Fwd’ing
As-salaam alaikum
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 Prophet further says, “What is between a person and committing
shirk (associating partners with Allaah) and kufr (disbelief) is
abandoning the prayer.” (Sahih Muslim, #82)
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.