Does Leaving One Salah Intentionally Make You a Kafir?

Uploaded Jan 19, 2024
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Question

This questioner asks: It is well known that whoever leaves the Salah (prayers) due to carelessness and laziness is a kafir (disbeliever). So, If I leave one Salah (prayer) like Al-Dhuhur prayer deliberately until its time passes, is it mandatory upon me to perform Ghusl then take the Shahadah because that way I will have left Islam to kufr (disbelief)?

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Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan
Yes. If you did that deliberately, you should repent and enter Islam again, because the Messenger ﷺ says: "That which differentiates us from them (the disbelievers and hypocrites) is our performance of Salah. He who abandons it, becomes a disbeliever." "What lies between a man and (disbelief) is the abandonment of Salah (prayer).” Is there anything clearer than this? Also, the Messenger ﷺ ordered the one who slept or forgot (to pray) to make qadha’ (perform the Salah he missed). This indicates that whoever didn’t pray deliberately, making qadha’ (making up for what he didn’t pray) will not suffice. And if he did perform it, it will neither be right nor suffice.

Additional references

Sharh Kitab As-Sunnah of Al-Barbahaari - Tape (12/25)