It is established in the two Sahīh collections and elsewhere, in the lengthy hadith about Allah’s manifestation narrated by Abū Hurayrah, Abū Sa‘īd, and others:
“When He, Most High, manifests Himself to His servants on the Day of Resurrection, the believers will prostrate before Him. But anyone who used to prostrate in this world for show and reputation will be left with a back as rigid as a slab, unable to prostrate.”
If this is the condition of someone who prostrated for show, what, then, of someone who never prostrated at all? It is also established in the Sahīh:
“The Fire consumes every part of the son of Adam except the places of prostration, for Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume them.”
Thus, it is known that the Fire will consume the entirety of anyone who did not prostrate to Allah. Likewise, it is established in the Sahīh:
“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will recognize his community on the Day of Resurrection by their radiant faces, hands, and feet, bearing the traces of ablution.”
This indicates that anyone without this radiance will not be recognized by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and so will not belong to his community.
And His words, Most High:
“Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while; indeed, you are criminals. Woe that Day to those who deny the truth! And when they are told, ‘Bow down,’ they do not bow down. Woe that Day to those who deny the truth!”
And His words, Most High:
“What is the matter with them that they do not believe, and when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate? Rather, those who disbelieve deny the truth. And Allah knows best what they keep hidden.”
Likewise, His words, Most High:
“He neither affirmed the truth nor prayed, but denied and turned away.”
Likewise, His words, Most High:
“‘What brought you into Saqar?’ They will say, ‘We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor. We used to indulge in vain discourse with those who did so, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, until death came to us.’”
Thus, He describes him as abandoning prayer just as He describes him as failing to affirm the truth. He also describes him as denying and turning away. The one who “turns away” is the disobedient person who refuses to obey, as He says,