What if my wife does not pray?
Source-verified English summary of the Shaykh’s ruling. The original Arabic source has been verified. Independent scholarly review is shown separately when completed; refer to the original Arabic source for the Shaykh’s complete wording.
Review status: Independent scholarly review pending.
Short answer
In summary, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen’s position is that deliberate abandonment of the five daily prayers is major disbelief. On that basis, he says a husband whose wife persistently refuses to pray after being advised cannot continue marital intimacy with her unless she returns to prayer. This page records the Shaykh’s own ruling; personal marital cases should be taken to a qualified scholar who can assess the facts directly.
What does that mean?
He treats the issue as more than ordinary marital disobedience
The Shaykh rejects childcare and household responsibilities as excuses for abandoning prayer and frames the issue around his ruling on the religious status of one who deliberately leaves the prayer.
Personal cases need direct scholarly handling
Because marital status and separation are serious consequences, the principle should not be applied casually from a web summary to a real marriage without qualified guidance.
Try this scenario
A wife fasts Ramadan but persistently refuses the five daily prayers and says caring for the children leaves no time.
The Shaykh rejects that excuse and, based on his ruling on abandonment of prayer, says the marriage cannot simply continue as normal. A real case should be taken promptly to a qualified scholar.
What can change the answer?
- Is she actually abandoning prayer altogether, or missing some prayers?
- Has the ruling been explained to her clearly?
- Are there facts about intention, ignorance or circumstances requiring direct scholarly assessment?
Quick check
- Does the Shaykh accept childcare as a reason to abandon all five prayers?
- NoHe explicitly rejects that excuse.
- Should a person apply a marriage-separation ruling solely from a short online summary?
- NoThe consequences are serious and require qualified case-specific guidance.
Why?
The Shaykh’s answer is built on his established view that deliberate abandonment of prayer is major disbelief and then applies that premise to the marriage question.
Recognised differences
The Shaykh’s view on deliberate abandonment of prayer is a recognised scholarly position, but there is established juristic disagreement on whether a person who abandons prayer out of laziness leaves Islam. This page reports his own ruling.
Check you understood
Reveal the answer and explanation
Correct answer: Speak to a qualified scholar about the actual case
Case-specific facts matter when the consequences affect a marriage.
Original source
زوجته لا تصلي وتعتذر بانشغالها بالأولاد فهل يطلقها ؟
- Shaykh
- Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
- Series
- فتاوى نور على الدرب
- Reference
- الشريط رقم [304]
- Review status
- Official Arabic source verified; independent scholarly review pending
Source-verified English summary of the Shaykh’s ruling. The original Arabic source has been verified. Independent scholarly review is shown separately when completed; refer to the original Arabic source for the Shaykh’s complete wording.
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