Answer: "I am not able to deal comprehensively with the difference of opinion on this issue. However it is obligatory for us to know that [the ruling of] disbelief is a Shar’iah ruling and cannot be derived except from the Shari’ah, and the principle concerning Muslims is that Islam is affirmed for them until some evidence indicates that they have left it. And hastily rushing towards takfir is very, very, very dangerous. To such an extent that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, cautioning against takfir, "Whoever ascribes disbelief to someone or says to him ‘O enemy of Allaah’ and he is not actually like that, then it will fall back upon him’, i.e. it will return upon the one who made this claim."

Question: "The difference that exists on the issue of the ruling upon the one who abandons the prayers, is it one that is amongst Ahl us-Sunnah themselves (i.e. does not expel one from the ranks of Ahl us-Sunnah), or one that is outside of that?"

Answer: "Yes, it is a difference that is within Ahl us-Sunnah. The Ahl us-Sunnah differ amongst themselves concerning this, just like they have differed concerning the obligation of wudhoo’ after eating the meat of the camel ."

Question: "Are the actions of the limbs a condition for the proof of the basis, asl, and correctness, sihhah, of Imaan or are they a condition for the perfection, kamaal of the Imaan that is obligatory?

Answer: "This varies. The one who abandons the prayer, for example, is a disbeliever, since the prayer is one of the necessary requirements of Imaan. But I advise my brothers to abandon these matters and investigating into them, but that they should return to what the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them all, were upon. The Salaf us-Salih did not used to know about the likes of these matters. A believer is the one whom Allaah and His Messenger has made a believer and a disbeliever is one whom Allaah and His Messenger have made a disbeliever. Finish." End of questions and answers from Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen.

Question: "When we are in a town in which the people of knowledge therein give the verdict that the person who abandons the prayer is not a disbeliever with the major kufr, so if such a one dies in this town, do the people leave washing him and praying upon him and should they stop him from being buried in the graveyard of the Muslims in that town and has he died as a Muslim because he was blindly-followin the scholars of his town?

Answer: As for the one who believes he is a disbeliever, then yes, he does not pray over him. But as for the one who does not believe this, then let him pray over him and this is the way he should look at this difference (of opinion in this matter).

Question: "The questioner quotes the words of Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah and requires further clarity about it: [Shaikh ul-Islaam said]: From its various elements [i.e. from the elements of Imaan, those that constitute Imaan] are those which if they are not present will reduce it [from being] most perfect, and those which will cause it to fall short of perfection – and this is abandoning the obligatory duties and falling into the forbidden matters. And from it [i.e. the various elements of Imaan] is that which will cause its basis (rukn) to be impaired, and that is the abandoning of belief (i’tiqad) and speech (qawl)"

Answer: "Where is the problem in it?"

Questioner: "The brother requires further clarification about these words."

Answer: This is clear. From Imaan is that which if it is abandoned is kufr, such as when one rejects one of the pillars of Imaan (i.e. belief in Allaah, the Angels, the Books, the Messengers etc), this is kufr and also from Imaan is that which constitutes the perfection (of Imaan) such as in his saying (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself". The intent here is "perfection of Imaan". There can also be from Imaan, that which is desireable (mustahabb). The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has also informed about the deficiency found in women with respect to their intellect and religion and he made the cause of the deficiency in their deen to be the leaving of prayer when they are in the period of menstruation, despite the fact this is not from the women's choosing. Hence, this is a deficiency in the perfection (of Imaan)."

Notes: