Criterion to judge a person as abandoning Salah

Q 2: It is well-known that a person who abandons Salah (Prayer) is judged to be a Kafir (disbeliever) and out of the scope of Islam. What is the criterion to judge a person as abandoning Salah? Is a person judged to be a disbeliever if they abandon all the Daily Obligatory Five Salahs? Are they judged as such for abandoning even only one Salah?


A: There are many Hadiths indicating that a person who abandons Salah is judged to be a disbeliever. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever abandons Salah will be a disbeliever. He (peace be upon him) also said: What makes one a disbeliever and a polytheist is abandoning Salah. Such Hadiths and similar ones indicate that abandoning one Salah has the same ruling as abandoning all Salahs, although abandoning all the Salahs is more sinful.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.


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