Facebook Debate: Those that do not say prayers are Apostates and should be killed? - Part 1

by Mac Haque

Dear Anik Bin Ashraf - I beg to differ with your points. (in red below)

In your first paragraph you make several points from Hadith traditions that lays harsh punishment (mostly death by execution) for those that oppose the 'Scholars' views - without taking into cognizance that most of these Hadith are spurious and made to further the political and commercial agenda of the Umayyid and Abbasid after the death of the pROPHET.

What you then state as the 'most correct' is again attributed to Hadith Scholars. Anybody believing in all that nonsense in Hadith, would make it appear as if the kO'RAN is incomplete - or it needs 'scholarly' interpretations to hold water. What travesty!

You talk about apostasy and advocate the execution of anyone who opposes the views of the Scholars. Yet if you care to read the History of Islam, you will note that THERE IS NOT A SINGLE INSTANCE of anybody being put to death during the life of the pROPHET on ground of 'apostasy' or even blasphemy. Even one of his script writer who was charged with recording the wahi from aLLAH and who went behind the back of the pROPHET and ridiculed him publicly was also NOT punished, not even by by death. Also there is no instance of anybody being 'stoned to death' for committing adultery. It was a Jewish custom which was neither part of Islam nor in its practice.

It is more than a little surprising that all 'Muslims' live and die by what is written in Hadith, making kO'RAN almost 'obsolete' - without realizing that the book has come for all mANKIND for all times to come. Challenge any of these so-called scholars to support their contention with verses from the holy book - and they quickly bury their heads in the sand. The fact is they do not study the kO'RAN on the four mandatory stations - Shariat, Hakikat, Tarikat and mA'AREFAT... and there are altogether 25 other stations in Islamic 'filsufah' - from which the word philosophy was derived.

On Salaah, there is only reference to 'dayemi Salaah' (or remembrance of gOD at all times) in the kO'RAN and not a word is mentioned about 'wakhtia Salaah'. The whole interpretation of the word Salaah has got to be taken into consideration in its esoteric and exoteric context - the zahiri and batini - together with its hidden depth. Just going through the punishing calisthenics of hitting the forehead hard on the floor five times a day, and making huge scars to proclaim a 'Namaazi' status - is fool hardy and doubtful if aLLAH would be appeased by the same. The hate in our heart where we sanction murder for those opposing us has condemned Islam to the backbench of progress.

Last if not the least - talking about how big a 'Namaazi' we are or performing Salaah in public just to impress others is the worst form of Shirk (sacrilege). What is between us and aLLAH is purely private, secret and sacred. Man simply cannot judge fellow Man - that is the job of aLLAH really.

Nothing ABOUT aLLAH resembles humans. He is sexless, formless, speech less etc etc. The worst Murtads (apostates) are those that believe or have started believing, that the way we THINK is also the way aLLAH thinks?

aLLAH wants us to study the kO'RAN and the book by the way is neither a Harold Robbins titillating thriller or a Facebook update that we read and 'instantly understand'. aLLAH wants us to use our mid cerebral faculty - our 'akel' (reasoning/intellect) to understand and appreciate the munificence of the words of the kO'RAN.

It is simple but not easy. It is easy to be complicated but quite complicated to be easy :)

Anik Bin Ashraf

The scholars have differed concerning the Muslim who deliberately neglects salaah without denying that it is obligatory. Some of them say that he is definitely a kaafir who has gone beyond the pale of Islam. He is considered to be a murtadd (apostate) who is to be given three days to repent – if he does not, he is to be executed for his apostasy. The funeral prayer will not be recited over him, and he will not be buried in the Muslim graveyard. The greeting of salaam is not to be given to him, in life or in death, and his greeting is not to be returned; prayers for forgiveness and mercy for him cannot be offered; he cannot inherit, neither can his wealth be inherited, instead it is to be given to the Muslim treasury (bayt al-maal). This ruling applies whether the number of people who are neglecting their prayers are many or a few.

This opinion is the soundest and most correct, because of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The difference between us and them is salaah. Whoever neglects it is a kaafir.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and the authors of Sunan with a saheeh isnaad); and: “(Nothing stands) between a man and kufr and shirk, except prayer: (whoever neglects it becomes a kaafir and a mushrik).” (Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh, with other similar ahaadeeth).

The majority of scholars said that if a person denies that prayer is obligatory, he is a kaafir and an apostate from the religion of Islam. The ruling concerning such a person is as described above. If he does not deny that it is obligatory, but he neglects it because of laziness, for example, then he is guilty of a major sin (kabeerah), but he is not considered to be beyond the pale of Islam. He should be given three days in which to repent. If he does, then al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allaah); if he does not, then he should be executed, but this is a punishment, not because he became a kaafir. In this case, he should be washed (ghusl, after death) and wrapped in a shroud (kafn). The funeral prayer should be offered for him, prayers can be offered for forgiveness and mercy for him, and he should be buried in the Muslim graveyard. He can inherit and be inherited from. In general, all the rules concerning Muslims who are sinners apply to him, in life and in death.