Four Major Sins

Allah most High says: Then there succeeded them a generation which neglected prayersand followed lusts. They will meet with destruction (Ghayy),excepting the one who repents and believes and acts righteously.(Quran 19:59-60) Ibn abbas (RAA) explained that <> here does not meanthat they completely abandoned prayers, but that they delayedthem to the end of their prescribed times. Sa'id bin Musayyab, agreat Imam following the generation of the Companions,elaborated on this, saying: "A person neglects if he delays thenoon prayer up to the afternoon prayer time, afternoon prayer upto almost sunset prayer time, sunset prayer up to evening prayertime, and evening prayer up to morning prayer time, whiledelaying morning prayer until just before sunrise.  If anyonedies without repentance while continuing in this manner, Allahhas promised Ghayy for him, and that is a valley in Hell whichis very deep and has foul food." Allah Most High says: Woe to the worshippers who are unmindful of their prayer. (Quran107:4-5) Saad bin Abi Waqqas said: "I asked Allah's Messenger (SAW) aboutthe meaning of 'unmindful,' and he replied: 'It is delaying it(the prayer) up to the end of its prescribed time.'" (Bazar) While Allah calls such people <, they are lazy andperform the prayer very late. He has promised them <>(Wayl), which signifies a great punishment. Some say, "Wayl is a valley in Hell, exceedingly hot, and thatis the place for those who delay or miss the prayer, exceptingthe ones who repent and correct their habits." Allah Most High says: O you who bleieve, let neither your wealth nor your childrendistract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who do so,they will be the losers (Quran 63:9) The commentators say: "The 'remembrance of Allah' in this versemeans the five daily prayers. If anyone is so busy in buying andselling, or with his daily work of earning a livelihood, or withhis children, that he cannot perform prayers on time, he will beamong the losers." The Prophet (SAW) said in this regard: "The first thing whichwill be judged among a person's deeds on the Day of Resurrectionis the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the testand prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test andbe a loser." (Tirmidhi) Informing us about the inhabitants of Hell, Allah Most Highsays: (The people in Hell will be asked): "What caused you to enterHell-fire?" They will say: "We were not among those who prayed,nor did we feed the needy. We used to engage in vain discoursewith the vain-talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgement,until there came to us that which is certain (ie. Allah'sjudgement)." Then no intercession by any intercessors willbenefit them. (Quran 74:42-48) The Prophet (SAW) said: "The convenant between us and them (thatis, believers) is prayer, so if anyone abandons it he has becomean infidel." (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi). Healso said: "What lies between a man and infidelity is theabanonment of prayer." (Muslim) Allah's Messenger (SAW) is reported to have said: "If anyoneabandons the afternoon prayer, his deeds are of no avail."(Bukhari). And he said: "If anyone abandons prayer deliberatelyhe has no claim upon Allah" (Sunan). Abdullah bin amr bin al-As (RAA) said that the Prophet (SAW)mentioned prayer one day saying, "If anyone keeps to it, it willbe light, evidence, and salvation for him on the day ofResurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not befor him light, evidence, or salvation; and on the Day ofResurrection, he will be associated with Qaran, Pharoah, Haman,and Ubayy bin Khalaf (a great enemy of Islam from among theQuraish)." (Ahmad, Darimi and Baihaqi) Some scholars have explained that the person who abandons prayerwill be raised with such a foursome because his neglect ofprayer may be due to his involvement with his property, hiscountry, his administrative work, or his trade, Therefore, if hewas involved with his property, he will be resurrected withQarun; if with his country, then with Pharoah; if with hisadministrative work, then with Haman; and if with his trade,then with Ubayy bin Khalaf, the trader among the unbelievers ofMecca. Mu'adh bin Jabal (RAA) reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) assaying: "If anyone abandons prayer intentionally he has no claimto Allah Most High." (Ahmad) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RAA) reported that a man asked the Prophet(SAW):  "Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to AllahMost High?" The Prophet (SAW) replied: "Prayer at its propertime. The one who does not pray has no religion. Prayer is themain pillar of the religon (of Islam)." (Baihaqi) After Umar had been stabbed, it was said to him, "As-salat, yaamir ul-mumineen!" (The prayer, Leader of the Believers!) Hesaid, "Yes, truly!  If anyone misses the prayer, he has no sharein Islam," and thereupon he prayed while his wounds werebleeding. Abdullah bin Shaqiq (RAA) said that the Companions of theProphet (SAW) did not consider the abandonment of any good deedsto be unbelief excepting the abandonment of prayer. When Ali (RAA) was asked about a woman who did not pray, hereplied:  "The one who does not pray is an unbeliever." IbnMasood said that the one who does not pray has no religion, andIbn Abbas said: "The one who leaves off a single prayerdeliberately will find, when he meets Allah Most High, that Heis angry with him." Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "When a person meets Allah afterneglecting his prayer, he will meet him as if he had notworshipped him at all, nor done any good deeds." And Ibn Hazmsaid: "There is no greater sin after polytheism than missing aprayer [That is to say, if one deliberately delays a prayeruntil its time has passed, although he was able to pray it ontime, without any valid reason which permits delaying it beforeits time.] and killing a believer without just cause." Ibrahim Nakahi said: "The one who has left off the prayer hasbecome a disbeliever." Awn bin Abdullah said: "When a person isburied, the first question which will be asked him will beconcerning the prayer. If that is accepted from him, his otherdeeds will be looked at, but if that is not accepted form him,no other deeds will be looked at." Abdullah bin al-As reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying:"A person who conbines two prayers without excuse, enters a gateamong the major sins." We seek Allah's guidance and help, for indeed. He is theGenerous, the Magnanimous, and the Most Merciful of all mercifulones!