What should I do if my mother 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 treats deliberately abandoning the five daily prayers as an extremely serious matter and, in his well-known view, as disbelief. He tells the child to continue advising the mother and explains that whether to reduce contact depends on whether doing so is genuinely likely to help her return to prayer rather than push her further away.
What does that mean?
Keep advising with seriousness
The Shaykh rejects household work as a valid reason for deliberately abandoning the five daily prayers and urges the mother to fear Allah and establish the prayer.
Use family pressure only if it is beneficial
He does not tell the son to cut ties automatically. He says to consider the likely result: if temporary distancing may help her repent, it may be used; if it will only increase stubbornness, it should not be used.
Try this scenario
You have repeatedly advised your mother to pray, but she still leaves the prayers and says housework keeps her too busy.
Continue advising her seriously. If considering reduced contact, the Shaykh says to judge whether it is likely to help her return to prayer or only make matters worse.
What can change the answer?
- Is the prayer being missed deliberately or because of sleep/forgetfulness?
- Would distancing likely help or harm?
- Is there a safe and wise family member or scholar who can also advise her?
Quick check
- Does the Shaykh accept ordinary housework as an excuse to abandon the daily prayers?
- NoHe explicitly rejects that excuse.
- Does he command the child to cut contact in every case?
- NoHe ties that decision to whether it is likely to bring benefit.
Why?
The Shaykh bases his ruling on Qur’anic and Prophetic texts concerning the seriousness of abandoning prayer and then gives a benefit-based approach to family distancing.
Recognised differences
The Shaykh’s view that deliberate abandonment of prayer constitutes major disbelief is a recognised scholarly position; other jurists held that a person who abandons prayer out of laziness remains Muslim while committing a grave sin. This page presents the Shaykh’s own ruling.
Check you understood
Reveal the answer and explanation
Correct answer: No — consider whether it will actually help
He says distancing depends on whether it is likely to lead to repentance or merely greater resistance.
Original source
والدته لا تصلي إلا في رمضان بحجة انشغالها بأمور البيت فكيف يتعامل معها ؟
- Shaykh
- Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
- Series
- فتاوى نور على الدرب
- Reference
- الشريط رقم [299]
- 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.
You might also wonder
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- What if my wife does not pray?
- What do ‘elbows’, ‘ankles’ and ‘wrists’ mean in the rulings of wudu?
- How do I stop repeating wudu because of constant doubts?