The funeral of one who abandons prayer, and fining him

Question

(1) If some Muslim has not prayed his whole life — he has not even prayed the Friday prayer and the prayers of the two Eids — is also a drunkard, does not pray himself and also forbids others, what is the ruling concerning such a person: should the funeral prayer be performed for him or not? (2) Since nowadays there are no Muslim rulers, can the community of Muslims (jama‘at al-muslimin) impose a Shari‘a punishment on such a person or not?

Answer

(1) Such a person is a very great offender and a grave sinner, but in spite of this the funeral prayer will be performed for him, and he will be buried in the Muslim graveyard in accordance with the sunna. [ar]صلوا على كل بر وفاجر[/ar] “Pray over every one, the righteous and the wicked” (hadith; “Sunan Abi Dawud”). (2)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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