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مسند الشهاب
Musnad Shihab
Hadiths 201 to 400
بَيْنَ الْعَبْدِ وَبَيْنِ الْكُفْرِ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِBetween a servant and disbelief is abandoning prayer
Hadith 267
اُردوEn
267 - وَأَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السَّدُوسِيُّ، أبنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الرَّازِيُّ، ثنا مِقْدَامُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الرُّعَيْنِيُّ، ثنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ الْمَخْزُومِيُّ، ثنا سُفْيَانُ هُوَ الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «بَيْنَ الْعَبْدِ وَبَيْنَ الْكُفْرِ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ»
Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Between a servant and disbelief is (the act of) abandoning prayer."
Brief Explanation
Explanation:
From these ahadith, the importance of prayer (salah) can be well understood, as it has been declared the dividing line between disbelief (kufr) and Islam. Whoever does not perform prayer enters the realm of disbelief. In one hadith, it is stated: “The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has surely committed disbelief.” [الترمذي : 2631، ، صحيح]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also said: “Whoever safeguards the prayer, it will be for him a light, a proof, and salvation on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever does not safeguard it, then on the Day of Resurrection there will be no light, no proof, and no salvation for him, and he will be with Qarun, Fir‘awn, Haman, and Ubayy ibn Khalaf (i.e., with disbelievers).” [أحمد : 129/2 ، حسن]
The Tabi‘i Abdullah ibn Shaqiq says: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah used to consider abandoning prayer as disbelief among all deeds. [الترمذي : 2622 ، صحيح]
Allah Ta‘ala has also said:
﴿وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ (ar-Rum: 31)
“And establish prayer and do not be among the polytheists.”
Here, the command to observe prayer has been given, and along with it, it is said not to be among the polytheists, because polytheists do not perform prayer, whereas a believer cannot even think of abandoning it. If someone abandons prayer without a valid Islamic excuse, he will be among the polytheists, because following one’s desires is also a form of shirk (polytheism), and the one who abandons prayer follows his desires. Thus, abandoning prayer is also, in a way, a form of shirk. In one narration, it is stated: “Indeed, between a servant and shirk is the abandonment of prayer.” [مسلم : 82]
The scholars say that there are three scenarios regarding abandoning prayer:
① To outright deny prayer, i.e., to believe that prayer is not a part of the religion—such a person is, by consensus, a disbeliever (kafir) and apostate (murtad).
② To abandon prayer out of forgetfulness—such a person is, by consensus, not a disbeliever; the ruling for him is that when he remembers, he should perform the prayer.
③ To deliberately abandon prayer while still believing in its obligation, as is the case with the majority among us—regarding such a person, there is a difference of opinion:
✿ According to the majority, such a person is a disbeliever and apostate.
✿ Such a person is a transgressor (fasiq), wicked (fajir), and a grave sinner; he is not a disbeliever in belief, but in practice he is as if a disbeliever. And Allah knows best.
From these ahadith, the importance of prayer (salah) can be well understood, as it has been declared the dividing line between disbelief (kufr) and Islam. Whoever does not perform prayer enters the realm of disbelief. In one hadith, it is stated: “The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has surely committed disbelief.” [الترمذي : 2631، ، صحيح]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also said: “Whoever safeguards the prayer, it will be for him a light, a proof, and salvation on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever does not safeguard it, then on the Day of Resurrection there will be no light, no proof, and no salvation for him, and he will be with Qarun, Fir‘awn, Haman, and Ubayy ibn Khalaf (i.e., with disbelievers).” [أحمد : 129/2 ، حسن]
The Tabi‘i Abdullah ibn Shaqiq says: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah used to consider abandoning prayer as disbelief among all deeds. [الترمذي : 2622 ، صحيح]
Allah Ta‘ala has also said:
﴿وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ (ar-Rum: 31)
“And establish prayer and do not be among the polytheists.”
Here, the command to observe prayer has been given, and along with it, it is said not to be among the polytheists, because polytheists do not perform prayer, whereas a believer cannot even think of abandoning it. If someone abandons prayer without a valid Islamic excuse, he will be among the polytheists, because following one’s desires is also a form of shirk (polytheism), and the one who abandons prayer follows his desires. Thus, abandoning prayer is also, in a way, a form of shirk. In one narration, it is stated: “Indeed, between a servant and shirk is the abandonment of prayer.” [مسلم : 82]
The scholars say that there are three scenarios regarding abandoning prayer:
① To outright deny prayer, i.e., to believe that prayer is not a part of the religion—such a person is, by consensus, a disbeliever (kafir) and apostate (murtad).
② To abandon prayer out of forgetfulness—such a person is, by consensus, not a disbeliever; the ruling for him is that when he remembers, he should perform the prayer.
③ To deliberately abandon prayer while still believing in its obligation, as is the case with the majority among us—regarding such a person, there is a difference of opinion:
✿ According to the majority, such a person is a disbeliever and apostate.
✿ Such a person is a transgressor (fasiq), wicked (fajir), and a grave sinner; he is not a disbeliever in belief, but in practice he is as if a disbeliever. And Allah knows best.
