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[Discussion of Certain Objections]
If it is said, “On this reasoning the one who abandons the prayer (ṣalāh) should not be put to death, for his harm is restricted to himself,” we reply: Whoever maintains that he thereby falls into unbelief executes him (1) on account of his apostasy. It is well known that no one is summoned to the prayer, then persists in refusing it until he is executed, except that he is already an unbeliever. We do not begin by killing him; rather, he is first invited to pray and disciplined with measures short of capital punishment. Should he pray, the matter ends; otherwise, if he persists until he is executed without praying, he is most certainly an unbeliever (2).
(1) The printed edition reads “bi-qatlihi” (“by killing him”), which is incorrect.
(2) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah states in al-Siyasah al-Sharʿiyyah, p. 102: “Those living in Muslim lands who do not actively resist the authorities must be compelled to carry out the obligatory duties that constitute the five pillars of Islam and other obligations, such as rendering trusts, keeping contractual promises in transactions, and the like. Thus, anyone—man or woman—who does not perform the salah (prescribed prayer) is to be commanded to pray; if he refuses, he is punished until he prays, by consensus of the ʿulama (scholars). Most scholars further hold that if he still fails to pray, he is to be executed after being asked to make tawbah (repentance); if he repents he is spared, otherwise he is killed. They differ, however, on whether he is executed as a kafir (unbeliever), a murtadd (apostate), or a fasiq (grave sinner).”
[مُنَاقَشَةُ بَعْضُ الإِعْتِرَاضَاتِ]
فَإِنْ قِيْلَ: فَيَلْزَمُ عَلَى هَذَا أَنْ لا يُقْتَلَ تَارِكُ الصَّلاةِ؛ لأَنَّ ضَرَرَهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ.
قِيلَ: مَنْ يَقُول: إِنَّه يَكْفُرُ: يَقْتُلُهُ (١) لِرِدَّتِه، وَمَعْلُوْمٌ أَنَّهُ لَا يُدْعَى أَحَدٌ إِلَى الصَّلَاة، فَيَمْتَنَعُ عَنْهَا حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ إِلَّا وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ، وَنَحْنُ لَا نَقْتُلُهُ ابْتِدَاءً، بَلْ يُدْعَى إِلَيْهَا، وَيُعَاقَبُ بِمَا دُوْنَ القَتْل، فَإِنْ صَلَّى وَإِلَّا فَإِذَا أَصَرَّ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ وَلَا يُصْلِّي فَهُوَ كَافِر قَطْعًا (٢).
(١) في المطبوعة: (بقتله)، وهو خطأ.
(٢) قال شيخ الإسلام في السياسة الشرعية ص (١٠٢): (فأما غير الممتنعين من أهل ديار الإسلام ونحوهم، فيجب إلزامهم بالواجبات التي هي مباني الإسلام الخمس وغيرها، من أداء الأمانات، والوفاء بالعهود في المعاملات، وغير ذلك، فمن كان لا يصلي من جميع الناس رجالهم ونسائهم، فإنه يؤمر بالصلاة، فإن امتنع عوقب حتى يصلي بإجماع العلماء، ثم إن أكثرهم يوجبون قتله إذا لم يصل فيستتاب، فإن تاب وإلا قتل، وهل يقتل كافرًا أو مرتدًا أو فاسقًا، على قولين =