The Īmān of the heart (al-īmān bil-qalb) is not sufficient without the prayer and other than it. Rather, it is obligatory that he believes with his heart, that Allāh is alone, without any partners, and that He is his Lord and his Creator, and it is obligatory for Him to hold all worship to be for him alone, free is He from imperfections, the Most High, and that he believes in the Messenger, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), that he is the Messenger of Allāh in truth, sent to both the worlds (of Jinn and Men).

All of this is required and necessary. And this is the foundation (aṣl) of the religion and its basis (asās), just as it is obligatory upon the mukallaf (the one bound by the Sharīʿah) to believe in everything that Allāh and His Messenger informed about, of the affair of Paradise, Hellfire, the Sirāt (bridge over the Fire), the Mīzān (Scales) and other such matters that the Noble Qurʾān has indicated and also the authentic pure Sunnah.

Then alongside that, it is necessary for the testimony that (لا إله إلا الله) “None has the right to be worshipped except Allāh alone” to be uttered, and that (محمد رسول الله) “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh”, just as the prayer is necessary and the other affairs of the religion. Hence, when he prays then he has fulfilled that which was required of him. And if he does not pray, then he is a disbeliever, since the abandonment of prayer is kufr.

As for zakāh, fasting, the ḥajj and all the other obligatory affairs of the religion, if he believes in them and that they are obligatory, but he is lazy and neglectful, then he does not become a disbeliever on account of that. Rather, he is a sinner, and his īmān is weak, deficient. Since, īmān increases and decreases, it increases with obedience and righteous actions and decreases with disobedience, in the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah.

As for the prayer alone, specifically, then abandoning it is disbelief in the view of many of the people of knowledge, even if he does not reject its obligation. And it is the most correct of the two sayings of the scholars, in opposition to the remaining affairs of worship, of zakāh, fasting, ḥajj, and whatever is like that. For abandoning them is not major kufr in the correct view. However, it is a deficiency in īmān, a weakness in īmān and a great major sin, from amongst the major sins.

Hence, leaving zakāh is a major sin, and leaving fasting is a major sin, and leaving the hajj when one has the ability to perform it is a major sin, however it does not become major kufr when he believes that zakāh is true and required, and that fasting is true and required and that ḥajj for the one who has the ability is true and required. So he did not reject any of that and nor did he reject the obligation of that, but he was neglectful in his action, so he does not become a disbeliever because of that according to the correct opinion.

Yes, a person is a Muslim on account of (utterance) of the two testimonials (shahādatayn), hence, when he affirms the two testimonials, holds the Tawḥīd of Allāh the Mighty and Majestic, believes in the Messenger of Allāh, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), he enters into Islām.

Then it is to be observed, if he prays, then his Islām is completed, and if he does not pray, then he becomes an apostate. And similarly, if thereafter, he was to reject the prayer he becomes an apostate. Or if he rejected the fasting in the month of Ramaḍān, he becomes an apostate, or he said that the zakat is not obligatory, he becomes an apostate, of he said that hajj when one has ability to do it, is not obligatory, then he becomes an apostate, of he mocks the religion, or reviles Allāh or reviles the Messenger, he becomes an apostate.

So it is desirable that this matter becomes clear, so if he enters into Islām with the two testimonials, he is judged as having Islām. Then the rest of the affairs are to be observed after that, so if he remains firm upon the truth, his Islām is completed.

But if something is found from him that negates his Islām, such as reviling the religion, or rejection (takdheeb) of the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), or whoever rejected whatever Allāh, free is He from imperfections, and His Messenger have made obligatory, of the prayer, fasting, or if he rejected whatever Allāh has made unlawful, such as if he was to say, “fornication is lawful”, then he will apostatise from Islām on account of this, even if he was to pray and fast, and even if he was to say “I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allāh and that Muhammad is His Messenger”.

So if he was to say that fornication is lawful, and he knows the evidence (of its prohibition), and then the proof is established upon him, he is a disbeliever in Allāh with the major kufr, and refuge is with Allāh. Or if he said that intoxicants are lawful, and the evidence has been explained to him and they are clear to him, then he persists an dsays intoxicants are lawful, then this is major kufr and apostasy from Islām, and refuge is from Allāh.

Likewise if he said that cutting off the ties (of kinship) is lawful, this is apostasy from Islām, and refuge is from Allāh. Or if he said that giving false witness is lawful, this is apostasy from Islām after the Sharee’ah evidences have been explained to him.

Likewise, if he was to say that the prayer is not obligatory, and zakat is not obligatory, or that fasting is not obligatory, or that hajj, when one has the ability to do so, is not obligatory, then all of these are nullifications of Islām, and a person becomes a disbeliever on account of them.

But the difference is when he says that prayer is obligatory, but I am lazy, and do not pray. So the majority of the jurists say he does not become a disbeliever, and that he is a sinful person, he should be made to repent and if he does not then he is to be killed, as a hadd punishment.

And others from the people of knowledge have tended to the view, and it is narrated from the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) that he becomes a disbeliever on account of that, so he is made to repent, and if he repents then so, otherwise, he is killed as a disbeliever, due to the saying of Allāh, the Mighty and Exalted: ( فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ ) “So if they repent, establish the prayer, give the zakat, then give them their way…”^[2]

So this shows that the one who does not establish the prayer, he is not to be granted his free way, rather his repentance is to be sought, so either he repents or he is to be killed. Allāh, free from imperfections, said: ( فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ) “But if they repent, perform prayer and give zakāh, then they are your brethren in religion.”^[3] So this shows that the one who does not establish the prayers and does not pray, then he is not a brother in the religion.