Hadith Text & Reference

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'There is nothing between a person and disbelief except abandoning Salah.'"

Source: Sunan an-Nasa'i 464 | The Book of Salah

Meaning & Significance

This profound hadith establishes the critical position of Salah in Islamic faith. The phrase "nothing between a person and disbelief" indicates that abandoning prayer removes the protective barrier that separates a Muslim from kufr (disbelief).

The prayer serves as the distinguishing mark between faith and disbelief, between the Muslim and the non-Muslim. It is the pillar of Islam upon which the entire religion stands.

Scholarly Commentary

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah states: "Whoever abandons the prayer has demolished the pillar of Islam and has destroyed its foundation. Between him and Islam remains only a name without reality."

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal considered the abandonment of Salah as kufr (disbelief), based on this and similar authentic narrations. The majority of scholars hold that willful abandonment without denial of its obligation constitutes major sin bordering on disbelief.

The prayer is the first matter we will be accounted for on the Day of Judgment, and its proper establishment is the means of acceptance for all other deeds.

Practical Implications

This hadith serves as a severe warning to Muslims regarding the gravity of neglecting the obligatory prayers. It emphasizes that faith is not merely a matter of belief in the heart, but must manifest through consistent action.

The believer must guard their prayers diligently, performing them at their proper times with presence of heart and proper fulfillment of conditions and pillars. Abandoning prayer is not a minor negligence but a matter that threatens one's very faith.