Does Missing Salah Intentionally Breaks Faith?
Assalamu Alaykum
Salah is the foundation of everything. Salah is the second pillar of Islam. Every Muslim prays five times a day. It is not like other acts of worship that are done on a specific day or in a specific month, such as fasting or other devotions. Praying Salah five times every day is obligatory (Fard) upon every Muslim. So, let us find out today: does missing Salah intentionally expel us from the fold of Islam? To know this, we will need authentic sources and it is also necessary to take the views of scholars. So, let us understand this through this article.
This topic has been a matter of debate among people for years. Many people say that by intentionally not praying Salah, we are expelled from Islam. On the other hand, people give different answers. Despite this, today we will learn from authentic sources what is right and what is wrong.
NUMBER 1: IMPORTANCE OF SALAH.
Salah is not just a ritual. It is an act of worship that every Muslim performs five times a day. It is a direct connection that a servant makes with his Creator. Salah is Fard upon every Muslim. Allah Ta'ala tells us in the Quran:
"Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance." (Quran 20:14)
"Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do." (Quran 29:45)
Salah is unique because it was made obligatory during Isra wal Mi'raj, where Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad ï·º regarding 50 daily prayers. But after the repeated requests of Muhammad ï·º, it was reduced from 50 to 5 times. This is an act of worship that a Muslim performs every day. And on the Day of Resurrection, this is the first thing Allah will ask His servant about. Therefore, intentionally leaving or not praying Salah is a major, grave sin.
"Indeed the first deed by which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is his Salat. If it is complete, he is successful and saved, but if it is defective, he has failed and lost…" (Jami` At-Tirmidhi 413)
NUMBER 2: MISSING SALAH INTENTIONALLY.
Now let us talk about the ruling when you intentionally miss Salah. First, let's give some examples of what is called "intentionally missing." For example, if you know that praying Salah is obligatory but still do not pray, then this is intentional. Or if you did not pray Salah and you do not have any proper excuse to back it up, then this is intentional.
Now, what is called "unintentionally"? Suppose you are traveling and it is becoming difficult for you to pray, then you can pray Qada Salah. Or if it is for someone who has just recently become a Muslim. If you forgot, then pray when you remember. Yes, if you forgot unintentionally, then it is fine. If the intention is to "forget" on purpose, then that will be a major grave sin.
"Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps through it, let him pray it when he remembers." (Bukhari 597 & Muslim 684)
NUMBER 3: HADITH EVIDENCE ON LEAVING SALAH.
Some Hadiths state the leaving of Salah in very strong language:
"Between a man and disbelief and polytheism is abandoning the prayer." (Sahih Muslim 82b)
“The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.” (Tirmidhi 2621)
Now you might be thinking about what this means. In these Hadiths, you will find two points of view. Just to clarify, we will talk about the minority and the majority. The minority view is that not praying Salah intentionally is Kufr (disbelief). On the other hand, the majority believes that leaving Salah is a major grave sin, but it does not make that person a disbeliever. However, if that person clearly denies that Salah is obligatory meaning he does not believe in praying Salah. Then in this situation, he is denying the Quran and the Prophet of Allah, which will be called Kufr. But still, it doesn't matter; not praying Salah is a major grave sin!
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NUMBER 4: SCHOLARLY OPINIONS ON MISSING SALAH.
Now we will understand the scholars' views on this topic. Starting from the minority: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, many Salafi scholars, and some contemporary scholars believe that intentionally and completely abandoning Salah makes a person a disbeliever until he repents and starts praying Salah again. Their view is basically based on the Hadiths I stated in point number 3.
"Between a man and disbelief and polytheism is abandoning the prayer." (Sahih Muslim 82b)
“The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.” (Tirmidhi 2621)
Now let us talk about the other side, the majority. In the majority, you have Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and many later scholars. These majorities believe that intentionally missing Salah is a very big, grave sin, but he will not be called a Kaffir (disbeliever) unless he completely abandons Salah in terms of belief. As I wrote in point number 3, if he does not even believe in praying Salah, then he has become a Kaffir because he has denied the verse of Allah and the command of the Messenger of Allah. No matter how big a sin is, it cannot be equal to Kufr until the person performs a denial.
NUMBER 5: DANGERS OF TREATING SALAH LIGHTLY.
Even if we look at the majority opinion, not praying Salah is not good at all for your Iman (faith). By intentionally not praying Salah, the heart becomes hard. Your Iman becomes weak. The Barakah (blessing) is lifted from your life, and you become more involved in sins. This is why many scholars say that by intentionally not praying Salah, you might not become a Kaffir, but you are not far from becoming one either. Even though you haven't expressed it, you are standing on the edge. Therefore, perform Salah regularly and on time.
NUMBER 6: REPENTENCE FOR MISSING SALAH.
The doors of Tawbah (repentance) are always open. Allah says in the Quran:
"Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'" (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)
If you have even a little regret in your heart, then perform Tawbah to Allah. Pray two Rak'ahs of Salat al-Tawbah and make a firm intention that you will not commit this sin again and will pray Salah on time. Majority scholars like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and some other scholars say that you must complete all the Salahs you have missed by praying Qada. Some minorities like Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Uthaymeen, Ibn Hazm, and some Salafis say that making sincere Tawbah and doing good deeds will be enough for Allah to forgive you. This is specifically for those who missed years of Salah or missed them intentionally because they were in a state of negligence at that time. Since you have now changed yourself, Tawbah and increased voluntary acts will be sufficient.
CONCLUSION
Now we come to the conclusion. Does missing Salah intentionally make us a disbeliever? First of all, I would like to place my opinion here: I think I will go with the majority, because that makes sense to me. I am not saying that I do not agree with the minorities. If you find the minority point of view correct, you can follow that.
To completely deny Salah—meaning to say there is no such thing as Salah or to claim something like that—is Kufr. But if you are not praying Salah because of laziness, then you are certainly committing a major sin, but you are not a disbeliever. No matter how major a sin is, it is not equal to disbelief. Disbelief means if Allah or His Messenger has said something and you deny it or say you don't believe in it. But if you believe in it but do not act upon it, it doesn't matter if it is intentional—you are committing a major sin, but you will not become a disbeliever. If you missed it unintentionally, pray it whenever you remember.
So, this was about what happens when you intentionally break Salah. You have seen that scholars have different views. Now it is up to you whom you wish to follow. It doesn't matter which school of thought you follow.
"If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct... he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong... even then he will get a reward ." (Sahih Bukhari 7352)
For Example:
Two Rewards: If Imam Shafi'i reached the objectively "correct" ruling in the eyes of God, he receives two rewards: one for effort and one for accuracy.
One Reward: If Imam Abu Hanifa, after exhausting all resources, reached a different ruling that turned out to be "mistaken," he still receives one reward for his sincere effort. He is not considered "wrong" in a sinful way; he is rewarded for his striving.
That is all for today. We will meet on a new topic next. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our Duas. Ameen.
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