Sixthly: What has come on the authority of Miḥjan Ibn Abī Miḥjan al-Daylī -رضي الله عنه- that he was in a gathering with Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم-, so the Ādhān was called for Ṣalāh. Therefore, Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- stood up, and then returned whilst Miḥjan was in his gathering. So, Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- said to him:
"ما منعَكَ أن تصلِّيَ؟ ألستَ برجلٍ مسلمٍ؟"
"What prevented you from performing Ṣalāh? Are you not a Muslim Man?"

So he replied:
"Rather (I am), but I had already performed Ṣalāh with my family."

So Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- said to him:
"إذا جئتَ فصلِّ معَ النَّاسِ وإن كنتَ قد صلَّيتَ"¹
"If you come, then perform Ṣalāh with the people even if you had performed Ṣalāh already."¹

The Aspect of the Shāhid here is: The Statement of al-Nabī -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم-,
"ألستَ برجلٍ مسلمٍ؟"
"Are you not a Muslim Man?"
So he made the scale of the Islām of the servant to be: Ṣalāh, as in the one who is Muslim does not abandon Ṣalāh, and this is with the dalālah according to his statement:
"ألستَ برجلٍ مسلمٍ؟"
"Are you not a Muslim Man?"

---------------------------------------------------
1- Reported by Aḥmad in his Musnad (26/320), Dār al-Risālah print, and al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī -رحمه الله- said in Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (1/363): Ṣaḥīḥ.

[End of Footnotes]

[Page 44 Arabic]

Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr -رحمه الله- said in "Al-Tamhīd" (3/318):

"And in this, and Allāh knows best, is evidence that the one who doesn't perform Ṣalah is not a Muslim, even if he were a Muwaḥḥid. And this is a place of differing between the people of knowledge. And the declaration of this speech in this Ḥadīth is that one is not a Muslim, except if he performs Ṣalāh. So, the one whosoever doesn't perform Ṣalāh is not a Muslim." End of Speech.

And al-ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim said in "Al-Ṣalāt" (1/78):

"So, he made Ṣalāh the differentiator between between the Muslim and the Kāfir. And you will find below the wording of the Ḥadīth:
"إنَّك لو كنت مسلمًا لصلَّيْت"
"If you were a Muslim, you would have performed Ṣalāh."
And this is like you say: What is with you that you do not talk? Are you not able to speak! I what is with you that you do not move? Are you not alive? And if Islām were to be established without Ṣalāh, he would not have said to the one who he saw who didn't perform Ṣalāh:
"ألستَ برجلٍ مسلمٍ؟"
"Are you not a Muslim Man?"." End of Speech.

I say: the Ḥadīth has come with other wordings, but I did not find this wording which Ibn al-Qayyim -رحمه الله- mentioned.

So how can there be Īmān with a person with his abandonment of Ṣalāh which is a column of the religion, and it has come with regards to the encouragement of performing it, that which necessitates every intellectual Muʾmin to carry it out and haste towards performing it?! And it has come with regards to the threatening for abandoning it, that which necessitates every intellectual Muʾmin to be vary of abandoning it and wasting it. So, abandoning it with the establishment of this necessity causes no Īmān to be left with the abandoner." End of Speech.

[Pages 42 to 43 of the Arabic PDF]

[Page 42 Arabic]

Fifthly: It has come on the authority Abū al-Dardāʾ-رضي الله عنه- who said: My Khalīl (close friend) -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- gave me waṣiyyah (admonishment) that:
"لاَ تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا، وَإِنْ قُطِّعْتَ وَحُرِّقْتَ، وَلاَ تَتْرُكْ صَلاَةً مَكْتُوبَةً مُتَعَمِّدًا، فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَقَدْ بَرِئَتْ مِنْهُ الذِّمَّةُ، وَلاَ تَشْرَبِ الْخَمْرَ، فَإِنَّهَا مِفْتَاحُ كُلِّ شَرٍّ".¹

"You don't commit Shirk with Allāh, even if you are cut and burned, and that you don't abandon the prescribed Ṣalāh intentionally, for whosoever abandons it intentionally, then the protection (of Allāh) is removed from him, and you don't drink Khamr, for it is the key to all evils."¹

And it has come on the authority of Muʿādh -رضي الله عنه-, who said: Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- gave me waṣiyyah with ten statements. He said:

«لَا تُشْرِكْ بِالله شَيْئًا، وَإِنْ قُتِلْتَ وَحُرِّقْتَ، وَلَا تَعُقَّنَّ وَالِدَيْكَ، وَإِنْ أَمَرَاكَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ وَمَالِكَ ، وَلَا تَتْرُكَنَّ صَلَاةً مَكْتُوبَةً مُتَعَمِّدًا، فَإِنَّ مَنْ تَرَكَ صَلَاةً مَكْتُوبَةً مُتَعَمِّدًا، فَقَدْ بَرِئَتْ مِنْهُ ذِمَّةُ الله، وَلَا تَشْرَبَنَّ خَمْرًا، فَإِنَّهُ رَأْسُ كُلَّ فَاحِشَةٍ، وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْمُعْصِيَةَ، فَإِنَّ بِالْمُعْصِيَةِ حَلَّ سَخَطُ اللَّهَ عَزَّوَجَلٌ وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْفِرَارَ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ، وَإِنْ هَلَكَ النَّاسُ، وَإِذَا أَصَابَ النَّاسَ مُوتَانٌ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَاثْبُتْ، وَأَنْفِقْ عَلَى عِيَالِكَ مِنْ طَوْلِكَ، وَلَا تَرْفَعْ عَنْهُمْ عَصَاكَ أَدَبًا، وَأَخِفْهُمْ فِي اللَّه»²

"You don't commit Shirk with Allāh, even if you are killed and burned, and you do not be undutiful to your parents, even if they order you to exit your family and your wealth, and you do not abandon the prescribed Ṣalāh intentionally, for indeed whosoever abandons the prescribed Ṣalāh, then the safety of Allāh is removed from him, and you don't drink Khamr, for it is the head of every Fāḥishah, and upon you is to be wary of disobedience, for indeed disobedience causes the Wrath of Allāh عز وجل to be allowed (unleashed), and upon you is to be wary of fleeing from the battlefield, even if the people are destroyed, and if the people are inflicted with plague and you are amongst them, then be firm, and spend on your family from your efforts, and do not raise your staff on them as a form of discipline, and be lenient with them for Allāh."²

Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim said in "Al-Ṣalāt" (1/72):

"If he were to remain upon his Islām, then for him would be the safety of Islām." End of Speech.

And Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿUthaymīn -رحمه الله- said, as in "Majmūʿ Fatāwā Ibn ʿUthaymīn" (12/120):

"So it clarifies by that, that carrying over the Nuṣūṣ over the one one who abandons it whilst rejecting it is not correct. And what's correct is that the abandoner of Ṣalāh is a Kāfir with the Kufr that expels oke from the religion, as that has come explicitly in [and he mentioned this Ḥadīth of ʿUbādah, and then said:] Also, if we were to carry it over the abandonement of rejection, then there would be no benefit of specifying Ṣalāh in the Nuṣūs, because the ruling is general for Ṣalāh, Zakāt, and Ḥajj from that whose obligation is known by necessity in the religion. So whosoever, abandons from them one whilst rejecting its obligation, then he falls into Kufr, if he was not excused due to ignorance.

---------------------------------------------------
1- Reported by Ibn Mājah, no. (4034), and it has been declared as Ḥasan Lighayrihī by al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī -رحمه الله- in "Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb Wa al-Tarhīb" (1/369).

2- Reported by Aḥmad in his Musnad, no. (21569) and it has been declared as Ḥasan Lighayrihī by al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī -رحمه الله- in "Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb Wa al-Tarhīb", no. (570).

[End of Footnotes]

[Page 43 Arabic]

And just as the Kufr of the abandoner of Ṣalāh necessitates samʿī (auditive) Atharī (narrative) evidence, then it also necessitates the ʿaqlī (intellectual) naẓrī (visual) evidence.

❗️An advice for all that put themselves forward for Da'wah and teaching in the knowledgebased centres of Ahlussunnah❗️****

By: Shaykh Abul Mundhir 'Ammaar Al-Hawbaani
-may Allah preserve him-

___
Translated by:
Abu 'Abdirrahman 'Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani
Edited and PDF made by:
Abu Ibraaheem Abubakar bin Edward al-Ghaani
-may Allah reward him with good-
t.me/ShingaaniPublications

Fourthly: What has come on the authority of Anas Ibn Mālik -رضي الله عنه- who said: Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- said:

"مَنْ صَلَّى صَلاَتَنَا، وَاسْتَقْبَلَ قِبْلَتَنَا، وَأَكَلَ ذَبِيحَتَنَا، فَذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِمُ الَّذِي لَهُ ذِمَّةُ اللَّهِ وَذِمَّةُ رَسُولِهِ، فَلاَ تُخْفِرُوا اللَّهَ فِي ذِمَّتِهِ"².

"Whosoever Performs our Ṣalāhs, faces our Qiblah, and eats our slaughtered meat, then that is a Muslim who is under the protection of Allāh and His Messenger. So, do not betray Allāh regarding His protection."²

Shaykh al-Islām -رحمه الله- said in "Al-Fatāwā" (7/613):

"And also, indeed the distinctive symbol of the Muslims is Ṣalāh, and for this reason, they are described by it, so it is said: the People of Ṣalāh differed and the people of the Qiblah differed, and the authors which write the statements of the Muslims say: -The statements of the Islamists, and the differing of those that perform Ṣalāh- and it comes in the Ṣaḥīḥ:
"مَنْ صَلَّى صَلاَتَنَا؛ وَاسْتَقْبَلَ قِبْلَتَنَا؛ وَأَكَلَ ذَبِيحَتَنَا؛ فَذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِمُ لَهُ مَا لَنَا؛ وَعَلَيْهِ مَا عَلَيْنَا"³
"Whosoever performs our Ṣalāh, faces our Qiblah, and eats our slaughtered meat, then that is a Muslim, for him is what is for us, and upon him is what is upon us."³" End of Speech.

---------------------------------------------------
2- Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. (391).

3- Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. (391).

[End of Footnotes]

[Page 41 Arabic]

And Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim -رحمه الله- said in "Al-Ṣalāt" (1/75):

"And the aspect of Dalālah in it is from two aspects:

First of them: He has indeed made him a Muslim with these three, so he doesn't become a Muslim without them.

The Second: If he performs Ṣalāh towards the east, then he is not a Muslim until he performs Ṣalāh facing the Qiblah of the Muslims, so how about if he abandons Ṣalāh entirely!" End of Speech.

Here there is some beautiful speech which is suitable to be quoted at this place and the speech is of al-Imām Abī ʿUbayd al-Qāsim Ibn Sallām in "Al-Īmān" (pg. 14). He said:

"At the change of the Qiblah to the Kaʿbah, if the Ṣaḥābah had refused to pray towards it and clung to the Īmān that necessitated them to be termed Muʾminīn, and held on to the Qiblah they used to perform Ṣalāh towards, it (i.e., the ratification of Īmān) would not have benefited them in the least and would have been contrary to their ratification of Īmān. The first obedience is not more deserving of being termed Īmān than the later obedience (of performing Ṣalāh towards the Kaʿbah). So when they answered the call of Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ, accepting the change of Qiblah in Ṣalāh, similar to their acceptance of the ratification of Īmān, all of it became Īmān that day due to the connection of Ṣalāh to the ratification.

And the Shāhid that Ṣalāh is from Īmān is the statement of Allāh عز وجل:
{وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ}
{And Allāh would never make your Īmān (Ṣalāhs) to be lost (i.e. your Ṣalāhs offered towards Jerusalem). Truly, Allāh is full of Kindness, the Most Merciful towards mankind.}
[Al-Baqarah: 143]

And this (Āyah) was revealed for those who passed away from the Ṣaḥābah of Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم-, whilst they were upon performing Ṣalāh towards Bayt al-Maqdis. So Rasūl Allāh -صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم- was asked. Therefore, this Āyah was revealed.

So which Shāhid is required after this Āyah to say that Ṣalāh is from Īmān?" End of Speech.

[Pages 40 to 41 of the Arabic PDF]

Arabic PDF of the book

"Wallāhi, I will not say to you a word. If you were truthful, then you are exalted in my eyes for me to reject you. And if you were a liar, then you are worthless for me to speak to you."

[Page 20 Arabic]

As for Kufr al-Shakk, then if he is not certainly validated or belied, but his affair is doubted in.

And his doubt doesn't continue except if he compels himself to turning away from looking at Ayāt of his truthfulness in an absolute manner. So he doesn't listen to them or care for it.

As for with his paying attention to them and looking at them, then doubt doesn't remain with him, because they necessitate truthfulness, and especially considering all of it (the evidences), for its dalālah upon truthfulness is like the dalālah of the sun upon the day time.

As for Kufr al-Nifāq, then if Īmān is seen from his tongue, and takdhīb (belying) is concealed in his heart.
So this is Nifāq al-Akbar, and clarification of its types will come, in Shāʾ Allāh." End of speech.

[Page 18-20 of the Arabic PDF]

[Page 18 Arabic]

The Fourth Chapter: The Ruling of the one who abandons Ṣalāh

The First Discussion: The Ruling of the one who abandons Ṣalāh rejecting it

You will find in the books of the people of knowledge expressing themselves by saying, "The one who abandons Ṣalāh rejecting it". This means, abandong it whilst turning away, with arrogance and being stubborn whilst inwardly believing it, and acknowledging this right which Allāh made Wājib and Farḍ upon him.

Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim -رحمه الله- said in "Madārij al-Sālikīn" (1/520):

"As for Kufr Akbar (Major disbelief), then it is of five types: Kufr Takdhīb (Kufr by belying), Kufr Istikbār Wa al-Ibāʾ Maʿa al-Taṣdīq (Kufr by refusing and beig arrogant, whilst recognising it to be the truth), Kufr Iʿrāḍ (Kufr by turning away), and Kufr Nifāq (Kufr by hypocrisy).

As for Kufr al-Takdhīb, then it is the belief of belying the Messenger.
And this category is small in the Kuffār, for Allāh تعالى aided His Messengers, and gave them Barāhīn and Āyāt upon their truthfulness, with which the proof is established and excuse is removed.

Allāh تعالى said about the people of Firʿawn:

{وَجَحَدُوا۟ بِهَا وَٱسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًۭا وَعُلُوًّۭا ۚ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ}
{And they belied them (those Āyāt) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their ownselves were convinced thereof. So see what was the end of the Mufsidūn.}
[Al-Naml: 14]

And He said to His Messenger -صلى الله عليه وسلم-:

{فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ}
{it is not you that they deny, but it is the Āyāt (the Qurʾān) of Allāh that the Ẓālimūn (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny.}
[Al-Anʿām: 33]

And even if this is named as Kufr Takdhīb as well, then it is correct, as it is Takdhīb with the tongue.

As for Kufr al-Ibāʾ Wa al-Istikbār, then it is the like of the Kufr of Iblīs, for he did not deny the command of Allāh, and neither did he face it with rejection. Rather, he received it with refusing and pride.

[Page 19 Arabic]

And from this: Kufr of the one who knows the truthfulness of the Messenger and that he came with the truth from Allāh, and he doesn't scrutinise it, refusing it and acting in pride.

And this is mostly the Kufr of the enemies of the Messengers, as Allāh تعالى told about Firʿawn and his people:

{فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَـٰبِدُونَ}
{They said: "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility (and we use them to serve us as we like)."}
[Al-Muʾminūn: 47]

And the statement of the nations to their Messengers:

{قَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا}
{They said: "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship.}
[Ibrāhīm: 10]

And His statement:

{كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا}
{Thamūd denied (their Prophet) through their transgression}
[Al-Shams: 11]

And it is the Kufr of the Jews, as He تعالى said:

{فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا۟ كَفَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ۚ}
{then when there came to them that which they had recognised, they disbelieved in it.}
[Al-Baqarah: 89]

And He said:

{ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ ۖ}
{Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him as they recognise their sons.}
[Al-Baqarah: 146]

And it is the Kufr of Abū Ṭālib as well, for he validated him and did not doubt his truthfulness. However, exaltation and glorification of his forefathers overcame him, that he does not turns away from their religion, and bears witness over them with Kufr.

As for Kufr al-Iʿrāḍ, then if he turns away with his hearing and his heart from the Messenger, not validating him, not belying him, not allying with him nor antagonising him, and he does not at all lend his ear to what he has come with, as a man from Banī Yā Layl said to al-Nabī ﷺ:

❗️Update:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Virtuous Shaykh, Abū al-Mundhir ʿAmmār al-Ḥawbānī حفظه الله ورعاه has safely returned to Yemen from Ḥajj.

I ask Allāh to accept the Shaykh's good deeds and keep him persistent upon good deeds and worship, Āmīn.

? Abū Bilāl Muḥammad Fāʾiz al-Ḥijāzī al-Sindī