that conclusively establish that one who abandons prayer—while believing it to be obligatory—does not leave the faith and will not remain eternally in the Fire with the wicked disbelievers.

Therefore, I sincerely hope that everyone who comes across this hadith, and others with the same meaning, will reconsider declaring Muslim prayer-abandoners to be disbelievers when they believe in its obligation and affirm Allah’s oneness. Declaring a Muslim to be a disbeliever is an exceedingly grave matter, as mentioned earlier. They need only remind people of the lofty standing of prayer in Islam through what has been related concerning it in the Quran, the Prophetic hadiths, and the authentic reports from the righteous early generations. For the authority to enforce legal rulings has, regrettably, passed out of the hands of the scholars; consequently, they cannot carry out the ruling of disbelief and execution even against a single person who abandons prayer, let alone a group of such people—even in their own state, much less in other Muslim countries.

The execution of one who abandons prayer after being called to observe it was prescribed only for an evident wisdom: perhaps he will repent if he believes in its obligation. But if he chooses death over performing it, this indicates that he abandoned it out of denial; in that case, he dies a disbeliever, as was mentioned earlier from Ibn Taymiyyah. Thus, his refusal to pray in this situation is practical evidence that he has left the faith. Regrettably, there is no way to establish this today. Let the scholars, then, at least as a matter of theory, accept the position held by the majority of the imams of the Muslims: that one who abandons prayer while believing in its obligation is not to be declared a disbeliever. We have already presented the conclusive proof for this from the authentic sunnah; therefore, no one has any excuse thereafter: “So let those who disobey his command beware lest a trial afflict them or a painful punishment befall them.” [al-Nur 24:63]

I then published this study as a separate treatise entitled The Ruling on One Who Abandons Prayer, and Allah benefited whomever He willed among His servants through it. Some writers objected to its ruling that one who abandons prayer out of laziness—while believing in its obligation—is not a disbeliever, because it conflicted with their doctrinal position. In this respect, he is opposed to it; and this is an action of the heart, which Allah has guaranteed not to let be lost, as Abu Sa‘id said in