What was Imam Shafi'i's position on neglecting prayer out of laziness?

[Nawawi619]

As Salamu Alaykum



For the Shafi'i brothers on the forum like Sidi Yahya and others. Do any of you know the original position whether it be the Qawl al Qadim or Qawl al Jadid of Imam Shafi'i that neglecting to perform the prayer out of laziness is kufr or not kufr? Meaning can someone cite for me with english translation from Al Umm or Al hujjah?

There is a claim out there that the early Mujtahid Imams held it be kufr. I am already aware that Imam Shafi'i's position in Kitab al Hujja or Kitab al Umm may or may be the mu'tamad of the madhhab because a lot of tarjih was done through the centuries and that the main reference is what Nawawi and Rafi'i agree upon and the main figures for fatawa in the school is from ibn Hajar Haytami and Ramli.

jzk

[Nawawi619]

Anyone? Maybe Mufti Hussein?

[abulayl]

i dont know is this incident will be helpful for your inquery or not.Once imam shafii(rh) asked imam hanbal(rh) that I heard you say who leaves(nothing mentioned about laziness) one salah, he become kaafir. He(ahmad hanbal r.h.) said yes. imam shafii(rh) asked if such kaafir wants to become muslim what should he do? he(imam ahmad hanbal) said he has to pray regularly. He(imam shafii) asked according to you Salah of kafir is OK? or to Pray correctly a person needs to accept iman and enter islam and then pray?

hope some brother aware about this incident, or may quote with exact words. what i understood that imam shafii(rh) didn´t agree actuelly with imam hanbal about this matter.

Allah knows the best

[Abu Dujanah AlAthari]

i dont know is this incident will be helpful for your inquery or not.Once imam shafii(rh) asked imam hanbal(rh) that I heard you say who leaves(nothing mentioned about laziness) one salah, he become kaafir. He(ahmad hanbal r.h.) said yes. imam shafii(rh) asked if such kaafir wants to become muslim what should he do? he(imam ahmad hanbal) said he has to pray regularly. He(imam shafii) asked according to you Salah of kafir is OK? or to Pray correctly a person needs to accept iman and enter islam and then pray?

hope some brother aware about this incident, or may quote with exact words. what i understood that imam shafii(rh) didn´t agree actuelly with imam hanbal about this matter.

Allah knows the best

Assalamu Alaikum,

Sheikh Al-Albaani said that this narration is maqtoo', and therefore weak. (He said this in his Book: Hukmu Taarik Al-Salaat).

[Yahya]

Sorry brother, I can't help.

I've been taught the judgment of the school, but I haven't been taught if the judgment of the school is identical to one of Imam ash-Shafi'i's opinions or not.

[Nawawi619]

As Salamu Alaykum


The reason why I ask is because someone wanted to know what the four mujtahid Imams' original positions. This is despite the fact I cited for him Nawawi's al Majmu' which said there is consensus that it is not kufr out of laziness. I also quoted the commentary from Risala ibn Abi Zayd al Qayrawani as well for the Maliki school.


Sidi Yahya if you have al Umm can you find it for me? jzk

[Husain]

Here is the passage from the Umm, but it doesn't seem too clear on the Kufr issue:

* الْحُكْمُ في تَارِكِ الصَّلَاةِ * (1) ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) يَذْهَبُ فِيمَا أَرَى وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ إلَى قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى { وأقيموا ( ( ( أقيموا ) ) ) الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ } وَأَخْبَرَ أبو بَكْرٍ أَنَّهُ إنَّمَا يُقَاتِلُهُمْ على الصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَأَصْحَابُ رسول اللَّهِ صلى اللَّهُ عليه وسلم قَاتَلُوا من مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ إذْ كانت فَرِيضَةً من فَرَائِضِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَنَصَبَ دُونَهَا أَهْلُهَا فلم يَقْدِرْ على أَخْذِهَا منهم طَائِعِينَ ولم يَكُونُوا مَقْهُورِينَ عليها فتوخذ منهم كما تُقَامُ عليهم الْحُدُودُ كَارِهِينَ وَتُؤْخَذُ أَمْوَالُهُمْ لِمَنْ وَجَبَتْ له بِزَكَاةٍ أو دَيْنٍ كَارِهِينَ أو غير كَارِهِينَ فَاسْتَحَلُّوا قِتَالَهُمْ وَالْقِتَالُ سَبَبُ الْقَتْلِ فلما كانت الصَّلَاةُ وَإِنْ كان تَارِكُهَا في أَيْدِينَا غير مُمْتَنِعٍ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا لَا نَقْدِرُ على أَخْذِ الصَّلَاةِ منه لِأَنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِشَيْءٍ يُؤْخَذُ من يَدَيْهِ مِثْلُ اللُّقَطَةِ وَالْخَرَاجِ وَالْمَالِ قُلْنَا إنْ صَلَّيْت وَإِلَّا قَتَلْنَاك كما يكفر ( ( ( يفكر ) ) )
فَنَقُولُ إنْ قَبِلْت الْإِيمَانَ وَإِلَّا قَتَلْنَاك إذْ كان الْإِيمَانُ لَا يَكُونُ إلَّا بِقَوْلِك وَكَانَتْ الصَّلَاةُ وَالْإِيمَانُ مُخَالِفَيْنِ مَعًا ما في يَدَيْك وما نَأْخُذُ من مَالِك لِأَنَّا نَقْدِرُ على أَخْذِ الْحَقِّ مِنْك في ذلك وَإِنْ كَرِهْت فَإِنْ شَهِدَ عليه شُهُودٌ أَنَّهُ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ سُئِلَ عَمَّا قالوا فَإِنْ قال كَذَبُوا وقد يُمْكِنُهُ أَنْ يصلى حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ صُدِّقَ وَإِنْ قال نَسِيت صُدِّقَ وَكَذَلِكَ لو شَهِدُوا أَنَّهُ صلى جَالِسًا وهو صَحِيحٌ فَإِنْ قال أنا مَرِيضٌ أو تَطَوَّعْت صُدِّقَ

+ ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) وقد قِيلَ يُسْتَتَابُ تَارِكُ الصَّلَاةِ ثَلَاثًا وَذَلِكَ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَسَنٌ فَإِنْ صلى في الثَّلَاثِ وَإِلَّا قُتِلَ وقد خَالَفَنَا بَعْضُ الناس فِيمَنْ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ إذَا أُمِرَ بها وقال لَا أُصَلِّيهَا فقال لَا يُقْتَلُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ أَضْرِبُهُ وَأَحْبِسُهُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ أَحْبِسُهُ وَلَا أَضْرِبُهُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ لَا أَضْرِبُهُ وَلَا أَحْبِسُهُ وهو أَمِينٌ على صَلَاتِهِ
+ ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) فَقُلْت لِمَنْ يقول لَا أَقْتُلُهُ أَرَأَيْت الرَّجُلَ تَحْكُمُ عليه بِحُكْمٍ بِرَأْيِك وهو من أَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ فيقول قد أَخْطَأْت الْحُكْمَ وَوَاللَّهِ لَا أُسَلِّمُ ما حَكَمْت بِهِ لِمَنْ حَكَمْت له قال فَإِنْ قَدَرْتُ على أَخْذِهِ منه أَخَذْتُهُ منه ولم أَلْتَفِتْ إلَى قَوْلِهِ وَإِنْ لم أَقْدِرْ وَنَصَبَ دُونَهُ قَاتَلْتُهُ حتى آخُذَهُ أو أَقْتُلَهُ فَقُلْت له وَحُجَّتُك أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَاتَلَ من مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ وَقَتَلَ منهم قال نعم قُلْت فَإِنْ قال لَك الزَّكَاةُ فَرْضٌ من اللَّهِ لَا يَسَعُ جَهْلُهُ وَحُكْمُك رأى مِنْك يَجُوزُ لِغَيْرِك عِنْدَك وَعِنْدَ غَيْرِك أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِخِلَافِهِ فَكَيْفَ تَقْتُلُنِي على ما لَسْت على ثِقَةٍ من أَنَّك أَصَبْت فيه كما تَقْتُلُ من مَنَعَ فَرْضَ اللَّهِ عز وجل في الزَّكَاةِ الذي لَا شَكَّ فيه قال لِأَنَّهُ حَقٌّ عِنْدِي وَعَلَيَّ جَبْرُك عليه
( قُلْت ) قال لَك وَمَنْ قال لَك إنَّ عَلَيْك جَبْرِي عليه قال إنَّمَا وُضِعَ الْحُكَّامُ لِيُجْبِرُوا على ما رَأَوْا
( قُلْت ) فَإِنْ قال لَك على ما حَكَمُوا بِهِ من حُكْمِ اللَّهِ أو السُّنَّةِ أو ما لَا اخْتِلَافَ فيه قال قد يَحْكُمُونَ بِمَا فيه الِاخْتِلَافُ
( قُلْت ) فَإِنْ قال فَهَلْ سَمِعْت بِأَحَدٍ منهم قَاتَلَ على رَدِّ رَأْيِهِ فتقتدى بِهِ فقال وأنا لم إجد هذا فَإِنِّي إذَا كان لي الْحُكْمُ فَامْتَنَعَ منه قَاتَلْتُهُ
عليه
( قُلْت ) وَمَنْ قال لَك هذا
( وَقُلْت ) أَرَأَيْت لو قال لَك قَائِلٌ من ارْتَدَّ عن الْإِسْلَامِ إذَا عَرَضْتَهُ عليه فقال قد عَرَفْتُهُ وَلَا أَقُولُ بِهِ أَحْبِسُهُ وَأَضْرِبُهُ حتى يَقُولَ بِهِ قال ليس ذلك له لِأَنَّهُ قد بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ وَلَا يُقْبَلُ منه إلَّا أَنْ يَقُولَ بِهِ قُلْت أَفَتَعْدُو الصَّلَاةُ إذْ كانت من دِينِهِ وَكَانَتْ لَا تَكُونُ إلَّا بِهِ كما لَا يَكُونُ الْقَوْلُ بِالْإِيمَانِ إلَّا بِهِ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ على تَرْكِهَا أو يَكُونَ أَمِينًا فيها كما قال بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِك فَلَا نَحْبِسُهُ وَلَا نَضْرِبُهُ قال لَا يَكُونُ أَمِينًا عليها إذَا ظَهَرَ لي أَنَّهُ لَا يُصَلِّيهَا وَهِيَ حَقٌّ عليه قُلْت أَفَتَقْتُلُهُ بِرَأْيِك في الِامْتِنَاعِ من حُكْمِك بِرَأْيِك وَتَدَعُ قَتْلَهُ في الِامْتِنَاعِ من الصَّلَاةِ التي هِيَ أَبْيَنُ ما افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عز وجل عليه بَعْدَ تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ وَشَهَادَةِ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رسول اللَّهِ صلى اللَّهُ عليه وسلم وَالْإِيمَانِ بِمَا جاء بِهِ من اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى

[Abu emaan]

1 - Mujahid bin al-Hajjaj (the noble Tabi’i) asked Jabir bin ‘Abdillah (the noble Companion): “What actions did you use to differentiate between belief and disbelief during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?” He replied: “The prayer.”

[al-Marwazi in 'Ta'dhim Qadr as-Salah' (2/877) and al-Lalaka'i in 'I'tiqad Ahl as-Sunnah' (4/829), by way of Ya'qub bin Ibrahim, who is known as a trustworthy narrator]

2 - The noble Tabi’i ‘Abdullah bin Shaqiq al-’Aqili said: “The Companions of Muhammad did not see the abandonment of any actions as consituting disbelief except for the prayer.”

[at-Tirmidhi (2622) and al-Hakim (1/1248) by way of Bishr bin al-Mufaddal. al-Hakim declared it to be authentic on the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim]

al-Mubarakfuri commented on this in ‘Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi’ (7/370) by saying: “This saying of ‘Abdullah bin Shaqiq - in its apparent meaning - proves that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah believed the abandoment of prayer to be disbelief. What is apparent from this statement is that the Companions were all agreed in this, since he said: “The Companions of Muhammad…,” which is a collective attribution.”

3 - The noble Tabi’i al-Hasan al-Basri said: “It has reached me that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say: “Between a servant and his falling into polytheism and disbelief is that he leaves the prayer without a valid excuse.”

[al-Lalaka'i (4/829, 1539), Ibn Battah in 'al-Ibanah' (p. 87), and al-Khallal in 'as-Sunnah' (4/124 and #1372)]

4 - Hammad bin Zayd narrated from Ayyub (a well-known Tabi’i) that he said: “To leave the prayer is disbelief. There is no difference of opinion on this.”

[al-Marwazi in 'Ta'dhim Qadr as-Salah' (2/925 and 978)]

5 - al-Marwazi also mentions that he heard Ishaq bin Rahwiyah (the well-known trustworthy narrator, the companion of Ahmad bin Hambal) say: “It has been authentically narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the one who leaves the prayer is a disbeliever. Likewise, this has been the opinion of the people of knowledge since the time of the Prophet up until our times: that the one who leaves the prayer beyond its proper time - intentionally and without a valid excuse - is a disbeliever.”

6 - al-Marwazi also mentioned in ‘Ta’dhim Qadr as-Salah’ (2/925): “We mentioned the reports narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding the disbelief of the one who leaves the prayer, and his leaving the creed of Islam, and the permissibility of fighting the one who refuses to establish it. Then, we received similar reports from the Companions, and we did not come across any difference from this opinion from a single one of them. However, the people of knowledge began differing in this afterwards…”

And it is well-known that Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi was famous for his vast knowledge of the sayings and opinions of the people of knowledge in the area of agreement and differing on various legal issues, as was mentioned by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in ‘Tarikh Baghdad’ (3/315): “He was from the most knowledgable of people of the differences of opinion amonst the Companions and those who came after them.” Also, adh-Dhahabi supported this saying in ‘Siyar A’lam an-Nubala” (14/34): “It is said: “He was by far the most knowledgable of the scholars regarding the differences of opinion between the scholars.”"

7 - Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in ‘Sharh al-’Umdah’ (2/75), as did Ibn al-Qayyim in ‘as-Salah’ (p.67), that this is the consensus of the Companions, due to the saying of ‘Umar, in the presence of the Companions, without any of them opposing his saying: “There is no share of Islam for the one who leaves the prayer,” or: “There is no Islam for the one who does not pray.”

8 - With all of this, nobody who says that the one who does not pray is not a disbeliever can find a single Companion who holds their opinion. In fact, they cannot find even a single Tabi’i except az-Zuhri, who was himself a minor Tabi’i.

Ibn Hazm says in ‘al-Muhalla’ (2/242): “We do not know of what we have mentioned from the Companions any difference of opinion amongst them, and the followers of the four madhahib are very eager to hold onto the difference of opinion from a Companion if this is in accordance with their desires. And it has been narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf, Mu’adh bin Jabal, Abu Hurayrah, and other than them from the Companions that the one who leaves a single obligatory prayer - intentionally and beyond its proper time - then he is a disbelieving apostate.”

And al-Mundhiri mentioned in ‘at-Targhib wat-Tarhib’ (1/393) additional Companions who reported this: “…’Abdullah bin Mas’ud, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, Jabir bin ‘Abdillah, and Abu ad-Darda’ - may Allah be pleased with them all.” And from other than the Companions: “…Ahmad bin Hambal, Ishaq bin Rahwiyah, ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak, Ibrahim an-Nakha’i, al-Hakam bin ‘Utaybah, Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani, Abu Dawud at-Taylasi, Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, Zuhayr bin Harb, and other than them.”

And this is the saying of the majority of the people of Hadith, and this was the opinion of Sa’id bin Jubayr, al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Awza’i, and Muhammad bin al-Hasan. It is the authentically narrated opinion of ash-Shafi’i, as Ibn Kathir mentioned in his ‘Tafsir’ (in his explanation of verse 59 in ‘Maryam’) and at-Tahawi narrated from ash-Shafi’i personally.
Final benefit: Ibn al-Qayyim said, in ‘as-Salah’: “The Muslims do not disagree that the intentional abandonment of the obligatory prayer is from the greatest and most major of sins, and that the sin of such a person is greater in the Sight of Allah than the sin of the one who commits murder and steals wealth, and commits fornication, and drinks alcohol, and that he is exposing himself to the punishment and anger of Allah, and humiliation in this life and the next.”

[Nawawi619]

1 - Mujahid bin al-Hajjaj (the noble Tabi’i) asked Jabir bin ‘Abdillah (the noble Companion): “What actions did you use to differentiate between belief and disbelief during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?” He replied: “The prayer.”

[al-Marwazi in 'Ta'dhim Qadr as-Salah' (2/877) and al-Lalaka'i in 'I'tiqad Ahl as-Sunnah' (4/829), by way of Ya'qub bin Ibrahim, who is known as a trustworthy narrator]

2 - The noble Tabi’i ‘Abdullah bin Shaqiq al-’Aqili said: “The Companions of Muhammad did not see the abandonment of any actions as consituting disbelief except for the prayer.”

[at-Tirmidhi (2622) and al-Hakim (1/1248) by way of Bishr bin al-Mufaddal. al-Hakim declared it to be authentic on the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim]

al-Mubarakfuri commented on this in ‘Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi’ (7/370) by saying: “This saying of ‘Abdullah bin Shaqiq - in its apparent meaning - proves that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah believed the abandoment of prayer to be disbelief. What is apparent from this statement is that the Companions were all agreed in this, since he said: “The Companions of Muhammad…,” which is a collective attribution.”

3 - The noble Tabi’i al-Hasan al-Basri said: “It has reached me that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say: “Between a servant and his falling into polytheism and disbelief is that he leaves the prayer without a valid excuse.”

[al-Lalaka'i (4/829, 1539), Ibn Battah in 'al-Ibanah' (p. 87), and al-Khallal in 'as-Sunnah' (4/124 and #1372)]

4 - Hammad bin Zayd narrated from Ayyub (a well-known Tabi’i) that he said: “To leave the prayer is disbelief. There is no difference of opinion on this.”

[al-Marwazi in 'Ta'dhim Qadr as-Salah' (2/925 and 978)]

5 - al-Marwazi also mentions that he heard Ishaq bin Rahwiyah (the well-known trustworthy narrator, the companion of Ahmad bin Hambal) say: “It has been authentically narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the one who leaves the prayer is a disbeliever. Likewise, this has been the opinion of the people of knowledge since the time of the Prophet up until our times: that the one who leaves the prayer beyond its proper time - intentionally and without a valid excuse - is a disbeliever.”

6 - al-Marwazi also mentioned in ‘Ta’dhim Qadr as-Salah’ (2/925): “We mentioned the reports narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding the disbelief of the one who leaves the prayer, and his leaving the creed of Islam, and the permissibility of fighting the one who refuses to establish it. Then, we received similar reports from the Companions, and we did not come across any difference from this opinion from a single one of them. However, the people of knowledge began differing in this afterwards…”

And it is well-known that Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi was famous for his vast knowledge of the sayings and opinions of the people of knowledge in the area of agreement and differing on various legal issues, as was mentioned by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in ‘Tarikh Baghdad’ (3/315): “He was from the most knowledgable of people of the differences of opinion amonst the Companions and those who came after them.” Also, adh-Dhahabi supported this saying in ‘Siyar A’lam an-Nubala” (14/34): “It is said: “He was by far the most knowledgable of the scholars regarding the differences of opinion between the scholars.”"

7 - Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in ‘Sharh al-’Umdah’ (2/75), as did Ibn al-Qayyim in ‘as-Salah’ (p.67), that this is the consensus of the Companions, due to the saying of ‘Umar, in the presence of the Companions, without any of them opposing his saying: “There is no share of Islam for the one who leaves the prayer,” or: “There is no Islam for the one who does not pray.”

8 - With all of this, nobody who says that the one who does not pray is not a disbeliever can find a single Companion who holds their opinion. In fact, they cannot find even a single Tabi’i except az-Zuhri, who was himself a minor Tabi’i.

Ibn Hazm says in ‘al-Muhalla’ (2/242): “We do not know of what we have mentioned from the Companions any difference of opinion amongst them, and the followers of the four madhahib are very eager to hold onto the difference of opinion from a Companion if this is in accordance with their desires. And it has been narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf, Mu’adh bin Jabal, Abu Hurayrah, and other than them from the Companions that the one who leaves a single obligatory prayer - intentionally and beyond its proper time - then he is a disbelieving apostate.”

And al-Mundhiri mentioned in ‘at-Targhib wat-Tarhib’ (1/393) additional Companions who reported this: “…’Abdullah bin Mas’ud, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, Jabir bin ‘Abdillah, and Abu ad-Darda’ - may Allah be pleased with them all.” And from other than the Companions: “…Ahmad bin Hambal, Ishaq bin Rahwiyah, ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak, Ibrahim an-Nakha’i, al-Hakam bin ‘Utaybah, Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani, Abu Dawud at-Taylasi, Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, Zuhayr bin Harb, and other than them.”

And this is the saying of the majority of the people of Hadith, and this was the opinion of Sa’id bin Jubayr, al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Awza’i, and Muhammad bin al-Hasan. It is the authentically narrated opinion of ash-Shafi’i, as Ibn Kathir mentioned in his ‘Tafsir’ (in his explanation of verse 59 in ‘Maryam’) and at-Tahawi narrated from ash-Shafi’i personally.
Final benefit: Ibn al-Qayyim said, in ‘as-Salah’: “The Muslims do not disagree that the intentional abandonment of the obligatory prayer is from the greatest and most major of sins, and that the sin of such a person is greater in the Sight of Allah than the sin of the one who commits murder and steals wealth, and commits fornication, and drinks alcohol, and that he is exposing himself to the punishment and anger of Allah, and humiliation in this life and the next.”

As Salamu Alaykum


While that is fine and dandy to quote secondary sources, what Mufti Hussein quoted directly from Al Umm is what I was asking for. It seems from your citations it is leaning toward the position of Imam ibn Hazm, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah, and Shaykh ibn al Qayyim and their evidence.

However, while there is no disagreement that neglecting the prayer is a major sin, that is not the mu'tamad of the Shafi'i, Hanafi, Maliki, or Hanbali schools that neglecting the prayer out of laziness is kufr. So if there is in fact practically consensus from the mujtahidun companions and others which you cited which almost sounds compelling than why has the position of the four schools (with the exception of the Hanbalis who held both positions, but ibn Qudama relating the more sound position that its not kufr) hold to mu'tamad to be contrary to it.

I'm not fully convinced by Ibm Hazm's reason that they are going "by their desires" because that is a slap in the face to great jurists after him who established the mu'tamad.

The following is the section on making up missed prayers and other issues from Reliance of the Traveller (its appendix section) p.881-882

w18.0 Making Up Missed Prayers is Obligatory

w18.1 (N: ) This section discusses the view of some contemporary Muslims that someone who purposely misses one or more prescribed prayers need not make them up, which some say is because whoever intentionally neglects an obligatory prayer thereby becomes an unbeliever (kafir), and unbelievers are not obliged to pray. Besides being a weak position that contravenes all four schools or jurisprudence, those who miss prayers and neglect to make them up because of adopting this view will meet their Lord without having performed the first thing they shall be asked about on the Day of Judgment, their obligatory prayers. The following discussion, in explaining why the overwhelming majority of Islamic scholars hold that making up missed prescribed prayers is obligatory, center on two points:

(1) that a Muslim who misses a prayer out of unconcern cannot by that fact alone be considered an unbeliever;

(2) and that the view that a prayer purposely missed cannot be made up in incorrect.


A Muslim Who Neglects the Prayer Does Not Becomes an Unbeliever

w18.2 (N: ) The Hanafis, Malikis, and Shafi'is all hold that someone who misses the prayer out of laziness in a Muslim, and that missing the prayer does not entail his being an unbeliever. Nawawi says, "This is what the vast majority of early and later scholars have held" (al-Majmu'). As for the Hanbalis, they have two views, the first being that such a person becomes an unbeliever and is dealt with as a renegade from Islam, while the second view is that he does not become an unbeliever, and this is what Ibn Qudama, in al-Mughni, has declared to be the soundest position. The opinion that such a person becomes an unbeliever has been ascribed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (Allah ennoble his countenance), Ibn al-Mubarak, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, and some Shaf'is.


The Evidence that Someone Who Neglects the Prayer is an Unbeliever

w18.3 Those who hold that whoever misses a prayer becomes an unbeliever adduce the following evidence:

(1) The hadith of Jabir (Allah be well pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say,

"Between a man between polytheism and unbelief is the nonperformance of the prayer,"

which was related by Muslim.

(2) The hadith of Burayda (Allah be well pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

"The covenant between us and them consists of the prayer: whoever leaves it has disbelieved,"

a hadith related by Tirmidhi and Nasa'i, the former saying that it was well-authenticated (hasan).

(3) The words of 'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq 'Uqayli, one of those (tabi'i) who met and studied under some of the Companions, and someone whose eminence is agreed upon,

"The Companions of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not view the nonperformance of anything as unbelief besides the prayer,"

which was related by Tirmidhi in the Book of Faith with a rigorously authenticated (sahih) channel of transmission.

(4) And the Prophet's saying (Allah bless him and give him peace):

"The first thing you lose from your religion is keeping trusts, and the last thing you lose is the prayer,"

Imam Ahmad commenting that nothing remains of whatever the last has gone.


The Evidence that Someone Who Neglects the Prayer is Not an Unbeliever
w18.4 Those who hold that whoever neglects a prayer does not thereby become an unbeliever adduce the following evidence:

(1) The hadith of 'Ubada ibn Samit (Allah be well pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:

“Allah has made five prayers obligatory: whoever performs their ablution well and prays them in their time, completing the bowing, the humility, and the awe that is due in them, has entered a solemn pact with Allah to forgive him. And whoever does not, has no pact with Allah: should He want, He will forgive him, and should He want, He will torment him,”

Which is a rigorously authenticated (sahih) hadith related by Abu Dawud and others though multiple authentic channels of transmission. The evidence of the hadith is that the case of someone who does not pray is up to Allah’s considered choice, meaning that Allah could choose not to torment him, while it is necessarily established that unbelievers will be tormented and enter hell. (n: necessarily established in that the words of the Koran will necessarily be realized against them, just as Allah has stated—a consideration which with the above hadith indicated that someone who neglect to pray is not an unbeliever.

(2) The words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no god but Allah shall enter paradise,”

a hadith related by Muslim that in its generality implies that someone who des not perform the prayer but believers that there is no god but Allah, will enter paradise, whereas if he were an unbeliever, he would not enter it. There are many similar hadiths that imply this in their generality.

(3) That Muslims from earliest times to the present have considered the Muslim who misses the prayer to be entitled to inherit by way of estates division and be inherited from. If in their view he were an unbeliever, he would not inherit or be inherited from.

(4) And the consensus of Muslims that the body of someone who neglects the prayer must be washed and prayed over. Were he an unbeliever in their view, they would not wash, shroud, or pray over him.


A Discussion of the Evidence

w18.5 Scholars reply as follows to the hadiths adduced by those who claim that whoever misses the prayer is an unbeliever:

(1) The point of the hadiths is to emphasize the enormity of the crime of whoever misses the prayer and to liken him to unbelievers, not that it is actual unbelief. Other hadiths make their point in this way, such as the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),

“Reviling a Muslim is corruption and fighting him is unbelief,”

and similar ones.

(2) Their meaning is that the person who misses the prayer is like unbelievers in certain respects, such as that he is obligatorily executed. Scholars have had recourse to this interpretation in order to reach an accord between these texts of the Sacred Law and its basic principles, since a Muslim, of course, may not be judged an unbeliever unless there is absolute certainty of it, or be considered an unbeliever for something without unquestionable evidence that his act, statement, or belief is in fact unbelief (kufr). It thus appears that the strongest position is that someone who misses the prayer out of neglect is not an unbeliever, for besides the texts that imply his unbelief, others imply the contrary, and the former can bear an alternate interpretation.
Wa Llahu Alim

[Nawawi619]

Here is the passage from the Umm, but it doesn't seem too clear on the Kufr issue:

* الْحُكْمُ في تَارِكِ الصَّلَاةِ * (1) ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) يَذْهَبُ فِيمَا أَرَى وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ إلَى قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى { وأقيموا ( ( ( أقيموا ) ) ) الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ } وَأَخْبَرَ أبو بَكْرٍ أَنَّهُ إنَّمَا يُقَاتِلُهُمْ على الصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَأَصْحَابُ رسول اللَّهِ صلى اللَّهُ عليه وسلم قَاتَلُوا من مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ إذْ كانت فَرِيضَةً من فَرَائِضِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَنَصَبَ دُونَهَا أَهْلُهَا فلم يَقْدِرْ على أَخْذِهَا منهم طَائِعِينَ ولم يَكُونُوا مَقْهُورِينَ عليها فتوخذ منهم كما تُقَامُ عليهم الْحُدُودُ كَارِهِينَ وَتُؤْخَذُ أَمْوَالُهُمْ لِمَنْ وَجَبَتْ له بِزَكَاةٍ أو دَيْنٍ كَارِهِينَ أو غير كَارِهِينَ فَاسْتَحَلُّوا قِتَالَهُمْ وَالْقِتَالُ سَبَبُ الْقَتْلِ فلما كانت الصَّلَاةُ وَإِنْ كان تَارِكُهَا في أَيْدِينَا غير مُمْتَنِعٍ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا لَا نَقْدِرُ على أَخْذِ الصَّلَاةِ منه لِأَنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِشَيْءٍ يُؤْخَذُ من يَدَيْهِ مِثْلُ اللُّقَطَةِ وَالْخَرَاجِ وَالْمَالِ قُلْنَا إنْ صَلَّيْت وَإِلَّا قَتَلْنَاك كما يكفر ( ( ( يفكر ) ) )
فَنَقُولُ إنْ قَبِلْت الْإِيمَانَ وَإِلَّا قَتَلْنَاك إذْ كان الْإِيمَانُ لَا يَكُونُ إلَّا بِقَوْلِك وَكَانَتْ الصَّلَاةُ وَالْإِيمَانُ مُخَالِفَيْنِ مَعًا ما في يَدَيْك وما نَأْخُذُ من مَالِك لِأَنَّا نَقْدِرُ على أَخْذِ الْحَقِّ مِنْك في ذلك وَإِنْ كَرِهْت فَإِنْ شَهِدَ عليه شُهُودٌ أَنَّهُ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ سُئِلَ عَمَّا قالوا فَإِنْ قال كَذَبُوا وقد يُمْكِنُهُ أَنْ يصلى حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ صُدِّقَ وَإِنْ قال نَسِيت صُدِّقَ وَكَذَلِكَ لو شَهِدُوا أَنَّهُ صلى جَالِسًا وهو صَحِيحٌ فَإِنْ قال أنا مَرِيضٌ أو تَطَوَّعْت صُدِّقَ

+ ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) وقد قِيلَ يُسْتَتَابُ تَارِكُ الصَّلَاةِ ثَلَاثًا وَذَلِكَ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَسَنٌ فَإِنْ صلى في الثَّلَاثِ وَإِلَّا قُتِلَ وقد خَالَفَنَا بَعْضُ الناس فِيمَنْ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ إذَا أُمِرَ بها وقال لَا أُصَلِّيهَا فقال لَا يُقْتَلُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ أَضْرِبُهُ وَأَحْبِسُهُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ أَحْبِسُهُ وَلَا أَضْرِبُهُ وقال بَعْضُهُمْ لَا أَضْرِبُهُ وَلَا أَحْبِسُهُ وهو أَمِينٌ على صَلَاتِهِ
+ ( قال الشَّافِعِيُّ ) فَقُلْت لِمَنْ يقول لَا أَقْتُلُهُ أَرَأَيْت الرَّجُلَ تَحْكُمُ عليه بِحُكْمٍ بِرَأْيِك وهو من أَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ فيقول قد أَخْطَأْت الْحُكْمَ وَوَاللَّهِ لَا أُسَلِّمُ ما حَكَمْت بِهِ لِمَنْ حَكَمْت له قال فَإِنْ قَدَرْتُ على أَخْذِهِ منه أَخَذْتُهُ منه ولم أَلْتَفِتْ إلَى قَوْلِهِ وَإِنْ لم أَقْدِرْ وَنَصَبَ دُونَهُ قَاتَلْتُهُ حتى آخُذَهُ أو أَقْتُلَهُ فَقُلْت له وَحُجَّتُك أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَاتَلَ من مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ وَقَتَلَ منهم قال نعم قُلْت فَإِنْ قال لَك الزَّكَاةُ فَرْضٌ من اللَّهِ لَا يَسَعُ جَهْلُهُ وَحُكْمُك رأى مِنْك يَجُوزُ لِغَيْرِك عِنْدَك وَعِنْدَ غَيْرِك أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِخِلَافِهِ فَكَيْفَ تَقْتُلُنِي على ما لَسْت على ثِقَةٍ من أَنَّك أَصَبْت فيه كما تَقْتُلُ من مَنَعَ فَرْضَ اللَّهِ عز وجل في الزَّكَاةِ الذي لَا شَكَّ فيه قال لِأَنَّهُ حَقٌّ عِنْدِي وَعَلَيَّ جَبْرُك عليه
( قُلْت ) قال لَك وَمَنْ قال لَك إنَّ عَلَيْك جَبْرِي عليه قال إنَّمَا وُضِعَ الْحُكَّامُ لِيُجْبِرُوا على ما رَأَوْا
( قُلْت ) فَإِنْ قال لَك على ما حَكَمُوا بِهِ من حُكْمِ اللَّهِ أو السُّنَّةِ أو ما لَا اخْتِلَافَ فيه قال قد يَحْكُمُونَ بِمَا فيه الِاخْتِلَافُ
( قُلْت ) فَإِنْ قال فَهَلْ سَمِعْت بِأَحَدٍ منهم قَاتَلَ على رَدِّ رَأْيِهِ فتقتدى بِهِ فقال وأنا لم إجد هذا فَإِنِّي إذَا كان لي الْحُكْمُ فَامْتَنَعَ منه قَاتَلْتُهُ
عليه
( قُلْت ) وَمَنْ قال لَك هذا
( وَقُلْت ) أَرَأَيْت لو قال لَك قَائِلٌ من ارْتَدَّ عن الْإِسْلَامِ إذَا عَرَضْتَهُ عليه فقال قد عَرَفْتُهُ وَلَا أَقُولُ بِهِ أَحْبِسُهُ وَأَضْرِبُهُ حتى يَقُولَ بِهِ قال ليس ذلك له لِأَنَّهُ قد بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ وَلَا يُقْبَلُ منه إلَّا أَنْ يَقُولَ بِهِ قُلْت أَفَتَعْدُو الصَّلَاةُ إذْ كانت من دِينِهِ وَكَانَتْ لَا تَكُونُ إلَّا بِهِ كما لَا يَكُونُ الْقَوْلُ بِالْإِيمَانِ إلَّا بِهِ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ على تَرْكِهَا أو يَكُونَ أَمِينًا فيها كما قال بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِك فَلَا نَحْبِسُهُ وَلَا نَضْرِبُهُ قال لَا يَكُونُ أَمِينًا عليها إذَا ظَهَرَ لي أَنَّهُ لَا يُصَلِّيهَا وَهِيَ حَقٌّ عليه قُلْت أَفَتَقْتُلُهُ بِرَأْيِك في الِامْتِنَاعِ من حُكْمِك بِرَأْيِك وَتَدَعُ قَتْلَهُ في الِامْتِنَاعِ من الصَّلَاةِ التي هِيَ أَبْيَنُ ما افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عز وجل عليه بَعْدَ تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ وَشَهَادَةِ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رسول اللَّهِ صلى اللَّهُ عليه وسلم وَالْإِيمَانِ بِمَا جاء بِهِ من اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى

As Salamu Alaykum

Can you translate ?