Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/141)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

Others say it is the sunset prayer. Their evidence is that it consists of three units of prayer and thus has no counterpart among the prayers, and that the noon prayer is the first prayer, since it was the first prayer Gabriel led the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in when prayer was made obligatory. Hence it was called “the first.” Others say it is the Friday prayer. All this disagreement indicates—and Allah knows best—that Allah singled it out for mention while leaving its identity unspecified so that this would encourage careful observance of all the prayers, as with the Night of Decree. I believe I have read that some scholars held it to be the night prayer, but I cannot confirm this at present.

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The five daily prayers constitute one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Islam is built upon five: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakat, fasting the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House for whoever is able to undertake it.”

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Anyone who denies that prayer is obligatory is a disbeliever and is called upon to repent. If he repents, he is spared; otherwise, he is executed, and his property passes to the Muslims, as with an apostate executed for his apostasy. The scholars unanimously agree on this, with no disagreement among them. As for someone who acknowledges its obligation but deliberately abandons it without an excuse, the scholars differ concerning him, holding three positions:

The first is that he is a disbeliever and is given until the end of the prayer’s prescribed time. If he prays, he is spared; otherwise, he is executed, and his property passes to the Muslims collectively, as with an apostate. This has been related from ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, and Abū al-Dardāʾ. It is also the apparent meaning of ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb’s statement: “And whoever abandons prayer has no share in Islam.” It is the position of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishāq ibn Rāhawayh that anyone who deliberately leaves a single prayer until its prescribed time has elapsed is a disbeliever and may lawfully be put to death if he does not repent. He is called upon to repent; if he repents, he is spared; otherwise, he is executed, and his property passes to the Muslims collectively, as with an apostate executed for his apostasy.

وقيل: إنها المغرب. ودليل من ذهب إلى ذلك أنها ثلاث ركعات فلا نظير لها من الصلوات، وأن أول الصلوات الظهر؛ لأنها أول صلاة صلاها جبريل بالنبي ﷺ حين فرضت الصلاة، وبذلك سميت الأولى. وقيل: إنها الجمعة. وهذا الاختلاف كله يدل والله أعلم على أن الله خصها بالذكر وأبهمها ليكون ذلك سببا للمحافظة عليها كلها كليلة القدر. وأحسب أني قد رأيت لبعض العلماء أنها العشاء الآخرة ولا أحقق ذلك في وقتي هذا. فصل والصلوات الخمس أحد دعائم الإسلام الخمس، قال النبي ﵊: «بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله، وإقام الصلاة، وإيتاء الزكاة، وصيام شهر رمضان، وحج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلا». فصل فمن جحد فرض الصلاة فهو كافر يستتاب، فإن تاب وإلا قتل، وكان ماله للمسلمين كالمرتد إذا قتل على ردته بإجماع من أهل العلم لا اختلاف بينهم فيه. وأما من أقر بفرضها وتركها عمدا من غير عذر، فاختلف أهل العلم فيه على ثلاثة أقوال: أحدها: أنه كافر ينتظر به آخر وقت الصلاة، فإن صلى وإلا قتل، وكان ماله لجميع المسلمين كالمرتد، روي هذا عن علي بن أبي طالب وعبد الله بن عباس وجابر بن عبد الله وأبي الدرداء، وهو ظاهر قول عمر بن الخطاب: " ولاحظ في الإسلام لمن ترك الصلاة "، وهو قول أحمد بن حنبل وإسحاق بن راهويه أن من ترك صلاة واحدة متعمدا حتى يخرج وقتها فهو كافر حلال الدم إن لم يتب، ويستتاب فإن تاب وإلا قتل، وكان ماله لجميع المسلمين كالمرتد إذا قتل على ردته.