Is skipping prayers a bigger sin than fornication?

- I heard from an imam that skipping one fard prayer is a bigger sin than fornication, interest or drinking alcohol.
- Both me and my spouse are people who perform our five daily prayers; at least we are people who try not to skip any prayers as much as possible and we perform them on time but we sometimes skip prayers, albeit rarely. Frankly, I was very surprised when I heard that people like us committed a bigger sin than those who drank alcohol and committed fornication when we missed a prayer. I always knew that abandoning prayers was a big sin, but I did not know that it was a bigger sin than fornication and alcohol.
- I told my spouse about it; he is also a person who performs prayers and regards fornication and alcohol as big sins and evil. He could not believe it and said “Woah! How can missing only one prayer be a bigger sin that committing fornication. It is impossible. You probably misunderstood it. Who said it? Let us search it.” When I searched other websites and told him about it, he kept quiet and did not object. (His objection was due to possible misinformation on the net; that is why his reaction was like that; he is normally a person with religious sensitivity.)
My question is this: Is it really true?
Did my spouse commit a big sin when he objected and was surprised at first? Is he regarded to have committed polytheism? God forbid :((
- When it comes to my spouse’s reaction like this, since drinking alcohol or committing fornication harms both the person and his environment, major sins such as fornication and drinking alcohol are seen, at first glance, as a much bigger sin than not performing prayers. I think that is the way of thinking that led us to the wrong opinion. I will appreciate it if you enlighten me.

Dear Brother / Sister,

Not performing prayers, drinking alcohol, gambling and committing fornication are among major sins. Presenting some of them as relatively unimportant (in a way to be understood as such) in order to make a person abandon one of them is not an appropriate way of guidance, nor is it a good way of education.

Your spouse is not regarded to have committed a major sin due to objecting at first and being surprised; those confusing people like that can be held responsible.

It is reasonable for your spouse to regard fornication and drinking alcohol as a much bigger sin than not praying at first glance since drinking alcohol or committing fornication harms both the person and his environment. The person who expresses the opposite of must have been based on his own interpretation and narrations, not on reason. We have not come across such a comparison in the Quran and hadiths.

Instead, we think that it would be more appropriate to tell people about the worship of prayer, to emphasize its importance and to draw attention to what should be done when prayer is not performed.

Abandoning a fard is haram and a major sin. Therefore, it is also haram to leave the prayer intentionally and knowingly, even once, without an excuse, and it is a major sin. It is necessary to repent and make up for it (perform it as a missed prayer) as soon as possible.

So, it is a major sin not only to commit a haram but also to abandon a fard deed of worship.

Prayer (Salah) is the Pillar of the Religion.

Prayer is Allah’s command,[1] the apple of the eye of the Prophet (pbuh),[2] the pillar of the religion,[3] the meeting of Muslims, the flapping of wings from masiwa to mawara, the ascension of believers,[4] the refuge of those who are patient,[5] atonement for sins,[6] the key to Paradise, [7] the best of deeds,[8] the peace of hearts and food for spirits. If this food is not taken within the required five times daily, it will cause a weakness in faith and a dissatisfaction / deficiency in the spirit.

As our Prophet (pbuh) informed us,

“The moment when a servant is closest to Allah is the moment of prostration in prayer.”[9],
“Between the servant and unbelief is the abandonment of prayer.”[10],
“The red line between us, Muslims, and unbelievers is the abandonment of prayer.”[11],
“The first thing about which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Judgment is prayer. If he becomes successful in performing the prayers, he will pass the test; if there is a problem in performing the prayers, he cannot pass the test and will be disappointed.”[12],
“Five daily prayers, two Fridays and two Ramadans will be expiation for the (minor) sins committed between them, as long as major sins are avoided.”[13]

Prayer is a port of salvation where people from all walks of life take refuge. It is a state of constant protection for both the weak and the strong. It means taking refuge in Allah, who is All-Knowing (Alim), Seeing (Basir), Hearing (Sami’), Rahim (Merciful), and Karim (Generous).

Prayer is the servant’s presentation of his situation to Allah, who neither sleeps nor slumbers, when government offices are closed at sunset, when the security forces work at a lower intensity and when the stars disappear.

In prayer, a Muslim is like a fish that can only live in water. The fish must return to the water to live when it comes out or is taken out of the water. The hearts of Muslims that are attached to prayer can be satisfied only with prayer. Therefore, Muslims of all ages enter into the presence of Allah at different times of the day and pray to Him.[14]

Muslims’ Plan B: Qada (Missed/Make-up) Prayer

Qada (missed/make-up) prayer is the performance of a deed of worship that must be performed within a certain time, after its time has passed, whether intentionally or forgetfully.[15] The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following about qada prayer:

“If a person forgets to perform the (fard) prayer, falls asleep (at that time of prayer) or is heedless and then remembers that he has not performed the prayer, let him perform it immediately. There is no sin when he does so.”[16]

As a matter of fact, the Prophet (pbuh) could not perform the afternoon prayer due to the severity of the war during the Battle of Khandaq; thereupon, he said, “They prevented us from the afternoon prayer. May Allah fill their houses and graves with fire!” He cursed them and performed the afternoon prayer at the time of the evening prayer as qada.[17] Besides, on the way back from the Conquest of Khaybar, they fell asleep where they had a break and performed the morning prayer, which they could not perform on time, after the sun rose.[18]

The One Who Abandons Prayer Deliberately Must Perform it as qada and Repent

Since prayer is a fard deed of worship that must be performed at certain times every day, a person who does not perform the prayer on time due to laziness and negligence without any excuse becomes a sinner, commits haram and a major sin. It is fard for a Muslim who cannot or does not perform the prayer on time, to make up for that prayer according to the unanimous view of all madhhabs.[19]

In addition, since the prayer that cannot be performed on time due to sleep and forgetting is demanded to be performed after its prescribed time, it is necessary to make up for it in case of not performing it deliberately. A deliberately abandoned prayer remains a debt to be paid to Allah and must be paid even if it is delayed. However, this person has committed a sin due to deliberately abandoning his prayer. Therefore, repentance is also necessary. As the Prophet (pbuh) puts it, “The debt to Allah debt is the most worthy of those that must be paid.” [20]

Abandoning Prayer Deliberately

There is no hadith about the qada of prayers that are abandoned deliberately without an excuse such as forgetting or sleeping. However, it does not mean that it is not necessary to make up for deliberately abandoned prayers. The fact that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered a person who intentionally broke his fast by having sexual intercourse in Ramadan both expiation and the qada of that day’s fasting[21] proves that if a fard worship is abandoned deliberately, it is necessary to make up for it.

On the other hand, considering the fact that the Prophet (pbuh) made up for the prayers that he could not perform on time, based on an excuse, and ordered the Companions to do so, it is concluded that it will be necessary to make up the prayers that were left without an excuse.[22]

As Abul-Khayr al-Imrani[23] puts it, “It is fard to perform prayers for those who have forgotten and fallen asleep due to an excuse when they are reminded; making up for prayers that have not been performed deliberately without an excuse is of higher priority (compared to the other).”[24]

Having reported the narrations including the hadith in question under the heading “How can a person make up for the prayer that he has not been able to perform as a result of sleeping and forgetting?”²¹, the scholar Ayni (ra), deals with the prayers that are abandoned without an excuse, under the title of “Benefits / Decrees to be Obtained from the Hadith” and states the following: If it is necessary to make up for a prayer abandoned due to an excuse, it is more necessary to make up for a prayer abandoned deliberately.[25]

Scholars such as Bayhaqi,[26] and Qarafi[27] state that the word “heedlessness” in the hadith we have mentioned also means abandoning it deliberately and without an excuse. As a matter of fact, the Arabic linguist al-Fayyumi defines the word ‘heedlessness’ as follows: “Heedlessness means the disappearance of something from one’s mind and not remembering it. This word is also used for a person who abandons something because of neglect and turning away.”[28] This definition also supports some scholars who interpret heedlessness as both intentionally and unintentionally.

As Mawlana puts it, “Prostration and bowing mean hitting the knob of existence on Allah’s door!” Then, servitude means hitting the knob of that blessed door five times a day.

We should not forget what the poet said:

The food earned unlawfully is not considered food.
The tear not shed for the truth is not considered a tear. 
A person should not boast that he has a head.
The head that does not prostrate is not considered a head.

The Greatest Truth After Belief is Prayer (Salah)

As Badiuzzaman Said Nursi puts it, “The most elevated question in the universe is belief. After belief comes salah.”[29]

After a person becomes a believer and a Muslim, the first command he is demanded to obey is prayer. Then, the pillars of Islam and the religious rules that Allah prohibits follow it.

The reason why prayer comes after belief is that the prayer performed properly will help a Muslim to stay away from sins.

As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a verse:

“Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.” (al-Ankabut, 29/45)

That is to say, the sound prayer performed consciously keeps man away from bad deeds and impropriety outside of prayer too. Prohibition does not ensure keeping away a hundred percent but enhances it. As long as the prayer is performed regularly and properly, goodness will increase.

May Allah enable us to perform servitude truly in a way that does not allow us to skip prayers and enable us to make up for fard prayers as soon as possible in case we miss them. Amin.

[1] See al-Baqara, 2/3-43 et al.

[2] See Musnad, Hadith No: 14037; Nasai, H. No: 3940. (The words belong to Ahmad.)
[3] See Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, al-Jamius-Saghir, Hadith No: 5186; Bayhaqi, Shuabul-Iman, H. No: 2807.
[4] Although this expression is frequently mentioned in the books of scholars, it is not a hadith as is supposed.
[5] See al-Baqara, 2/153.
[6] See Musnad, Hadith No: 9356; Muslim, H. No: 233.
[7] See Musnad, Hadith No: 14662; Tirmidhi, H. No: 4.
[8] See Ibn Majah, Hadith No: 279; Bayhaqi, Shuabul-Iman, H. No: 2804.
[9] See Muslim, Hadith No: 482.
[10] See Muslim, Hadith No: 82; Abu Davud, H. No: 4678; Tirmidhi, H. No: 2619. (The word belongs to Tirmidhi.)
[11] See Tirmidhi, Hadith No: 2621; Nasai, H. No: 463; Ibn Majah, H. No: 1079.
[12] See Tirmidhi, Hadith No: 413; Nasai, H. No: 465; Ibn Majah, H. No: 1425.
[13] See Muslim, Hadith No: 233.
[14] See Şenocak, İhsan, Bir İnkilâptır Namaz, Hüküm Kitap, Istanbul 2017, p. 40.
[15] The abandonment of the prayer whether intentionally or unintentionally is defined as “Qada” unanimously by fiqh methodologists.
[16] See Bukhari, Hadith No: 572; Muslim, H. No: 684.
[17] See Bukhari, Hadith No: 6396; Muslim, H. No: 627.
[18] See Muslim, Hadith No: 680.
[19] See Wahba az-Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami wa Adillatuhu, Darul-Fikr, Damascus nd., II, p. 1148.
[20] See Bukhari, Hadith No: 1953; Muslim, H. No: 1148.
[21] Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Hadith No: 6944-6945; Bayhaqi, as-Sunanul-Kubra, H. No: 8059-8060.
[22] See an-Nawawi, al-Minhaj, Daru Ihyait-Turathil-Arabi, Beirut 1392, V, p. 183
[23] He is a Shafii fiqh scholar who defended the view of the Hanbalis on the issue of Khalqul-Quran and migrated to another place due to the internal political turmoil that broke out years later, but unfortunately his life was ended by others in the process of confusion. See Ibn Samura al-Ja’di, Tabaqatu Fuqahail-Yemen, Darus-Salam, Cairo 1377, pp. 174-210.
[24] see Yahya b. Abil-Khayr b. Salim al-Imrani, al-Bayan Madhhabi al-Imamish-Shafii,
[25] See Badruddin al-Ayni, Nuhabul-Afkar, Wizaratul-Awqaf, Qatar 1429, VII, p. 160
[26] See Abu Bakr Ahmad b. al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi, al-Khilafiyat Baynal-Imamayn, ar-Rawda lin-Nashr wat-Tawzi’, Cairo 1436, III, p. 113.
[27] See Shihabuddin Ahmad b. Idris b. Abdirrahman al-Qarafi, az-Zahira, Darul-Gharb, Beirut 1414, II, p. 380.
[28] See Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Fayyumi, al-Misbahul-Munîr, al-Maktabatul-Ilmiyya, Beirut nd. II, p. 449
[29] Nursi, Badiuzzaman Said, Tarihçe-i Hayat, Sözler, Istanbul 2022, p. 128.

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