Is Fasting Accepted Without Prayer?
One of
the strange phenomena occurring in the lives of some Muslims is that you may
find among them those who are keen to fast during Ramadan,
yet—unfortunately—are not keen to perform the prayer.
Ramadan holds a
profound reverence and sanctity in the hearts of people, inherited generation
after generation. Few dare to violate its sanctity—except one steeped in
immorality, who is on the verge of having no share in Islam at all.
There is
no doubt that prayer carries
greater weight in the scale of religion than fasting. It is the foremost act of
worship, the pillar of Islam, and the clear distinction between a Muslim and a
disbeliever. However, ignorance, heedlessness, and
love of worldly life have caused some people to neglect the importance and
status of prayer in Islam—so much so that some live their entire lives without
ever bowing once before Allah in prayer.
Is
the One Who Abandons Prayer a Disbeliever?
Every
Ramadan, we are confronted with this recurring question: What is the ruling on
one who fasts but does not pray?
As for
those who hold that abandoning prayer constitutes disbelief—as is apparent in
some hadiths and is reported from a number of Companions and jurists such as
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Ishaq Ibn Rahawayh—their ruling is clear: they view his
fasting as invalid, because he is considered a disbeliever due to abandoning
prayer, and fasting is not accepted from a disbeliever.
As for
those who follow the opinion of the majority of jurists—among both the early
and later scholars—that the one who abandons prayer is sinful (fasiq), not a
disbeliever, and that Allah does not Let the deed of anyone be lost nor wrongs
even the weight of an atom: {So whoever does an
atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an
atom’s weight of evil will see it.} [Az-Zalzalah 99:7–8]
They
maintain that such a person is accountable for neglecting prayer but is
rewarded for fasting. His punishment for abandoning one obligation does not
nullify his reward for fulfilling another. Allah the Exalted Says, {We set up the scales of justice for the Day of Judgment,
so no soul will be wronged in the least. And ˹even˺ if a deed is the weight of a mustard
seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner.} [Al-Anbiya’ 21:47]
Should
the Fast of the One Who Abandons Prayer be Invalidated?
From a
practical and educational standpoint, what benefit is there in telling someone
who fasts but does not pray: “Your fasting is meaningless, and you receive no
reward for it”?
This may
push him to abandon fasting just as he abandoned prayer. In doing so, the last
thread connecting him to religion through obligatory acts of worship may be
severed—perhaps driving him even further away from faith with no return.
More
appropriate—and more convincing—is to tell him: May Allah reward you for
your fasting. Now complete your Islam with something even greater than fasting:
the prayer.
You have
endured hunger and thirst and restrained yourself for the sake of Allah—so why do you hesitate
to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who pray and bow with those who bow,
for the pleasure of Allah?
Keeping
this thread that connects him to Islam—even if only for one month each year—is
better than cutting it off entirely with no replacement. Partial vision is
better than total blindness in every case.
For Further Reading:
- Role of Worship in Preserving Islamic Identity
- 10 Rewards in the Hereafter for Worshiping Allah
- The Scientific Insights on the Benefits and Spiritual Value of Fasting
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