The Ruling on One Who Abandons Prayer

Question

What is the ruling of the Shari‘a on one who abandons prayer without a valid Shari‘a excuse? And what about mixing with him, eating and drinking with him and speaking with him? If one of the spouses is such a person, will the nikah remain or not? Will conjugal relations be unlawful or lawful, and what will be [the status of] the children? And what if, after such a person dies, the funeral prayer is not performed over him as a deterrent?

Answer

Prayer is fard ‘ayn: every mukallaf is required to perform it. One who believes it to be obligatory (fard) but abandons it without a valid Shari‘a excuse — out of laziness and the like — while also fearing punishment, is according to the Shari‘a a fasiq, not a kafir. First he should be reasoned with and urged to pray.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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