Prayer (salaah) is one of the pillars in Islaam; it was the first act of worship that was made compulsory by Allah (swt). Its importance cannot be stressed more, to state it simply, without prayer Islaam cannot stand.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Prayer, prayer and those whom your right hands possess.”
(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad 3/117, Ibn Majah 2697, Ibn Hibbaan 1220)
They said stick to your prayer, and again stick to your prayer, emphasizing its importance. Performing prayer brings the believer success in this world, and in the hereafter, as Allah (swt) says:
“Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers.” (al-Qur’an 23:1-2) And the verse “And who pay heed to their prayers. These are the heirs who will inherit paradise. There they will abide.”
(al-Qur’an 23:9-11)
How many people do we know within our families, friends and neighbourhood: who say they follow Islaam, who call themselves Muslims, but who do not pray!
“The covenant (agreement) dividing us and them (i.e. the kuffaar) is the prayer. Whoever abandons it has committed kufr.”
(At-Tirmidhee no 2621, an-Nisaaee no 463, Ibn Majah no 1079)
A Muslim who does not prayer is in one of two categories. Either he abandons it rejecting its obligations, or looks down upon it, and is fed up with its sacredness. This person is a disbelieving apostate (kaafir) by consensus of Islamic scholars. So anyone who denies it or looks down upon it rejects Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He does not have in his heart an ounce of faith. And he is the same as the disbeliever whom Allah (swt) has described by saying:
“And when you call for salaah, they take it as a mockery and a joke; this is because these are people who do not understand.”(al-Qur’an 5:58)
So now we know the status of the ones that consider prayer and worship as a type of hindrance or something unimportant, and make fun of the ones who establish prayer.
The second category is that the person abandons it out of laziness being occupied with worldly things, following his desires, or getting whispers from shaitaan. The scholars have differed about this: is he a disbeliever or is he a sinning transgressor? If he is a sinning transgressor does he deserve to be killed or is punishing him with beating and imprisonment enough?
Imaam Abu Hanifah says:
“The one that abandons salaah is a sinning transgressor. It is obligatory to reprimand and discipline him with severe beating until blood flows, and to imprison him until he performs salaah. This is the same for the one that abandons fasting in Ramadaan.”
Imaam Maalik and Ash-Shafi’ee say:
“He is a sinning transgressor and not a disbeliever. But it is not enough to whip and imprison him. Rather if he insists on abandoning salaah his punishment is to be killed.”
Imaam Ahmad said from his most famous narrations:
“The person who abandons salaah is a disbeliever, away from the religion. He has no punishment except that he be killed. So it is obligatory to request from him to repent to Allah (SWT) and return to Islaam by performing the salaah. But if not his neck is to be cut.”
The fact is the majority of texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah support these rulings. The Qur’an makes the abandonment of salaah from one of the main attributes of the disbelievers. When the believers ask the disbelieving sinners in the burning fire:
“What has led you into hell?”
“ They will say, We were not from those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor. And we used to say vain (idle) things with vain (idle) talkers. And we used to deny the Day of Judgement.”
(al-Qur’an 74:42-46)
Their first reply of their disbelief and foolishness is that they were not from those who prayed. From the Sunnah there are hadeeth confirming the disbelief of the one who abandons salaah.
Jaabir has narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“ Between a man and disbelief (kufr) is abandoning the prayer.”
(Sahih Muslim no82)
“So fear Allah as much as you can.”
(al-Qur’an 64:16)
And to Allah should we all sincerely repent, and ask forgiveness.
“And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do.”
(al-Qur’an 42:25)
Husbands should tell their wives to pray, parents should tell their children to pray, and we all should tell our Muslim friends to pray.
“Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones.”
(al-Qur’an 66:6)
(Capital punishment is carried out by an Islamic Caliphate state and not by individuals)
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