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Question

Should I pray time to time or stop praying?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

A person who abandons performing the Prayers completely is a disbeliever. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Between a man and disbelief – or polytheism – is discarding Prayers.” [Muslim]

In the same vein, 'Umar Ibn al-Khattaab  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said: “One who abandons Prayers has nothing that proves that he is a Muslim.

As for one who neglects or is lazy in performing Prayers, he exposes himself to the threat as stated in the following Prophetic Hadeeth: “There are five obligatory Prayers. Whoever performs them in full and completely (as demonstrated in the Sunnah), Allah Promises him to enter Paradise; whoever does not perform them, then there will be no covenant for him with Allah; if He wills He will Punish him or cause him to enter Paradise.” [An-Nasaa-i and Abu Daawood]

In addition, one who neglects performing Prayers exposes himself to the Divine threat:

Allah Says (what means): {So woe to those who pray. [But] who are heedless of their prayer.} [Quran 107:4-5]

The word ‘woe’ means a valley in Hellfire.

Allah also Says (what means): {But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil.} [Quran 19:59]

According to the interpreters of the Quran, ‘this verse indicates to some people from among the Ummah of Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) what will come at the end of life on earth.'

Al-Qurtubi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him affirms that such people (who neglect their Prayers) will face destruction and be thrown in Hellfire, which is their end.

Thus, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were used to recommending one another to keep on performing the congregational Prayers starting with the first Takbeer. They also used to console one who misses the congregational prayer.
Allah, The Great and Almighty, stresses that one has to perform Prayers at their prescribed fixed times. Allah Says (what means): {Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.} [Quran 2:238]

Our dear brother! You are to observe your Prayers at their prescribed fixed times. So, you have to avoid what distracts you from your prayers and to do what may help you to perform them, since obedience can only be accomplished through some needed motives.

For more benefit on the ruling on abandoning the prayer or delaying it, please refer to Fataawa 384457, 377344, 88016, 84178, 83565, 87587, 90926, 88690 and 84403.

Allah knows best.

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