As Salaam o Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatuh!
A`uzu billahis Samee`il`Aleem,
minash shaytanir rajeem!
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem!
Wa Salaatu wa Salaam
`alaa Rasulullah-
Salallahu `Alayhi wa Sallam
The best way to call those
who do not pray
Question:
What is the best way to call those who do not pray?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We should consider the person being called to pray or to do
other acts of worship, and pay attention to the most effective means of
encouraging him or warning him. The general principle in Islam is to combine
both approaches (encouraging and warning). It is also important to pay
attention to how receptive or otherwise the person being called is, and
whether he will be influences or put off by preaching.
Secondly:
The best way to call those who do not pray can be summed up as
follows:
1 Reminding them of the obligation of prayer and that it is the greatest
of the pillars of Islam after the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of
faith).
2 Telling them some of the virtues of prayer, for it is the best of the
duties that Allaah has enjoined on His slaves, and the best way by means
of which a person may draw closer to his Lord. It is the first of his
religious affairs for which a person will be brought to account.
The five daily prayers are an expiation for whatever sins come in between
them, so long as he avoids major sins. A single prostration raises a
person in status by one degree, and erases one sin
and there are other
virtues of prayer that have been narrated.
This may open his heart and perhaps prayer may become a source of delight,
as it was for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
3 Telling them of the stern warnings that have been narrated concerning
not praying, and the different opinions of the scholars as to whether this
constitutes kufr (disbelief) and riddah (apostasy).
Islam does not give the one who does not pray the opportunity to live
freely among people, because in his case he must he invited to pray, ...
and if he persists in not praying,...
he is to be executed as an apostate according to the view of Ahmad and
those who agreed with him among the salaf (early generations of Islam); ...
or he is to be executed as a hadd punishment, according to the view of
Maalik and al-Shaafai; ...
or he is to be detained and imprisoned, according to the view of Abu
Haneefah.
But no scholar says that he is to be left free.
So it should be said to the one who does not pray: are you happy that the
scholars disagreed as to whether you are a kaafir and whether you should
be killed or imprisoned?
4 Reminding them of the meeting with Allaah, death and the grave, and
what will happen to the one who does not pray, namely a bad end and the
torment of the grave.
5 Explaining that delaying prayer until the time for it is over is a
major sin:
Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up
As-Salaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaah (prayers) to be lost,
either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not
offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they
will be thrown in Hell
[Maryam 19:59 interpretation of the meaning].
Ibn Masood said concerning al-Ghayy (translated here as Hell): it
is a valley in Hell that is very deep and has a foul taste.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites),
Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)
[al-Maoon 107:4-5]
6 Explaining the serious implications of the view that they are kaafirs,
such as their marriages being rendered invalid, it being forbidden for
them to remain with and be intimate with their wives, and the fact that
they will not be washed and prayed for after they die.
Among the texts that indicate that the one who does not pray is a kaafir
is the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said:
Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.
Narrated by Muslim, 82.
and He (PBUH) said:
The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it
up is a kaafir.
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaai, 463; Ibn Maajah, 1079.
7 Giving them some booklets and tapes that deal with the subject of
prayer and the punishment of the one who does not pray or is careless
concerning the prayer.
8 Forsaking and shunning them if they persist in not praying.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Source: islamqa.com
---
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me
and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!
(Aameen)
With kind and humble regards,
Umme Safoora
Click to join Precious_Teachings_Of_Islam
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