Adapted from the book “Namaz-e-Mustafa ﷺ” by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi
He who abandons Salah is deemed a mushrik (polytheist).
The evidence is the statement of Allah:
مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿٣١﴾ (Surah Ar-Rum: 31)
In the exegesis of this verse, the Hadith from Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه states:
"ترك الصلاة شرك."
“Abandoning Salah is shirk.”
(References: Musannaf Abdur Razzaq 5009, Kitab as-Salat by al-Marwazi 889, Usul al-Sunnah al-Tabarani 1513, Musnad Ahmad 3/389, 15183)
Similar narrations from Sayyiduna Jabir and others emphasize:
“Indeed, between a man and shirk/kufr is the abandonment of Salah.”
(Sahih Muslim 247, Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2619)
“Between a person and disbelief is abandoning the prayer.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2618, Ibn Majah 1078)
The Companions held unanimous consensus:
“The Companions of Muhammad ﷺ did not consider the abandonment of any deed to be disbelief except for Salah.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2622, Sahih at-Targhib 1/227, 564)
Statements of Sahabah like Ali, Ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn Abbas, Jabir, and Tabi‘in affirm this ruling.
“One who abandons Salah has no religion.”
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar narrated from the Prophet ﷺ:
“There is no religion for the one who has no Salah.”
(Al-Mu'jam as-Saghir al-Tabarani 60)
“There is no Islam for the one who does not pray.”
(Kitab as-Salat, 930)
(Sahih at-Targhib)
Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ said:
“There is no faith for the one who does not pray.”
“Do not abandon obligatory prayers intentionally, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is lifted from him.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 4034, Mishkat al-Masabih 1580)
إِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ (Surah An-Nisa: 142)
They stand for Salah lazily, just to be seen by people.
(Also supported by Tafsir of Dr. Luqman Salafi and Hafiz Ibn Mardawayh)
“One who preserves Salah, it will be light, proof, and salvation for him on the Day of Judgment. The one who does not, he will be resurrected with Qarun, Fir‘awn, Haman, and Ubayy bin Khalaf.”
(Musnad Ahmad 6576, Sunan ad-Darimi 301, Ibn Hibban 1467)
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾ (Surah Al-Muddaththir: 48)
“Whoever misses the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds are nullified.”
(Sahih Bukhari 553)
He also said:
“The one who misses ‘Asr, it is as if his family and wealth were destroyed.”
(Sunan ad-Darimi 1266)
“We were not among those who prayed.”
— the first reason given by the people of Hell.
② Declared as kufr (disbelief)
③ Considered shirk (polytheism)
④ Sign of nifaq (hypocrisy)
⑤ Equivalent to denial of the religion
⑥ One is raised with tyrants on the Day of Judgment
⑦ No share in Islam or Iman
⑧ One is deemed fasiq and fajir
⑨ Denied Allah’s protection
⑩ Prayerlessness is a sign of arrogance
⑪ Deeds are rendered void
⑫ Intercession is denied
⑬ Leads directly to Hell
❖ The Ruling on Abandoning Salah
◇ Salah and Shirk:He who abandons Salah is deemed a mushrik (polytheist).
The evidence is the statement of Allah:
مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿٣١﴾ (Surah Ar-Rum: 31)
In the exegesis of this verse, the Hadith from Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه states:
"ترك الصلاة شرك."
“Abandoning Salah is shirk.”
(References: Musannaf Abdur Razzaq 5009, Kitab as-Salat by al-Marwazi 889, Usul al-Sunnah al-Tabarani 1513, Musnad Ahmad 3/389, 15183)
Similar narrations from Sayyiduna Jabir and others emphasize:
“Indeed, between a man and shirk/kufr is the abandonment of Salah.”
(Sahih Muslim 247, Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2619)
❖ Abandoning Salah Equals Kufr
The Prophet ﷺ said:“Between a person and disbelief is abandoning the prayer.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2618, Ibn Majah 1078)
The Companions held unanimous consensus:
“The Companions of Muhammad ﷺ did not consider the abandonment of any deed to be disbelief except for Salah.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2622, Sahih at-Targhib 1/227, 564)
Statements of Sahabah like Ali, Ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn Abbas, Jabir, and Tabi‘in affirm this ruling.
❖ No Religion or Faith Without Salah
Narrations from Sahabah like Ibn Mas‘ud and Ibn ‘Amr clearly declare:“One who abandons Salah has no religion.”
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar narrated from the Prophet ﷺ:
“There is no religion for the one who has no Salah.”
(Al-Mu'jam as-Saghir al-Tabarani 60)
❖ No Share in Islam for One Who Abandons Salah
Sayyiduna ‘Umar رضي الله عنه declared:“There is no Islam for the one who does not pray.”
(Kitab as-Salat, 930)
❖ Salah is the Boundary Between Faith and Disbelief
When asked about the defining line between faith and disbelief, Sayyiduna Jabir responded: "Salah."(Sahih at-Targhib)
Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ said:
“There is no faith for the one who does not pray.”
❖ Divine Protection is Lifted From the One Who Abandons Salah
The Prophet ﷺ advised Sayyiduna Abu Darda’:“Do not abandon obligatory prayers intentionally, for whoever does so, Allah’s protection is lifted from him.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 4034, Mishkat al-Masabih 1580)
❖ Hypocrisy and Arrogance of the One Who Neglects Salah
Allah said regarding the hypocrites:إِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ (Surah An-Nisa: 142)
They stand for Salah lazily, just to be seen by people.
(Also supported by Tafsir of Dr. Luqman Salafi and Hafiz Ibn Mardawayh)
❖ The Fate of the One Who Abandons Salah
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar narrated the Prophet ﷺ said:“One who preserves Salah, it will be light, proof, and salvation for him on the Day of Judgment. The one who does not, he will be resurrected with Qarun, Fir‘awn, Haman, and Ubayy bin Khalaf.”
(Musnad Ahmad 6576, Sunan ad-Darimi 301, Ibn Hibban 1467)
❖ The Abandoner of Salah is Denied Intercession
Allah said:فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾ (Surah Al-Muddaththir: 48)
❖ Destruction of Deeds and Worldly Loss
The Prophet ﷺ said:“Whoever misses the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds are nullified.”
(Sahih Bukhari 553)
He also said:
“The one who misses ‘Asr, it is as if his family and wealth were destroyed.”
(Sunan ad-Darimi 1266)
❖ Final Destination of the One Who Abandons Salah
قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٤٣﴾ (Surah Al-Muddaththir: 43)“We were not among those who prayed.”
— the first reason given by the people of Hell.
❖ Summary: Major Consequences of Abandoning Salah
① Leads to destruction and ruin② Declared as kufr (disbelief)
③ Considered shirk (polytheism)
④ Sign of nifaq (hypocrisy)
⑤ Equivalent to denial of the religion
⑥ One is raised with tyrants on the Day of Judgment
⑦ No share in Islam or Iman
⑧ One is deemed fasiq and fajir
⑨ Denied Allah’s protection
⑩ Prayerlessness is a sign of arrogance
⑪ Deeds are rendered void
⑫ Intercession is denied
⑬ Leads directly to Hell
