner should not ask and the one who responds should not answer questions about the acceptability of deeds of worship, because the issue of whether they are acceptable is to be decided only by Allah. Rather one should ask and respond concerning the validity of acts of worship and whether they fulfilled the necessary conditions and essential parts.  If a person does Hajj when he owes money to other people, his Hajj is valid if he did all the essential parts and fulfilled all its conditions. Wealth or debt has nothing to do with the validity of Hajj.  However it is preferable for the one who owes debts not to do Hajj, and to use the money that he would spend on Hajj to pay his debts, because he is not regarded as able to do Hajj according to sharee‘ah.  There follows a fatwa of the scholars of the Standing Committee concerning this issue: 1.     They said – when they were asked about one who took out a loan in order to do Hajj - :  The Hajj is valid, in sha Allah, and your borrowing money does not affect the validity of the Hajj.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (11/42)  2.     They also said:  One of the conditions of Hajj being obligatory is that one should be able to do it, which includes being financially able. If a person owes a debt, in the sense that the creditors are asking for it and would not allow him to go for Hajj until after he has paid his debt to them, then he should not do Hajj, because he is not able to do it. If they are not asking for it and he knows that they are easy-going, then it is permissible for him, and his Hajj may be a means of bringing him goodness so that he will be able to pay off his debts.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan  End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (11/46)   See also the answer to question no. 41739.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/204986/is-the-hajj-of-one-who-has-not-paid-off-his-debts-valid

Should she appoint a company to do Hajj on her behalf when she does not know whether they will do the rituals as they should be done or not?

Question I have an incurable illness, the cause of which is not known, and there is no way to treat it up till now. I heard that in Makkah there is a company that will cooperate with another company in Egypt to do Hajj and ‘Umrah on behalf of those who have passed away and those who are sick. But I am not really sure whether they will do Hajj and ‘umrah on our behalf or not. Should I send them money, even if I am not sure about them? Will I be rewarded and will my Hajj be complete if this is not real, or would I still not yet have done the obligatory Hajj? Can I send someone to do ‘Umrah or Hajj more than once, or is appointing someone to do Hajj and ‘Umrah on my behalf something that can only be done for the obligatory Hajj and ‘Umrah?

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  We ask Allah the Almighty, Lord of the mighty Throne, to heal you of your sickness by His grace, generosity and kindness, a healing that leaves no sickness behind.  To proceed:  If a person is sick with an illness for which there is no hope of a cure (and which prevents him from doing Hajj), then he may appoint someone else to do the obligatory Hajj on his behalf, on condition that the proxy has already done Hajj for himself.  Please see the answers to questions no. 83765 and 111794  Secondly:  The basic principle with regard to these companies that do Hajj and ‘Umrah on behalf of others is that they are to be trusted, because trust is a basic factor in their continuing to operate, and they are keen for their companies to keep going. The people involved in any project are usually very keen to do their work properly so that people will come to them and will not think badly of them, thus shunning them and going to someone else. This is the least that can be said with regard to the basic principle.  Nevertheless, you should be careful with regard to your acts of worship and strive hard to discharge your duty properly (by making sure that everything is in order), and you should not rely in such matters on anyone except people who you know or think most likely will do the job properly, either because you know that from experience or you have heard that from trustworthy people who know the persons involved.  Then if you have tried your hardest in that regard and you think it most likely that the proxy is trustworthy, then you do not have to examine him closely and find out if he has fulfilled the trust or not, because the basic principle is that he will do it, especially with regard to acts of worship, unless you see something about him that gives rise to doubts concerning him.  Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The basic principle is that in such matters the one who takes it upon himself will usually do it. This is what usually happens; there may some cases where trust is betrayed, but in most cases the proxy will do it. But if a person wants to be on the safe side and does another Hajj, that is better, and it comes under the heading of the hadith “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt” and is safer. End quote. http://ar.islamway.net/fatwa/43807  Whatever the case, we do not advise you to deal with such companies of which you do not know anything and of which no trustworthy person who knows about them has told you anything good.  We know that in every country and in every place there are people one knows who are residents or travellers to that country who could do these things on your behalf, so try hard to look among those around you or those whom you know for someone whom you can appoint as your proxy to do that on your behalf, or who can appoint a trustworthy person who is able to do that.  Thirdly:  If the sick person appoints someone to do Hajj or ‘Umrah on his behalf, then he should appoint someone who is trustworthy and knows how to do the rituals; he should not appoint someone who is not trustworthy or is ignorant.  If he appoints someone then it becomes clear that he is not trustworthy, then if he appointed him to do the obligatory Hajj and it turned out that he did not do the rituals as they should be done, and he was careless in carrying out what he had been appointed to do, then the proxy is liable for the costs of this Hajj, meaning that he (the one who appointed him) may ask him to pay for the cost of this Hajj, and it should be taken from him, then he (the one who appointed the proxy) appoint someone else who is trustworthy and knows how to do the rituals, to perform Hajj on his behalf the following year.  If he appointed him to do voluntary Hajj, then it turned out that he was not trustworthy and did not do the rituals as they should be done, then he (the proxy) is liable but the one who appointed him does not have to make arrangements for another Hajj on his behalf the following year.  Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:  There is a person who gave some money to someone to do Hajj on behalf of his mother, and he thought that he was trustworthy, then it turned out that this person was involved in things that are not right, and he is asking what he should do.  He replied: The one who wants to appoint someone else to do something on his behalf has to look for that person and find out whether he is trustworthy and righteous. If the Hajj was obligatory, he has to make up for it by doing another Hajj. If the Hajj was in fulfilment of a person’s last wishes, with the costs to be paid from his estate, and he (the heir) gave that task to someone who was not trustworthy, then to be on the safe side he should do it again, because he was not careful; rather he was heedless. But if it was a voluntary or recommended Hajj, and there was no final instructions from someone who passed away – rather he wanted to do a voluntary deed and earn the reward – then he does not have to do anything, although if he wants to do it again, there is nothing wrong with that.  End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (16/420-421)  Fourthly:  The scholars differed with regard to doing a voluntary Hajj or ‘Umrah by proxy. Some of them regarded that as permissible, if the one who appoints the proxy is unable to do it because of old age or sickness for which there is no hope of a cure, and the proxy has already done the obligatory Hajj on his own behalf. This is the view favoured by the scholars of the Standing Committee and by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).  Others are of the view that this is not allowed, and this is the well-known view of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him).  Please see the answer to question no. 41732 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) issued a fatwa in which he granted a concession allowing a son to do a voluntary Hajj on behalf of his father, at the father’s request.  He (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:  My father has asked me to do Hajj on his behalf this year, a voluntary Hajj, because he did Hajj once. He is financially able to do Hajj, but is physically unable due to poor health. Can I do Hajj on his behalf, knowing that I have already done Hajj for myself?  The shaykh replied: There is nothing wrong with doing Hajj on his behalf in this case.  End quote from al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri (62/21).  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/210494/should-she-appoint-a-company-to-do-hajj-on-her-behalf-when-she-does-not-know-whether-they-will-do-the-rituals-as-they-should-be-done-or-not

Which should he give priority to – ‘Umrah or paying off his debt?

Question I would like to perform ‘Umra. I vowed hat if my salary increases I will perform ‘Umra. But I have debts to pay off. Is it permissible if I go for ‘Umra now, or must I wait until my debt is paid? May Allah reward you!.

Praise be to Allah.The rights of other people take precedence over the obligation to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah, so it is not permissible for a Muslim to go for Hajj or ‘Umrah if there is someone asking for repayment of a loan that he took from him. This is because Islam places a great emphasis on protecting people’s rights and is keen for the spirit of love and friendship to remain among them, so that none of them will consume the wealth of others or transgress against them.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked the following question:  I owe money to a number of people. Can I go to Makkah to fast there with my children, noting that I will be able to share the cost of rent with my children?  His answer was as follows:  I will ask you a question: is charity better, or the zakaah that is obligatory? Zakaah is better.  Is a voluntary act better, or an obligatory one? The obligatory one is better.  Is it logical to start with the obligatory action before the voluntary one, or vice versa? Reason dictates that I should start with the obligatory action before the voluntary one. So it is not permissible for a person to go to Makkah to do a voluntary ‘Umrah when he is in debt. A debt must be paid off, but is a voluntary ‘Umrah obligatory? No it is not. Even the obligatory Hajj is waived in the event of debt.  Religion is not based on emotions. Even the duty that Allaah has enjoined upon His slaves, which is to go on Hajj to the Ka’bah and to do ‘Umrah, if a person is in debt, it is waived in his case, and he will meet his Lord without sin. If a man is in debt and he does not do Hajj and it is said that he has not done the obligatory duty, we say that the words “has not done the obligatory duty” are mistaken. Why is this a mistake? Because there was no obligation upon him, and there is no obligation upon him until now. Hajj is only an obligation for the one who is free of debt.  Hence we say to this brother: Don’t be hard on yourself, keep your money, stay in your country, and save the money in order to pay off your debt. Do not be like the one who built a castle and destroyed a country.   We think that this brother has to stay in his own country.  Yes, if it so happens that someone offers him money to cover all the expenses and he says Do not give me even a single dirham – in that case we say: If his travelling for ‘Umrah will not affect his work through which he earns money, then he should go, because in this case will it affect his creditor or not? No it will not.   If someone says to him, I know that you owe ten thousand riyals, and I know that debt must be given precedence over voluntary acts of worship, but come with me, you and your family, for free, there and back – can he go with him? In this case we say: If he has a job and his absence from work will cause him a loss in salary, then he should not go. But if he does not have a job, and going with him will not affect anything, then there is nothing wrong with him going with him.  It makes no difference whether the debt is due now or later. But if it is deferred, and he knows that when the time comes he will be able to pay it off, then it does not matter, like a man who owes money that is due in two months time, for example, and he knows that when the time comes he will be able to pay it off – in that case we say: Go, because staying in his country will not make a difference to the creditor. End quote.  Al-Liqa’ al-Shahri (no. 33, question no. 4)  This has been discussed previously on our website in the answer to question no. 11771, 36868 and 36852.  What you must do is wait until you have paid off the entire debt.  Then if what you did was a vow, you must fulfil it, because it is obligatory to fulfil a vow to do an act of worship.  But it was merely an intention to do ‘Umrah out of gratitude to Allaah, without making a vow, then in that case it is mustahabb to fulfil the promise to do ‘Umrah, which is one of the greatest acts of worship by means of which the Muslims draw close to their Lord.  And Allaah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/114534/which-should-he-give-priority-to-umrah-or-paying-off-his-debt

Hajj with money that originally came from a riba-based loan

Question A while ago I took a loan from one of the riba-based banks with the intention of buying a car, but now I regret that riba-based transaction, and I have repented to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, asking Him to accept my repentance. Now I have sold that car, and I intend to go for Hajj this year. Is it permissible for me to do Hajj with the price of that car? Please note that I am still paying off instalments of the riba-based debt to the bank, from my monthly salary – as the deduction of the instalments of debt from my monthly salary is done directly, a few days before the payment reaches me, and I do not have any other wealth. Please advise me, may Allah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible to deal with riba, whether that is by taking or giving a loan. The one who has done that must repent to Allah, may He be exalted, by giving up the sin, regretting it and resolving never to go back to it.  The riba-based loan – despite the fact that it is prohibited and reprehensible – becomes the property of the borrower according to the correct view. So the money that was borrowed belongs to you, and you may make use of it in whatever permissible way you wish, such as buying a car or otherwise.  Please see: al-Manfa‘ah fi’l-Qard by ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-‘Imraani (p. 245-254)  Based on that, it is permissible for you to do Hajj with what you have of that money, so long as you repent from riba, as you mentioned. It does not matter that you are still paying off instalments on the loan.  There is nothing wrong with doing Hajj even if you owe a debt, if the debt is to be paid later on, or is being paid in instalments, and you are able to pay it off on time. Please see the answers to questions no. 3974 and 4241.                                                             We ask Allah to guide us and you.  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/149111/hajj-with-money-that-originally-came-from-a-riba-based-loan

Which of them should be given precedence: having children or doing the obligatory Hajj?

Question My wife and I were planning to go for Hajj this year, but it seems that we may have no choice but to delay it until next year. But next year we have another plan, which is to have children. My wife is insisting on that, and we cannot delay it any longer, because it has already been more than two years since we got married, and it is not wise to delay having children for longer than that. To sum up: we can either focus on doing Hajj or focus on having children. I am trying to convince her to wait another year until we have done Hajj, because it is obligatory, but she thinks that having children is also an obligation, and that is something on which I agree with her, undoubtedly. Which of the two obligations should be given precedence?

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  Whoever is able to do Hajj, both physically and financially, must hasten to do Hajj and it is not permissible for him to delay it. This has been explained in fatwa no. 41702.  Secondly:  Having children is one of the basic aims of marriage, which leads to many benefits. The Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to have children in more than one hadith.  So what we advise you to do is to hasten to have children, and do not delay it for any longer than you have already done, as you stated that you delayed it for two years. Children are one of the greatest blessings that Allah can bestow upon a person.  Although it is obligatory to do Hajj right away – as explained above – it is permissible to delay it if there is a valid reason for doing so. You do not know when Allah may bestow upon you the blessing of children. Allah may bless you with children and that may not be an obstacle to your doing Hajj if Allah makes a means of doing it easily available to you.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: A woman is asking: I want to do the obligatory Hajj for the first time. I am married and I have small children, the youngest of whom is five months old, and I am breastfeeding, but the baby is able to eat other food besides milk. My husband did not let me go for Hajj on the grounds that I am still breastfeeding, and I do not want to take the baby with me because I am afraid that she may get sick and be affected by the change in climate. Moreover, she would distract me and take up my time. Is this one of the things that make it permissible for me not to do Hajj this year?  He replied: There is nothing wrong with this woman who is in this situation delaying her Hajj until another year, firstly because many scholars say that it is not obligatory to do Hajj immediately, and it is permissible for a person to delay it even if he is able to do it. Secondly, this woman needs to stay and look after her children, and looking after her children is a great good deed. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock.” So I say: She should wait until next year, and we ask Allah to make things easy for her and decree what is good for her. End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen (21/66).  There is another reason for hastening to have children, and not delaying it any longer, which is your wife’s desire to have children. Having children is the right of both spouses. If one of them wants that, the other does not have the right to refuse or delay it, unless there is a valid excuse for doing so.  With regard to Hajj, even though it is undoubtedly obligatory, it is only obligatory for the one who is able to do it. If she becomes pregnant and has children, that will be an impediment to doing Hajj. It should be understood that striving to become able to do it or to meet the conditions that make Hajj obligatory is not something that is required of the accountable individual. So it is not obligatory for him, if he is poor, to go and accumulate money that will make him financially able to do Hajj.  If he is sick, it is not obligatory for him to seek medical treatment for the sake of Hajj and take measures to improve his health so that he will be physically able to do it, and so on.  The conditions of being able to do it. and so on. come under the heading of that without which an obligatory duty cannot be done. What this means is that the obligation to do the act of worship is not established in an individual’s case unless these conditions are met, and the scholars stated that meeting these conditions is not obligatory for the accountable individual.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This issue is referred to by the phrase: Whatever is essential to the performance of an obligatory duty is also obligatory.  Some people made a mistake concerning that, and divided it into: ·        that which the accountable individual is not able to attain, such as good health in his limbs, and the minimum number of people required for Jumu‘ah to be valid, and similar things that he is not able to attain, ·        and that which he is able to attain, such as travelling the distance to go for Hajj, washing part of the head when doing wudoo’, refraining from eating for part of the night when fasting, and so on.  And they said: That without which an obligatory action cannot be done, and which the accountable individual is able to do, is also obligatory.  This categorisation is incorrect, because the things that they mentioned are conditions of it being obligatory, without which it does not become obligatory. Whatever is essential to something becoming obligatory, the individual is not obliged to strive (to meet these conditions), according to Muslim consensus, whether he is able to do it or not, such as having the ability to do Hajj, or earning enough wealth to meet the minimum threshold at which zakaah becomes due. If a person is able to do Hajj, he must do Hajj, and if he owns enough wealth to meet the minimum threshold for zakaah, then zakaah becomes obligatory for him. It does not become obligatory unless these conditions are met, so he does not have to make himself become able to do Hajj or to own wealth that meets the minimum threshold.  Therefore, those who say that being able to do Hajj means (already) possessing sufficient wealth, as is the view of Abu Haneefah, ash-Shafaa‘i and Ahmad, do not say that it is obligatory for him to strive to earn that wealth.  End quote from Dar’ Ta‘aarud al-‘Aql wa’n-Naql (1/211-212). See also: al-Musawwadah fi Usool al-Fiqh (1/52)  Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  That which is essential to doing an obligatory duty is not obligatory according to consensus, whether the accountable person is able to fulfil that condition, such as striving to earn sufficient money to go for Hajj and offer expiation… or not [?], such as the presence of the imam and the quorum for Jumu‘ah prayer.  End quote from Usool al-Fiqh by Ibn Muflih (1/211) And Allah knows best..

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/222102/which-of-them-should-be-given-precedence-having-children-or-doing-the-obligatory-hajj

She does not have any wealth; can she take money from her father in order to do Hajj? Can she delegate someone to perform Hajj on her behalf if she is not able to do Hajj?

Question When is Hajj obligatory in the case of women? Is there a specific age for it? Can I take something from my father’s wealth, or should I wait until wealth comes to me? Can I delegate someone to perform Hajj on my behalf?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: Hajj is obligatory upon the adult, on condition that he or she is able to do it, whether that adult is a man or a woman, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. The verse is general in meaning and indicates that Hajj is obligatory upon the one who is able to do it, whether that person is a man or a woman. An- Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that Hajj is obligatory upon a woman if she is able to do it. End quote from Sharh Muslim by an-Nawawi (4/148) Based on that: There is no specific age for Hajj. If a person has reached the age of accountability and is able to do Hajj in financial and physical terms, then he must do Hajj immediately. For more information, please see the answer to question no. 41702. See also the answer to question no. 20045 and 41957. In addition to the conditions of being able to do Hajj, in the case of a woman it is stipulated that she should have a mahram with her. If a woman cannot find a mahram to do Hajj with her, then in that case she is not obliged to do Hajj, even if she is financially and physically able. For more information, please see the answer to question no. 83762. Secondly: A child is not required to ask his or her father for money in order to perform Hajj, but if the father chooses to give him or her money for Hajj, there is nothing wrong with accepting it and doing Hajj with that money. Similarly, if the father makes a booking for one of his children in a Hajj group, and pays for those expenses, then this is something good and comes under the heading of spending that is prescribed in Islam, and there is nothing wrong with the child accepting such an offer, especially if the child did not ask for it. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I am a student who has reached adulthood, and I do not have any wealth of my own. Can I ask my father for money in order to do Hajj now, or should I wait until I graduate and find work, so that I can do Hajj with my own money, even though that will take a long time? He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: Hajj is not obligatory for a person if he does not have any wealth, even if his father is rich, and he does not have to ask his father to give him money so that he can do Hajj. Rather the scholars say: Even if your father gives you money with which to do Hajj, you are not obliged to accept it; you can refuse and say: I do not want to do Hajj yet, and Hajj is not obligatory upon me (at present). Some of the scholars say: If someone – a father or a full brother – gives you wealth with which to do Hajj, then you must accept it and do Hajj with it. But if someone else gives you the money, and you fear that one day he will remind you of his favour, then in that case you do not have to accept it and do Hajj with it. This view is the correct one."(Majmoo‘ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen  21/94). For more information, please see the answer to question no. 3463. Thirdly: With regard to appointing someone else to do Hajj on one’s behalf, this is only applicable in the case of one who is physically unable to do Hajj because of old age or sickness from which there is no hope of recovery. In this case what is prescribed is to appoint someone to do Hajj on one’s behalf, if one has wealth. But in the case of one who is physically able but does not have wealth, or if a woman is financially and physically able to do Hajj, but she does not have a mahram who can do Hajj with her, then in this case appointing someone to do it on her behalf is not valid, because Hajj is not obligatory in the first place in these two cases, and because a woman may be able to find someone among her mahrams who can do Hajj with her in the future. It says in Majmoo‘ Fatawa Ibn Baz (16/122): It is not valid to appoint someone to do Hajj on behalf of someone who is physically healthy, even if he is poor, whether that Hajj is obligatory or supererogatory. As for the one who is unable to do Hajj because of old age or sickness from which there is no hope of recovery, then he must appoint someone to do the obligatory Hajj and obligatory ‘umrah on his behalf, if he can afford to do so, because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. End quote. For more information on the rulings and guidelines on appointing someone to perform Hajj on one’s behalf, please see the answer to question 111794. And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/223524/she-does-not-have-any-wealth-can-she-take-money-from-her-father-in-order-to-do-hajj-can-she-delegate-someone-to-perform-hajj-on-her-behalf-if-she-is-not-able-to-do-hajj

Ruling on someone who works in Hajj but does not do Hajj because he is unable to do it

Question What is the ruling on someone who works in Hajj but does not do Hajj himself because he is not able to do it?

Praise be to Allah. Hajj is only obligatory for the one who is able to do it, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. The definition of ability in this case has been discussed in fatwa no. 5261. Whoever meets this definition of being able to do it must hasten to do Hajj, because doing it immediately is obligatory, according to the most correct scholarly view. This has been discussed previously in fatwa no. 155378. Undoubtedly if a person lives in Makkah and works in Hajj, then it would be thought most likely that he will be able to perform the obligatory rituals of Hajj in one way or another, or at least he is more likely to be able to do it than others, because he does not have to bear the expenses of travel, obtaining a visa and the like. So he could reach an agreement with the people he works for so that he may be given permission at the time when the obligatory rituals are performed, and this is something easy, in sha Allah. So on the Day of ‘Arafah, either his work will be in ‘Arafah, so he can fulfil the aim of of the muhrim (pilgrim in ihram), which is to be present in ‘Arafah, and he is not required to make any extra effort; or if his work is far away from there, then he can go and stay there to, because there is little need for people outside of ‘Arafah at that time. Similarly with regard to staying overnight in Muzdalifah and stoning the Jamaraat; performing the obligatory component of these actions is also possible, in sha Allah. But if his boss does not agree to allow him to do Hajj, then in this case it may truthfully be said that he is not able to do Hajj, as has been explained previously in fatwa no. 155378. In that case he should organise his affairs so that he can perform Hajj in a future year, in sha Allah. What the boss should do is give his worker permission to do Hajj, especially if it is the obligatory Hajj, because helping a Muslim to perform this important pillar of Islam brings an immense reward. And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/223693/ruling-on-someone-who-works-in-hajj-but-does-not-do-hajj-because-he-is-unable-to-do-it

Is the fact that the boss refuses to give the employee time off for Hajj regarded as an excuse that allows him to delay Hajj?

Question During the Hajj period, we are under pressure at work and the boss does not allow me to travel. If I go without his consent, it is most likely that I will lose my job. Does this count as an excuse for delaying the obligatory Hajj until Allah makes it easy for me, which I do not think will be far off, in sha Allah?

Praise be to Allah. The correct scholarly view is that Hajj is obligatory straightaway for the one who is able to do it, and it is not permissible for him to delay fulfilling this important pillar of Islam. We have explained this in the answer to question no. 41702. A Muslim may be able to afford the expenses of travel, and the route may be safe, but he is prevented by other impediments from going for Hajj. In such cases he is undoubtedly excused, such as if he has a wife who is sick or a father who is dying, or if the state restricts the numbers of people who can do Hajj, and he cannot go because his name is not drawn in the lottery, or because he is not of the specified age group, and other legitimate reasons that allow delaying Hajj in the case of one who can afford the travel expenses and for whom the route is safe. Based on that, those who have these excuses come under the heading of those who are not able to perform Hajj. What appears to us to be the case is that the fact that an employee, in either the public or private sector, is not given time off to go for Hajj does count as an excuse for that employee, and he does not have to leave his job – if it is permissible. But he should ask permission every year to go for Hajj, and try his hardest to perform Hajj, even if that means taking unpaid leave, if that will not affect his spending on his family. The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: I want to do ‘umrah in Ramadan and connect it to Hajj tamattu‘ [by exiting ihram after ‘umrah and entering ihram again for Hajj]. What do I have to do until the time for Hajj comes? I am working and I cannot be absent from work except during leave for Hajj and leave for ‘umrah in Ramadan. Is it permissible to travel from one area to another? They replied: Firstly: ‘umrah during Ramadan was encouraged by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but it is not an ‘umrah that can be connected to Hajj tamattu‘; rather that which may be connected to Hajj tamattu‘ is ‘umrah that is performed during the months of Hajj, which are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qa‘dah and the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, then one should do Hajj in the same year. Secondly: if the situation is as described, that you cannot leave work for Hajj or ‘umrah, then it is not permissible for you to leave work except with the permission of your boss. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (11/163, 164) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man cannot do Hajj because of his work, then there is no blame on him, because he is not able to do it. But I often hear that brothers in the army or others go to Makkah as part of their job, then when the time for Hajj comes, they are given permission to do Hajj. So if they give you permission, then do Hajj and there is nothing wrong with that, but if they do not give you permission, then you are not able to do it, and you do not have to do Hajj. Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh (92/question no. 8) Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I have only come to this land for the sake of doing Hajj, but I am afraid that the person for whom I am working will not give me permission to do this obligatory duty. I am now in Saudi and not far away from the places of the Hajj rituals. I hope that Allah will guide my sponsor and that he will agree to me doing Hajj, but if he does not agree to that, will I have fulfilled the obligation by virtue of my intention, or not? Because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each man will have but that which he intended.” Does this come under the heading of doing what one is able to do? I hope that you can clarify and urge sponsors to allow those who are with them to perform the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah. He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: We wish that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will guide all sponsors and that they will allow their brothers who are working for them to perform the obligatory Hajj, because this comes under the heading of cooperating in righteousness and piety, which Allah has enjoined, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Help you one another in AlBirr and AtTaqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment” [al-Maa’idah 5:2]. Moreover, this may be a means of attaining barakah in their work and provision, because during these ten days if work ceases, Allah may send down barakah upon the rest of their work, which may result in a great deal of goodness, and if this happens, that is what one wants. This is what we hope for from our sponsor brothers. But if that is not possible, then this worker is not regarded as being able to do Hajj, so the obligation is waived in his case, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “for anyone who is able to undertake it” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97], but in this case he is not able to undertake it. With regard to the questioner asking whether he will be like the one who did Hajj, the answer is no; but Hajj is waived in his case until he is able to do it, and if he dies before he is able to do Hajj, then he will not have died in a state of disobedience towards Allah, because Hajj is not obligatory unless one is able to do it. End quote. Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (21/62). And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/155378/is-the-fact-that-the-boss-refuses-to-give-the-employee-time-off-for-hajj-regarded-as-an-excuse-that-allows-him-to-delay-hajj

Which of them takes precedence: doing ‘umrah or offering expiation for breaking an oath?

Question I used to swear that I would not go back to committing a particular sin, then I went back to it, and sometimes I swore oaths in a state of anger that was not extreme. Unfortunately I have broken sixty oaths, and now I have given up swearing oaths. I have decided to offer expiation, but I want to do ‘umrah. Is it permissible for me to delay offering expiation until after doing ‘umrah? That is because I want to save money for ‘umrah and take the opportunity to go with my friends. Or is it permissible for me to offer expiation by fasting at the same time as saving money for ‘umrah?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: If someone swears that he will not go back to a particular sin, then he goes back to it, then he swears the same oath regarding the same sin repeatedly before offering expiation for breaking his oath, then he has to offer one expiation, even if he swore the oath repeatedly. But if he had offered expiation for his first oath, then it happened a second time and he swore a second oath to give it up, then in this case he must offer another expiation. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 103424 ; please see this question for more information. But if he swore oaths regarding different things, and broke these oaths, then he must offer expiation for each matter concerning which he swore an oath, even if he swore many oaths. For more information on expiation for breaking an oath (kaffaarat al-yameen), please see the answer to question no. 45676 . Secondly: If what you have to do is offer a single expiation, based on the details mentioned above, then there is no reason why you cannot combine offering expiation for the oath and doing ‘umrah, because offering a single expiation does not usually have an impact on one’s wealth, especially for one who is able to save money for the purpose of travelling. So he will not be unable to offer expiation by feeding ten poor persons or clothing them, for a single expiation. But if there are a number of expiations, and you are not able to offer expiation for your vow, but you have enough money to do ‘umrah, then offering expiation for breaking your oath must take precedence over doing ‘umrah, because it is obligatory to offer expiation immediately, according to the view of the majority of scholars. It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (10/14): The majority of scholars are of the view that it is not permissible to delay offering expiation for breaking an oath, and that it becomes obligatory as soon as the oath is broken, because this applies when a command is mentioned in general terms. End quote. And because the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated that Hajj and ‘umrah are not obligatory for a person until after he has fulfilled obligatory duties, which include offering any expiations that a person owes. For more information, please see the answer to question no. 11534 . Based on that, if you have sufficient money to feed or clothe ten poor persons, then you must offer expiation by doing that. If you do not have enough money to do that, then it is valid for you to fast in that case. For more information, please see the answer to question no. 100322 . And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/219451/which-of-them-takes-precedence-doing-umrah-or-offering-expiation-for-breaking-an-oath

`Umrah without a Mahram

Question I want to go for Umah but as i cannot go without Mahram. I'm stuck & sad, my husband is very much busy with his work and can't leave the site for 8-10 days. Kindly guide me how can I perform Umrah & please pay for my family & husband.

Praise be to Allah.A woman who does not have a Mahram to travel with does not have to go for Hajj or `Umrah , and she is excused if she does not go. It is prohibited for her to travel for Hajj or for any other reason without a Mahram , and she has to be patient until Allah makes it easy for one of her Mahrams to travel with her.  The ways of goodness are many. If a Muslim cannot do one act of worship, he may strive hard in those acts of worship that he can do, until Allah makes it easy for him to do the acts of worship that he could not do.  By the bounty of Allah towards His believing slaves, if a person resolves to do an act of worship but he is unable to do it because of some excuse, he will be granted the reward of one who does it. Al-Bukhari (4423) narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came back from the campaign of Tabuk and when he drew close to Madinah he said: “In Madinah there are some people who, whenever you marched or crossed a valley, were with you.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, but they were in Madinah.” He said, “They were in Madinah because some excuse kept them back.”  The scholars of the Standing Committee said:   “A woman who does not have a Mahram does not have to do Hajj , because in her case a Mahram is part of being able to do Hajj, and being able to do it is one of the conditions of Hajj being obligatory. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence).” [Al `Imran 3:97] It is not permissible for her to travel for Hajj or for any other purpose unless she is accompanied by her husband or a Mahram , because of the report narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “No man should be alone with a woman unless her Mahram is present, and no woman should travel unless she has a Mahram with her .”  A man stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah, my wife has gone out for Hajj, and I have enlisted for such and such a campaign.” He said: “Go and do Hajj with your wife.” This was also the view of Al-Hasan, An-Nakha’i, Ahmad, Is-Haq, Ibn Al-Mundhir and Ashab Al-ra’i, and it is the correct view, because of the verse quoted, as well as the general meaning of the Hadiths which forbid a woman to travel without her husband or a Mahram. Malik, Ash-Shafi`i and Al-Awza`i held a different opinion and each of them stipulated a condition (allowing her to do that), but with no evidence. Ibn Al-Mundhir said: they did not follow the apparent meaning of the Hadith, and each of them stipulated a condition (allowing her to do that), but with no evidence.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah lil-Buhuth Al-`Ilmiyyah wal-‘Ifta’, 11/90, 91)  And they said:  “If the situation is as described – that it is not easy for your husband or a Mahram of yours to travel with you to perform the obligation of Hajj – then you are not obliged to do it so long as this is the case, because the accompaniment of your husband or Mahram on the journey for Hajj is one of the conditions of Hajj being obligatory for you. It is prohibited for you to travel for Hajj or for any other purpose without that, even if you go with your brother’s wife and a group of women, according to the correct scholarly view, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “No woman should travel except with a Mahram.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). That is unless your brother also travels with his wife, in which case it is permissible to travel with him, because he is a Mahram for you. Strive to do righteous deeds that do not need you to travel, and be patient in the hope that Allah will make things easier for you and enable you to go for Hajj with your husband or Mahram.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah lil-Buhuth Al-`Ilmiyyah wal-‘Ifta’, 11/96)  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/25841/umrah-without-a-mahram

He entered ihram for Hajj then missed the standing in ‘Arafah

Question He entered ihram for Hajj but he did not stipulate a condition (that if he was prevented from completing it, he would exit ihram at the point at which he was prevented from continuing), then he missed the standing in ‘Arafah (whether because of illness or being delayed or without any excuse). What does he have to do, and how can he exit from his ihram?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  Standing in ‘Arafah is one of the pillars or essential parts of the Hajj; in fact it is the major pillar, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hajj is ‘Arafah; whoever comes [to ‘Arafah] on the night of ‘Arafah, before dawn breaks on the night of Jam‘ [Muzdalifah] has completed his Hajj.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (889) and an-Nasaa’i (3016). Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh an-Nasaa’i. Whoever does not come to ‘Arafah before dawn breaks on the Day of Sacrifice, even for a moment or passing through, has missed out on Hajj, according to scholarly consensus.  An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo‘ (8/273): If he enters ihram for Hajj, but does not stand in ‘Arafah until dawn breaks on the Day of Sacrifice, he has missed out on Hajj, according to scholarly consensus. End quote.  Secondly:  The one who misses out on Hajj – and had not stipulated a condition when first entering ihram, that his exiting ihram would be at the point where he was prevented from continuing – must do a number of things:  1.He must exit his ihram by doing ‘umrah 2.He must make it up the following year, even if the missed Hajj was voluntary. 3.He must offer a sacrifice as well as making it up. 4.He must repent if there was no excuse for his delay.  This is a summary of what the one who misses Hajj must do.  Explanation of these points with evidence is as follows:  1.The one who missed out on Hajj must exit his ihram by doing tawaaf and sa‘i, and cutting his hair or shaving his head (‘umrah)  That is because of the report narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’ (870), that Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Hajj, then when he was in an-Naaziyah, on the way to Makkah, he lost his mount. He came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) on the Day of Sacrifice and told him what had happened. ‘Umar said: Do what those who do ‘Umrah do, then you will have exited your ihram. Then when Hajj comes next year, do Hajj and offer whatever sacrificial animal you can afford. Its isnaad was classed as saheeh by an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him). See: al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta’ (3/7); al-Majmoo‘ (8/274)  2. With regard to its being obligatory to make up that Hajj and offer a hadiy (sacrificial animal)  that is because of the report narrated by ‘Ikrimah, who said: I heard al-Hajjaaj ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaari say: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever breaks a bone or becomes lame has exited ihram, but he must do Hajj the following year.” ‘Ikrimah said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas and Abu Hurayrah about that and they said: He is telling the truth. Narrated by Abu Dawood (1862). According to another version: “Whoever breaks a bone or becomes lame or falls sick.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.  That is also because of what ‘Umar said to Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari (may Allah be pleased with them both): “Then when Hajj comes next year, do Hajj and offer whatever sacrificial animal you can afford.”  This is the view of the Hanafis, Maalik, ash-Shaafa‘i and the Hanbalis.  Maalik narrated from Naafi‘, from Sulaymaan ibn Yasaar, that Habbaar ibn al-Aswad came on the Day of Sacrifice when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was offering his sacrifice, and said: O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, we miscounted the days and we thought that today was the day of ‘Arafah. ‘Umar said: Go to Makkah and do tawaaf (and sa‘i), you and the people with you, and slaughter the sacrificial animal, if you have one, then shave your head or cut your hair, and go home. Then next year, do Hajj and offer the sacrifice; whoever cannot afford it, let him fast three days during Hajj and seven days after he has returned home.  See al-Majmoo‘ (8/275)  Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (3/280): The sacrifice is required of the one who misses Hajj, according to the more correct of the two reports. This is the view of those whom we have named among the Sahaabah and fuqaha’, apart from ashaab ar-ra’y, who said that he does not have to offer a sacrifice. In support of our view, we have the hadith of ‘Ata’ and the consensus of the Sahaabah. End quote.  He also said (3/281): If he has brought a hadiy (sacrificial animal) with him, he should sacrifice it [i.e., in the year in which he missed Hajj], that does not take the place of the sacrifice he has to offer in the following year. Rather in the following year he must also bring a hadiy. This was stated by Ahmad. That is because of the hadith of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). End quote.  See also al-Majmoo‘ (8/275)  3.In the rulings mentioned above there is no differentiation between the one who has a legitimate excuse and the one who does not, but there is a difference between them in terms of sin; the one who has an excuse is not sinning, whereas the one who has no excuse is sinning. This was clearly stated by al-Qaadi Abu’t-Tayyib and others. See al-Majmoo‘ (8/276)  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/136192/he-entered-ihram-for-hajj-then-missed-the-standing-in-arafah

Does he have to take money from his capital that he needs in order to do Hajj?

Question I work as a businessman, and the profits I make from my business are barely enough for me and my family, and I cannot do Hajj unless I take some of the capital of my business, which would mean that I make less profits, and the profit I make on my business would not be enough for my children’s expenses. Do I have to do Hajj?.

Praise be to Allah. Hajj is not obligatory except for the one who is able to do it, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].   What is meant by being financially able to do it is that one has enough to cover his travel costs and his family’s expenses until he returns and that he has enough after he returns to cover his expenses and those of the people on whom he spends, such as rent from properties he own, salaries, business and so on. Hence he is not obliged to do Hajj using the capital with which he does business from which he spends the income on himself and his family, as the reduction in the capital will result in the reduction of the income which would then not be enough for him and his family.  Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (5/12):  The one who has property that he needs for his dwelling, or for his family’s dwelling, or he needs it to rent it out to cover his expenses or those of his family, or trade goods that if their amount is reduced then his profit will not be sufficient to cover his expenses, is not obliged to do Hajj.   The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:   I am an Egyptian citizen and head of a family consisting of two children and a wife, and my salary in Egypt is barely enough to cover the necessities of life, and I do not have any other income. I worked in one of the Gulf countries for four years, and I earned some money which I put in an Islamic bank to provide me with an income that will help me to bear the various burdens of life, so that my salary and this income will be sufficient for me and my family to live a reasonable life. Am I obliged to devote some of this money to the expenses of Hajj, and am I obliged to do Hajj in these circumstances? Please note that if I take some money out of this bank account to spend on Hajj, that will affect my monthly income and I will encounter some financial difficulties.   They replied:  If your situation is as you described, then you are not obliged to do Hajj, because you are not able to do it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. And He says (interpretation of the meaning): “So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”[al-Taghaabun 64:16] and “and [Allaah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship”[al-Hajj 22:78].  And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.  Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta (11/35, 36).  Based on this, you do not have to do Hajj, so long as you need the money that you have for your expenses and those of your family.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/109334/does-he-have-to-take-money-from-his-capital-that-he-needs-in-order-to-do-hajj

Her father will not let her go for Hajj – can she delegate someone to perform Hajj on her behalf?

Question How can a living person offer his or her qa'za prayers and fast? Can a healthy living person send someone else for her Hajj or umra in there place,As she is not getting permission for her self by her father and what is she supposed to do if she dose not have the finance to send some one or go by her self,can she go to perform Hajj without her fathers permission?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  Hajj is only obligatory for the one who is able to do it, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97] Being able to do Hajj in the case of a woman includes having a mahram who can travel with her and having enough money for herself and her mahram, because the expenses of the mahram’s Hajj are to be paid by her, because he is only travelling for her sake.  If a woman does not have a mahram who can travel with her, or she does not have enough money for that, then Hajj is not obligatory for her.  If Hajj is not obligatory for her, then she is not sinning or falling short by not doing it, and in this case she does not have to delegate someone to perform Hajj and ‘umrah on her behalf, rather she should wait until Allaah enriches her and makes a mahram available for her, then she can do Hajj for herself.  Secondly:  The father has no right to prevent his daughter or his son from doing the obligatory Hajj.  If she is physically and financially able to do Hajj, and she has a mahram who can travel with her, then she should ask her father for permission. If he does not give her permission then she should go without his permission, because there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator.   The fact that her father will not let her does not make it permissible for her to delegate someone else to do Hajj on her behalf.  This impediment may be removed, and al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (4/70) that the scholars are unanimously agreed that the one who is being detained (in prison and the like) should not delegate someone to perform the obligatory Hajj on his behalf, because there is the hope that he will be released.  This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 41950.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/111789/her-father-will-not-let-her-go-for-hajj-can-she-delegate-someone-to-perform-hajj-on-her-behalf

He is banned from travelling outside his country; can he delegate someone to perform Hajj on his behalf?

Question What should a person do who wants to do Hajj and has not performed Hajj before, but he is banned from travelling and he cannot travel outside his country? Can he ask someone to perform Hajj on his behalf?.

Praise be to Allah. The Sunnah states that it is permissible to do Hajj on behalf of another in two cases:  1 – If that person is deceased  The evidence for that is the report narrated by Muslim (1149), according to which a woman asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about her mother who had died, and she said: “O Messenger of Allaah, she never did Hajj; can I do Hajj on her behalf?” He said: “Yes, do Hajj on her behalf.”  2 – If a person is unable to do Hajj himself because of something for which there is no hope that it will cease to affect him, such as an old man who cannot travel and put up with the hardships of Hajj, or a person who is chronically sick and there is no hope of recovery for him.  The evidence for that is that a woman said: “O Messenger of Allaah, the obligation of Hajj has come when my father is an old man who cannot sit firmly on his mount. Can I perform Hajj on his behalf?” He said, “Yes.”  Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1513) and Muslim (1334).  But if a person is unable to go for Hajj because he is banned from travelling outside his country, this is an impediment which it is hoped will be removed. Many of those who were banned from travelling outside their countries are able to do so after a while, either because of a change in government or for other reasons.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Ifta (11/51):  It is permissible for the Muslim who has done the obligatory Hajj for himself to do Hajj on behalf of someone else, if the other person is unable to do Hajj for himself because he is old or sick with no hope of recovery, or because he is dead, because of the saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of that. But if the one on whose behalf he wants to do Hajj cannot do Hajj because of an impediment which it is hoped will be removed, such as a sickness from which there is hope of recovery, or political reasons, or because the route is not safe, and so on, then it is not permissible to do Hajj on his behalf. End quote.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.  Based on this, it is not permissible for this person who is banned from travelling to appoint someone to perform Hajj on his behalf, rather he should wait until this impediment is lifted and he is able to do Hajj for himself.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/111788/he-is-banned-from-travelling-outside-his-country-can-he-delegate-someone-to-perform-hajj-on-his-behalf

Can a female doctor travel with a Hajj group, without a mahram?

Question I know that a woman is not permitted to travel without a mahram. Last year I travelled with one of the Hajj groups with a mahram. This year I do not have a mahram who can travel with me, but the groups needs a female doctor to travel with them, and now there is no time for the group to find another doctor. Please advise me what to do, may Allah reward you.

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram, even if she is travelling for the obligatory Hajj or obligatory ‘Umrah, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhari (1729) and Muslim (2391) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No woman should travel except with a mahram, and no man should enter upon her unless there is a mahram with her.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out on such and such a campaign, and my wife wants to go for Hajj.” He said: “Do Hajj with her.”  With regard to the naafil Hajj, a woman is not allowed to travel for that without a mahram according to the majority of scholars, and some narrated that the scholars were unanimously agreed on this point.  The fact that a group needs a female doctor to travel with them and that there is no time to look for another doctor, does not make it permissible for you to travel with them without a mahram. How can a person draw closer to his Lord by doing Hajj or helping others by means of disobedience?  We ask Allah to guide you and make you steadfast.  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/83720/can-a-female-doctor-travel-with-a-hajj-group-without-a-mahram

He entered ihram for Hajj but was prevented from entering Makkah

Question One of my friends went for Hajj, and entered ihram from the meeqaat of Madeenah and headed towards Makkah, but at the check point they told him to go back because he did not have a Hajj permit with him. So he went back and took off the Hajj garments. Is there any reward for his Hajj even though he did not enter Makkah, but he had entered ihram?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: There is no sin on him for exiting his ihram and going back without completing his Hajj, because he was forced to do that. And Allah knows best about his situation and is Most Merciful to His slaves. He will be rewarded to the extent of whatever he did of the actions of Hajj with sincerity.  Secondly: If a person stipulates when entering ihram that if anything prevents him (from completing Hajj) he will exit ihram at the point at which he is prevented from continuing, then he does not have to do anything, but if he did not make any such stipulation, then he must offer a hadiy to be slaughtered where he was prevented from continuing, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But if you are prevented (from completing them), sacrifice a Hady (animal, i.e. a sheep, a cow, or a camel) such as you can afford” [al-Baqarah 2:196]. Then he should shave his head or cut his hair, and thus he will have exited ihram.  And Allah is the Source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.  Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn Baz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Qa’ood.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta (11/350)  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who did Hajj without a permit, and he was prevented from entering Makkah. What does he have to do?  He replied: If he said when entering ihram, “If I am prevented (from completing Hajj), then I will exit ihram at the point at which I am prevented”, then he may exit ihram and he does not have to do anything else. But if he did not stipulate that, then he has to slaughter a hadiy because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But if you are prevented (from completing them), sacrifice a Hady (animal, i.e. a sheep, a cow, or a camel) such as you can afford” [al-Baqarah 2:196], and he should exit ihram (i.e., shave his head or cut his hair) at the point where he is prevented from continuing. End quote.  Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (23/433).

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/106591/he-entered-ihram-for-hajj-but-was-prevented-from-entering-makkah

Providing accommodation takes precedence over Hajj

Question My wife and I are currently living in Yemen and up until now we do not own a house in our country. Please note that I have some money. And up until now we have not performed the obligatory Hajj. Do we have to do Hajj now, straight away, so long as we are financially able to do it, even if we do not own a house? Or should we buy a house to live in first, then after that if we can afford to go to Hajj, we will go to Hajj, otherwise we will delay it until we can afford it.

Praise be to Allah. It is well known that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined Hajj on the one who is able to do it. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].  i.e., if he has enough provisions and a means of transportation; these provisions and this means of transportation should be surplus to what is sufficient to cover his shelter and living expenses, and the expenses of his children, until he comes back. If the money you have in your hands does not cover your basic needs, which include shelter, then it is not obligatory for you to perform Hajj until your basic needs are covered. Then if you have anything extra, you can perform Hajj. But Hajj is not obligatory for you [at present] and you do not have to do it until you have wealth surplus to what is needed to provide you with shelter and cover the expenses of yourselves and your children, and those on whom you are obliged to spend. End quote.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/105452/providing-accommodation-takes-precedence-over-hajj

Should he do Hajj on behalf of his deceased father who did Hajj, or on behalf of his elderly mother who has not yet done Hajj?

Question I performed the obligatory Hajj last year, praise be to Allah.  My mother has not done Hajj and she is over 65 years of age. Because of her health and the situation in Egypt, she is not able to do Hajj. My father died this year at the age of 80; he did Hajj twenty years ago.  Is it better for me to do Hajj on behalf of my father, for whom I hope for speedy forgiveness from Allah, and I do not want to wait until next year, or should I do Hajj on behalf of my mother who has not done Hajj before?  Is it essential for me to take money from her wealth for the expenses of Hajj? Or is it permissible for me to pay for it, even though my mother has enough money for that?  I asked my mother to be pleased with me in this world and in the Hereafter, and never to be angry, and I asked my brothers to bear witness to that, knowing that I always try to make her pleased with me.

Praise be to Allah. If your mother is unable to do Hajj herself for a reason for which there is no hope of an end, and she has enough money to do Hajj, then she should appoint someone to do Hajj on her behalf. If you volunteer to do Hajj on her behalf, that is part of honouring her, and it is not essential that the expenses of Hajj be paid from her wealth.  See the answer to question no. 36841.  With regard to whether your Hajj this year should be on behalf of your father or your mother:  The answer is that you should do it on behalf of your mother. That is for two reasons:  1.Hajj on behalf of your mother is obligatory, because she has not done Hajj before, whereas Hajj on behalf of your father would be naafil (supererogatory), and what is obligatory takes precedence over what is naafil. 2.If there is a conflict between the rights of the father and the rights of the mother, then the rights of the mother take precedence, because she has three times the rights of the father. That is indicated by the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (5971) and Muslim (2548) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: Which of the people is most deserving of my good companionship? He said: “Your mother.” He said: Then who? He said: “Then your mother.” He said: Then who? He said: “Then your mother.” He said: Then who? He said: “Then your father.” Al-Qurtubi said: What is meant is that the mother is entitled to the greater share of the son’s kindness, and she takes precedence in the case of a conflict with the father’s rights.  ‘Iyaad said: The majority are of the view that the mother takes precedence over the father with regard to the son’s kindness. And it was said that their rights are the same, but the former view is more correct.  End quote from Fath al-Baari, 10/402  With regard to your saying “I asked my mother to be pleased with me in this world and in the Hereafter, and never to be angry, and I asked my brothers to bear witness to that, knowing that I always try to make her pleased with me”, there is nothing wrong with your asking her to be pleased with you in this world. But with regard to asking her to be pleased with you in the Hereafter, this is something that cannot be guaranteed in this world; it is something that one cannot be certain about.  The Hereafter is something unknown (ghayb) and no one can be certain about anything with regard to it.  So continue striving to please her and honour her until you attain that.  With regard to your father, your du‘aa’ for him is better than doing Hajj on his behalf, so offer a lot of du‘aa’ for him. “and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young’” [al-Isra’ 17:24].  And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/144550/should-he-do-hajj-on-behalf-of-his-deceased-father-who-did-hajj-or-on-behalf-of-his-elderly-mother-who-has-not-yet-done-hajj

He wants to do Hajj using money that he received from jama‘iyyah with his friends

Question I want to perform the obligatory Hajj this year, and we do a jama‘iyyah to raise the funds for Hajj. (What I mean by jama‘iyyah is that a group of people each put in the same amount of money, and every month, one of the members of this group takes the money.) Is this regarded as a debt? Will my Hajj be valid?.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  In the answer to question no. 95880 we have stated that it is permissible to take part in what is called a jama‘iyyah.  Secondly:  The money raised through the jama‘iyyah is considered to be a loan and a debt that must be paid off, according to the terms agreed upon by the members of the group, for example, every month.  It is not a condition of Hajj being valid that the Muslim should not be in debt. If he goes for Hajj and has loans that he is able to pay off when the time to do so comes, there is nothing wrong with that.  See the answer to question no. 11771.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:  Is it permissible for the one who takes part in a monthly jama‘iyyah to do Hajj using the money that he takes from it, knowing that he is going to be the first one to receive the lump sum?  He replied: If the employees agree that one thousand riyals, for example, will be deducted from the salary of each person, and will be given to the first member, then in the second month to the second person, and in the third month to the third person and so on, this is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it. If someone is the first person to take the money, that means that he is in debt and owes what he has taken, but there is nothing wrong with him doing Hajj with this money, because he can pay off this debt and he knows that when  the time comes, he will pay off this debt. End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 56, question 20.  Based on this, there is nothing wrong with doing Hajj using the money from this jama‘iyyah, so long as he is confident that he can pay the instalments to the jama‘iyyah every month.  And Allaah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/143270/he-wants-to-do-hajj-using-money-that-he-received-from-jamaiyyah-with-his-friends

Ruling on performing Hajj before paying off debts

Question Due to business loss, my husband owes very big amount of debt to banks & relative, it will take him many years to pay back, can we go for Hajj or Umrah at this stage?

Praise be to Allah. One of the conditions of Hajj is that one should be able to do it, which includes being financially able. Whoever owes a debt and is being asked to repay it in the sense that his creditors will not let him go for Hajj until after he has paid off the debt should not go for Hajj, because he is not able to. But if they are not asking him to repay and he knows that they don’t mind, then he may go for Hajj and his Hajj will be valid. It is also permissible to go for Hajj if there is no set time limit for repayment of the debt and he is allowed to repay when it is easy for him. Hajj may be a good thing that may lead to his paying off the debt. And Allaah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/11771/ruling-on-performing-hajj-before-paying-off-debts

Can You Perform Hajj with a Student Loan?

Question At university, a student is given a maintenance grant and a bursary of over £3000. Instead of using this to pay for my university course, would it be OK if I took a student loan for one year and then used the grant and bursary to go to hajj.

Praise be to Allah.Conditions on Using a Bursary or Scholarship for Hajj If the University or the body that gives this bursary stipulates that it should be spent on matters having to do with study, then he has to adhere to that stipulation and not spend it on anything else, even if it is for Hajj. Using a Non-Specific Bursary for Hajj If the body that granted this bursary did not make any such stipulation; rather it gave it to him because he is a student, then it has become his property on the basis that he is entitled to it, and he may spend it on whatever he wants of permissible things or save it for Hajj and take a student loan to spend on his maintenance. But that is on condition that this loan is not based on Riba and does not involve paying back more than he took, even if the additional amount is very small, because that is Riba which is prohibited. Taking a Student Loan to Cover Hajj Expenses But we do not advise the questioner to get involved in debt, even with the aim of doing Hajj; rather it is not permissible for him to get into this loan in the first place if he does not have the means to pay it back and does not have any hope of doing so. If he does hope that he will be able to pay back, there is nothing wrong with him taking it on, so long as it is free of Riba. But it is better for a person not to take debt upon himself whenever it is possible to avoid that. And Allah knows best.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/158847/can-you-perform-hajj-with-a-student-loan

What constitutes being able to go for Hajj?

Question What constitutes being able to go for Hajj?

Praise be to Allah.The definition of being able to go for Hajj is: a person should be physically healthy; he should have the means of travelling to the Sacred House of Allah by plane, car or riding-beast, or have the money to pay for transportation; and he should have sufficient provision (food) for the journey there and back. This should be over and above what he needs to cover the costs of expenses for those whom he is obliged to spend on until he comes back from his Hajj. A woman should also be accompanied by her husband or a Mahram when she travels for Hajj or ‘Umrah.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/5261/what-constitutes-being-able-to-go-for-hajj

Should he do Hajj on behalf of his father who does not have any money with which to perform Hajj?

Question I am a young man working in Saudi Arabia, and my income is limited and is sufficient for the necessities and living expenses, praise be to Allah. I have done Hajj for myself three times, praise be to Allah. I have a father in Egypt who has not done Hajj yet, because he cannot afford to do Hajj. He is in good health, but he cannot afford the expenses of Hajj. Can I do Hajj on his behalf?.

Praise be to Allah.If the situation is as described, that your father is healthy and cannot do Hajj because he is financially unable, then he is not obliged to do Hajj, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. So it is not valid for you or anyone else to do Hajj on his behalf. But if you can afford to pay for his Hajj, it is prescribed for you to help him so that he can do Hajj for himself.  And Allah is the Source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.  Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Qa’ood.

Ability

https://islamqa.info/en/categories/topics/127/ability?page=2

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/109324/should-he-do-hajj-on-behalf-of-his-father-who-does-not-have-any-money-with-which-to-perform-hajj