Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

These actions of the person you are asking about sitting with

constitute kufr and apostasy, and we are amazed that he claims to be a

Muslim when this is the case. Not praying is major kufr, as is proven in the

Qur’aan and Sunnah and by the consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be

pleased with them).

With regard to women’s hijab, if what is meant is covering

the face (niqaab), there is a difference of opinion among the scholars

concerning it. The more correct view is that it is obligatory for all women

and that it does not apply only to the wives of the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve

him) said:

With regard to niqaab, covering the face is obligatory,

according to the correct scholarly opinion, and this is what is supported by

the saheeh evidence, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their

bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”

[al-Noor 24:31].

And Allaah said concerning the wives of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask

them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their

hearts”

[al-Ahzaab 33:53].

The fact that it is speaking of the wives of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) does not mean that the ruling

should not apply to other Muslim women, because the reason for that is

general, namely “that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.”

So the reason is general and applies both to the wives of the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and to other women.

Purity is required of all, because Allaah says in another verse

(interpretation of the meaning):

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the

women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies

(i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the

way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable

women) so as not to be annoyed”

[al-Ahzaab 33:59].

End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh al-Fawzaan (4/242,

243; question no. 250).

For more information please see the answer to question no.

11774.

But if what is meant by hijab is covering the head, then

there is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the fact

that it is obligatory. His rejection of both types, and his making fun of

them, is apostasy from Islam, because even though covering the face is not

obligatory according to some scholars, they are unanimously agreed that it

is prescribed in Islam and that it is part of the religion of Allaah, so

denying it and making fun of it is kufr which puts one beyond the pale of

Islam.

There is no excuse at all for this heretic to make fun of the

Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), rather

it is indicative of what is in his heart of hypocrisy and heresy, which

shows itself in this slip of the tongue. ‘Aa’ishah is the Mother of the

Believers and the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him), whose innocence was declared by Allaah in verses that will be

recited until the Day of Resurrection. The one who makes fun of her is in

fact making fun of her husband, who is the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him), and the one who denies that she is the Mother of the

believers is putting himself outside of their circle, but he does not harm

her at all.

Secondly:

If this is the case with this relative, then he should be

told that he is doing something which implies that he is an apostate, and

that he must repent and come back to his religion. If he meets his Lord in

this state, he will not be meeting Him as a Muslim.

What you must do – after advising him – is shun his company

and beware of him, unless the one who wants to sit with him has a sufficient

level of knowledge to repel his kufr. His companions should beware of his

evil, and upholding ties of kinship with him is not obligatory, rather it is

not permissible to initiate the greeting of salaam with him.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when they hear Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain

talk), they withdraw from it and say: ‘To us our deeds, and to you your

deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not (the way of) the ignorant’”

[al-Qasas 28:55].

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on

him) said:

“And when they hear Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain

talk)” from an ignorant person who addresses it to them, “they say”

– the words of the slaves of the Most Merciful who have understanding – “To

us our deeds, and to you your deeds” i.e., each will be requited for his

deeds that he did by himself, and he will not bear anything of the burden of

another. This implies that they are innocent of what the ignorant do of

laghw (vain talk), falsehood and idle talk.

“Peace be to you” i.e., you will not hear anything

from us but good, and we will not address you as your ignorance deserves.

Even if you allow yourselves to indulge in this rotten talk, we declare

ourselves to be above it and we protect ourselves from indulging in it. “We

seek not (the way of) the ignorant’” in any sense.

Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 620).

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is it permissible for me to sit with one who does not pray?

They replied:

The one who does not pray deliberately and denies that it is

obligatory is a kaafir, according to scholarly consensus. If he does not

pray because he is heedless and lazy, then he is a kaafir, according to the

correct scholarly opinion. Based on that, it is not permissible to sit with

these people, rather they should be shunned and cut off, after explaining to

them that not praying is kufr, if they are the type of people who may be

unaware of the ruling. It is narrated in a saheeh report from the Messenger

of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he said:

“The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever does not

pray is a kaafir.” And it is narrated in another saheeh report that he

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and kufr

and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim in his

Saheeh. This includes both the one who denies that it is obligatory and

the one who does not do it out of laziness.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq

‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah

(12/374, 375)

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is it permissible to say salaam to one who does not pray?

They replied:

The one who does not pray because he denies it is obligatory

is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus, and the one who does not pray

out of laziness, but does not deny that it is obligatory is a kaafir,

according to the correct scholarly view. So it is not permissible to say

salaams to him, or to return his salaam if he greets you with salaam,

because he is regarded as an apostate from Islam.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq

‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah

(24/141, 142)

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

The one who makes fun of the religion of Islam or the Sunnah

that is proven from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him), such as letting the beard grow, shortening the clothes

to above the ankles or halfway up the calves, when he knows that this is

proven, is a kaafir. The one who mocks the Muslim and makes fun of him

because of his adhering to Islam, is a kaafir, because Allaah says

(interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: ‘Was it at Allaah ( عز

و جل ), and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,

revelations, etc.) and His Messenger (صلى الله

عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?’

66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had

believed”

[al-Tawbah 9:65-66]

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq

‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah

(2/43-44).

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)

said:

What you must do is shun the one who does not pray, and cut

off ties with him, and do not accept his invitation, until he repents to

Allaah from that; but you should also advise him and call him to the truth,

and warn him of the consequences of not praying in this world and in the

Hereafter, in the hope that he may repent and Allaah may accept his

repentance.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz

(10/266)

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve

him) was asked:

Is it permissible for me to sit and eat and drink with

someone who does not pray and persists in not praying?

He replied:

It is not permissible for you to sit with him and eat and

drink with him, unless you are advising him and rebuking him, and you hope

that Allaah may guide him at your hands. If you are sitting with him, then

this is what you must do with him, because this comes under the heading of

denouncing evil and calling people to Allaah, and perhaps Allaah may guide

him at your hands.

But if you are sitting with him and eating and drinking with

him without denouncing him, and he is persisting in not praying, or is

persisting in some major sin, then it is not permissible for you to mix with

him. Allaah cursed the Children of Israel for something similar to this. He

says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were

cursed by the tongue of Dawood (David) and ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam

(Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allaah and the Messengers) and were

ever transgressing beyond bounds.

79. They used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar

(wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed”

[al-Maa'idah 5:78-79].

In the commentary on this verse it is narrated that one of

them would see another committing sin and tell him not to do that, then he

would meet him the next day and he would still be persisting in sin, and he

would not tell him not to do that and he would mix with him, and would eat

and drink with him and sit with him. When Allaah saw that they did that, He

set them against one another, and cursed them on the lips of their

Prophets.

And the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah

be upon him) warned us against doing such things, lest there befall us the

punishment that befell them.

End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh al-Fawzaan (2/246,

question no. 215)

See also the answer to questions no.

4420 and

47425.

And Allaah knows best.