❖ Detailed Analysis of 7 Evidences on Apostasy Due to Abandoning Salah ❖
Source: Fatawa Ilmiyyah, Volume 1, Kitab al-Salah, Page 389
Topic: Scholarly Review of the Hadith Regarding Leaving Prayer and Exiting the Fold of Islam
"فمن تركها متعمداً فقد خرج من الملة"
(Al-Targhib wal-Tarhib: 797, Majma‘ al-Zawa’id 4/216)
Meaning: Whoever deliberately abandons prayer has exited the fold of the religion (Islam).
Imam Ṭabarāni رحمه الله narrates this Hadith as:
“Ḥaddathanā Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-‘Allāf, ḥaddathanā Sa‘īd ibn Abī Maryam, ḥaddathanā Nāfi‘ ibn Yazīd, ḥaddathanā Sikkīn ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, from Yazīd ibn Qawdhir, from Salamah ibn Sharīḥ, from ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed us in seven matters:
◈ Do not associate partners with Allah, even if you are cut to pieces.
◈ Whoever does, has left the religion.
◈ Do not commit sins, for they incur the wrath of Allah.
◈ Do not go near alcohol, for it is the root of all sins.
◈ Do not flee from death or battle.
◈ Do not disobey your parents, even if they command you to abandon all worldly possessions.
◈ Do not abandon discipline in your household, and treat them justly.”
(Jāmi‘ al-Masānīd wal-Sunan by Ibn Kathīr, 7/119, Ḥadīth 4867)
◈ Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī: Ta‘ẓīm Qadr al-Ṣalāh 2/889, Ḥadīth 920
◈ Imām Bukhārī: Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 4/75 (in brief)
◈ Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī: Tafsīr 5/1414, Ḥadīth 8058 (in brief)
◈ Hibatullāh al-Kalā’ī: Sharḥ Uṣūl I‘tiqād Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah 4/822–823, Ḥadīth 1522
◈ Sa‘īd ibn Abī Maryam al-Miṣrī: Thiqah, reliable, and jurist
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 2286)
◈ Ḥāfiẓ Ḍiyā’ al-Maqdisī declared this Hadith authentic in Al-Aḥādīth al-Mukhtārah (4/287–288, Ḥadīth 350, 351)
◈ Imām Bukhārī commented:
"لا يعرف إسناده" — Its chain is not well-known.
◈ Salamah ibn Sharīḥ:
— Mentioned in Kitāb al-Thiqāt by Ibn Ḥibbān (4/318)
— Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī: “Unknown” (Mīzān al-I‘tidāl 2/190, T3402)
He graded the narration as weak, refuting the view of the three commentators of Al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb:
“There is no supporting narration for the clause 'خرج من الملة’ and others. Even some contemporary authors — presumed to be knowledgeable — have erred similarly.”
(Ḍa‘īf al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb, 1/161, under Ḥadīth 300)
“My beloved ﷺ advised me: Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut and burned. Do not abandon the prescribed prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is withdrawn from him…”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah: 4034/3371)
Status: Hasan — as affirmed by al-Būṣayrī and al-Albānī
“Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are burned… And do not abandon Salah deliberately. Whoever does so incurs Allah’s wrath and his abode is Hell.”
(Ṭabarānī in Al-Kabīr 24/190, Ḥadīth 479; Majma‘ al-Zawā’id 4/217)
Note: Some weakness due to Yazīd ibn Sinān al-Rahāwī; other narrators are reliable.
“Whoever deliberately leaves a prescribed prayer, the covenant of Allah is withdrawn from him.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 5/238, Ḥadīth 22425)
Status: Munqaṭi‘ (Disconnected) — ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Jubayr did not hear from Mu‘ādh
(Al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb 1/383, Ḥadīth 7–8)
“Do not abandon prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is withdrawn from him.”
(Musnad ‘Abd ibn Ḥumayd, 1592; Aḥmad 6/421, Ḥadīth 27908; Bayhaqī 7/304)
Status: Munqaṭi‘ (Disconnected) — Makḥūl did not meet Umm Ayman
(Al-Iṣābah 4/243, T112 — Ibn al-Sakan)
“Do not abandon prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, the protection of Allah and His Messenger is withdrawn from him.”
(Ittiḥāf al-Sādah al-Muttaqīn 2/392)
Status: Chain of transmission is missing → Rejected
This explicit phrase — “has exited the religion” — appears only in the narration of ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit رضي الله عنه.
Other narrations mention the loss of Allah’s protection or Divine wrath, but not exiting the religion.
“Whoever deliberately abandons Salah has committed open disbelief.”
(Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsaṭ by Ṭabarānī 4/211, Ḥadīth 3376)
◈ Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad al-Firyābī: Reliable (Thiqah), Proof-worthy
(Tārīkh Baghdād 7/200, T3665)
◈ Muḥammad ibn Abī Dāwūd al-Anbārī: Unknown status
(Most likely not Ibn Abī Dāwūd al-Ḥarrānī)
◈ Hāshim ibn al-Qāsim: Thiqah, Proven (Taqrīb: 7256)
◈ Abū Ja‘far al-Rāzī: Hasan al-Ḥadīth, but weak in narrating from Rabī‘ ibn Anas
◈ Rabī‘ ibn Anas: Hasan al-Ḥadīth (Nayl al-Maqṣūd 1/47, Ḥadīth 1182)
◈ Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه: Companion of the Prophet ﷺ
Conclusion:
This narration is weak.
These words apply to the one who completely abandons Salah — i.e., never prays at all.
Such a person is considered outside the fold of Islam.
However, one who occasionally misses prayers out of laziness or neglect is not included in this ruling.
❖ Final Statement:
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatawa Ilmiyyah, Volume 1, Kitab al-Salah, Page 389
Topic: Scholarly Review of the Hadith Regarding Leaving Prayer and Exiting the Fold of Islam
✦ The Core Hadith:
"فمن تركها متعمداً فقد خرج من الملة"
(Al-Targhib wal-Tarhib: 797, Majma‘ al-Zawa’id 4/216)
Meaning: Whoever deliberately abandons prayer has exited the fold of the religion (Islam).
✿ Takhrij (Source Verification) of the Hadith:
Imam Ṭabarāni رحمه الله narrates this Hadith as:
“Ḥaddathanā Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-‘Allāf, ḥaddathanā Sa‘īd ibn Abī Maryam, ḥaddathanā Nāfi‘ ibn Yazīd, ḥaddathanā Sikkīn ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, from Yazīd ibn Qawdhir, from Salamah ibn Sharīḥ, from ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed us in seven matters:
◈ Do not associate partners with Allah, even if you are cut to pieces.
◈ Whoever does, has left the religion.
◈ Do not commit sins, for they incur the wrath of Allah.
◈ Do not go near alcohol, for it is the root of all sins.
◈ Do not flee from death or battle.
◈ Do not disobey your parents, even if they command you to abandon all worldly possessions.
◈ Do not abandon discipline in your household, and treat them justly.”
(Jāmi‘ al-Masānīd wal-Sunan by Ibn Kathīr, 7/119, Ḥadīth 4867)
✿ Other Sources of the Hadith:
◈ Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī: Ta‘ẓīm Qadr al-Ṣalāh 2/889, Ḥadīth 920
◈ Imām Bukhārī: Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 4/75 (in brief)
◈ Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī: Tafsīr 5/1414, Ḥadīth 8058 (in brief)
◈ Hibatullāh al-Kalā’ī: Sharḥ Uṣūl I‘tiqād Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah 4/822–823, Ḥadīth 1522
✿ Evaluation of Narrators:
◈ Sa‘īd ibn Abī Maryam al-Miṣrī: Thiqah, reliable, and jurist
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 2286)
◈ Ḥāfiẓ Ḍiyā’ al-Maqdisī declared this Hadith authentic in Al-Aḥādīth al-Mukhtārah (4/287–288, Ḥadīth 350, 351)
◈ Imām Bukhārī commented:
"لا يعرف إسناده" — Its chain is not well-known.
◈ Salamah ibn Sharīḥ:
— Mentioned in Kitāb al-Thiqāt by Ibn Ḥibbān (4/318)
— Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī: “Unknown” (Mīzān al-I‘tidāl 2/190, T3402)
✿ Commentary by Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله:
He graded the narration as weak, refuting the view of the three commentators of Al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb:
“There is no supporting narration for the clause 'خرج من الملة’ and others. Even some contemporary authors — presumed to be knowledgeable — have erred similarly.”
(Ḍa‘īf al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb, 1/161, under Ḥadīth 300)
❖ Detailed Analysis of Supporting Evidences (Shawāhid):
➊ Hadith of Abū al-Dardā’ رضي الله عنه:
“My beloved ﷺ advised me: Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut and burned. Do not abandon the prescribed prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is withdrawn from him…”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah: 4034/3371)
Status: Hasan — as affirmed by al-Būṣayrī and al-Albānī
➋ Hadith of Umaymah رضي الله عنها (a freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ):
“Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are burned… And do not abandon Salah deliberately. Whoever does so incurs Allah’s wrath and his abode is Hell.”
(Ṭabarānī in Al-Kabīr 24/190, Ḥadīth 479; Majma‘ al-Zawā’id 4/217)
Note: Some weakness due to Yazīd ibn Sinān al-Rahāwī; other narrators are reliable.
➌ Hadith of Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه:
“Whoever deliberately leaves a prescribed prayer, the covenant of Allah is withdrawn from him.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 5/238, Ḥadīth 22425)
Status: Munqaṭi‘ (Disconnected) — ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Jubayr did not hear from Mu‘ādh
(Al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb 1/383, Ḥadīth 7–8)
➍ Hadith of Umm Ayman رضي الله عنها:
“Do not abandon prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is withdrawn from him.”
(Musnad ‘Abd ibn Ḥumayd, 1592; Aḥmad 6/421, Ḥadīth 27908; Bayhaqī 7/304)
Status: Munqaṭi‘ (Disconnected) — Makḥūl did not meet Umm Ayman
(Al-Iṣābah 4/243, T112 — Ibn al-Sakan)
➎ Hadith of Abū Rayḥānah رضي الله عنه:
“Do not abandon prayer deliberately, for whoever does so, the protection of Allah and His Messenger is withdrawn from him.”
(Ittiḥāf al-Sādah al-Muttaqīn 2/392)
Status: Chain of transmission is missing → Rejected
❖ The Key Phrase: "فقد خرج من الملة"
This explicit phrase — “has exited the religion” — appears only in the narration of ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit رضي الله عنه.
Other narrations mention the loss of Allah’s protection or Divine wrath, but not exiting the religion.
✿ Supporting Report from Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsaṭ:
“Whoever deliberately abandons Salah has committed open disbelief.”
(Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsaṭ by Ṭabarānī 4/211, Ḥadīth 3376)
✿ Analysis of the Narrators:
◈ Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad al-Firyābī: Reliable (Thiqah), Proof-worthy
(Tārīkh Baghdād 7/200, T3665)
◈ Muḥammad ibn Abī Dāwūd al-Anbārī: Unknown status
(Most likely not Ibn Abī Dāwūd al-Ḥarrānī)
◈ Hāshim ibn al-Qāsim: Thiqah, Proven (Taqrīb: 7256)
◈ Abū Ja‘far al-Rāzī: Hasan al-Ḥadīth, but weak in narrating from Rabī‘ ibn Anas
◈ Rabī‘ ibn Anas: Hasan al-Ḥadīth (Nayl al-Maqṣūd 1/47, Ḥadīth 1182)
◈ Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه: Companion of the Prophet ﷺ
Conclusion:
This narration is weak.
✦ Final Clarification on the Phrase: “فمن تركها متعمداً فقد خرج من الملة”
These words apply to the one who completely abandons Salah — i.e., never prays at all.
Such a person is considered outside the fold of Islam.
However, one who occasionally misses prayers out of laziness or neglect is not included in this ruling.
❖ Final Statement:
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
