Question #10: \u201cWhat about the had\u012bth: \u2018whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n
[1] Shaykh al-Alb\u0101n\u012b answers:
\n\u201cThis is not the first had\u012bth in which it is said that whoever does such-and-such has disbelieved. You have the famous had\u012bth \u2018whoever swears by other than All\u0101h has disbelieved,\u2019[2] but we don\u2019t say that whoever says \u2018by the life of my father\u2019 has apostatized from his religion.[3] And you know, for example, the had\u012bth of \u02bdUmar bin al-Khatt\u0101b in Sah\u012bh al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b when the Messenger (of All\u0101h) (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) heard him swearing by his father, so he (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) said: \u2018Don\u2019t swear by your fathers; whoever of you swears, then let him swear by All\u0101h or keep silent.\u2019[4] And in the had\u012bth of (\u02bdUmar\u2019s) son \u02bdAbdull\u0101h bin \u02bdUmar, he said that the Messenger (of All\u0101h) (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) said: \u2018Whoever swears by other than All\u0101h has associated partners with Him,\u2019[5] and in another narration, \u2018he has disbelieved.\u2019<\/p>\n
So it is not necessary for the occurrence of the expression \u2018whoever does such-and-such has disbelieved\u2019 to mean that he has disbelieved with the disbelief of apostasy. Rather, it can have many meanings, such as for example: \u2018he has disbelieved\u2019 can mean that he is close to disbelieving, that he has disbelieved with the disbelief related to actions (i.e., minor kufr), and such meanings that the people of knowledge were obliged to (apply) in order to reconcile between the texts.<\/p>\n
\u2018Whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved.\u2019 (But also) we say, \u2018whoever says l\u0101 il\u0101ha illAll\u0101h[6] (sincerely) will enter Paradise;\u2019[7] \u2018whoever says laa il\u0101ha illAll\u0101h (sincerely), it will benefit him some day,\u2019[8] [9] as mentioned in the had\u012bth of al-Bazz\u0101r and others. (Another had\u012bth mentions that) \u2018whichever slave runs away from his master has disbelieved.\u2019[10] These expressions are very numerous: \u2018he has disbelieved, he has disbelieved.\u2019 And there isn\u2019t any had\u012bth that is interpreted like this upon its apparent meaning if it comes with the expression: \u2018he has disbelieved.\u2019 This had\u012bth \u2013 \u2018whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved\u2019 \u2013 is treated the same way as the other narrations which share the saying \u2018he has disbelieved\u2019 with the had\u012bth about prayer. So here, many interpretations can occur for this text as for many (other) narrations. For example, \u2018the tale-carrier[11] will not enter Paradise,\u2019[12] (but) does that mean that he has disbelieved because of his tale-carrying? The answer is: if he considers that to be permissible by his heart, then Paradise has been forbidden for him. And if he acknowledges the forbiddance of that, and admits that he is wrong, a sinner and an evildoer, then his affair is with All\u0101h, as He, the Mighty and Majestic, said: \u2018Verily, All\u0101h forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.\u2019[13] So abandoning the prayer is an action that leads its doer to die upon other than \u012bm\u0101n (faith) \u2013 and All\u0101h\u2019s protection is sought. And abandoning the prayer is from the characteristics of the disbelievers who don\u2019t pray and don\u2019t give the zak\u0101h (obligatory charity). Hence, if the Muslim does not pray, he has resembled the disbelievers. So his disbelief here is the disbelief related to actions [as long as he believes in the legislation of the prayer]. And the narrations which must be explained (with regard to their true meanings) are very numerous.<\/p>\n
For instance, during the farewell pilgrimage, (the Prophet) (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) ordered Jar\u012br bin \u02bdAbdill\u0101h al-Bajal\u012b to quiet the people down and make them listen, and he (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) said while addressing them: \u2018Do not return to being disbelievers after me by striking the necks of one another.\u2019[14] And he (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) said: \u2018Insulting a Muslim is disobedience (to All\u0101h), and fighting him is disbelief.\u2019[15] But if a Muslim kills or fights another Muslim, has this (person) apostatized from his religion? The answer is: no, because All\u0101h said: {And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both. But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which outrages till it complies with the Command of All\u0101h}.[16] He considered each of the two groups \u2013 the one outraging and the one being outraged \u2013 to be from the believers, although the Messenger (of All\u0101h) said in the previous had\u012bth that \u2018insulting a Muslim is disobedience (to All\u0101h) and fighting him is disbelief.\u2019 So how is disbelief interpreted here? It is minor disbelief; it is disbelief related to actions. And the narrations about prayer \u2013 which declare that the one who abandons the prayer has disbelieved \u2013 are also (interpreted) likewise: either it is said that he is close to the disbelief related to faith (i.e., major kufr), that he is close to dying upon other than the religion of Isl\u0101m, or (it is said) that he has disbelieved with the disbelief related to actions. This interpretation is necessary so that we don\u2019t contradict the narrations of the Messenger (of Allaah) (\u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0633\u0644\u0645) with one another.\u201d
\n~ asaheeha translations ~<\/p>\n
[1] Sah\u012bh at-Tirmith\u012b #2621
\n[2] Sah\u012bh at-Tirmith\u012b #1535
\n[3] swearing by other than All\u0101h can become major disbelief when the one swearing believes that the one whom he falsely swears by has the ability to avert harm from him and the like; refer to The Methodology of the Saved Sect by Shaykh Muhammad bin Jam\u012bl Zayn\u016b, p. 101
\n[4] Sah\u012bh an-Nas\u0101\u2019\u012b #3775, Sah\u012bh aj-J\u0101mi\u02bd #1923
\n[5] Sah\u012bh at-Tirmith\u012b #1535
\n[6] none has the right to be worshiped but All\u0101h
\n[7] Silsilat ul-Ah\u0101d\u012bth is-Sah\u012bha #2355
\n[8] i.e., even if he first enters the Fire to be punished therein
\n[9] Sah\u012bh aj-J\u0101mi\u02bd #6434
\n[10] Sah\u012bh Muslim #68
\n[11] the tale-carrier is the one who spreads the speech of the people among one another with the intention of causing corruption, such as you going to someone and saying: \u2018such-and-such person insulted you, and he said such-and-such thing about you, etc\u2019 so that you separate between them; refer to Shaykh Muhammad bin S\u0101lih al-\u02bdUthaym\u012bn in N\u016brun \u02bdal\u0101 ddarb tape #48a and Silsilatu Liq\u0101 il-B\u0101b il-Maft\u016bh tape #93a
\n[12] Sah\u012bh al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b #6056, Sah\u012bh Muslim #105
\n[13] S\u016brat un-Nis\u0101, 4:48
\n[14] Sah\u012bh al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b #4405
\n[15] Sah\u012bh al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b #6044
\n[16] S\u016brat ul-Hujur\u0101t, 49:9<\/p>\n
Source: https:\/\/www.islamland.com\/eng\/articles\/the-rulling-on-the-one-who-abandons-prayer-part-3<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"