If someone is known not to perform the prayers in congregation, one should not marry him

Question: A young man came to me asking for my sister's hand in marriage. I inquired about him and discovered that he does not perform the prayer in congregation. Therefore, we differed about whether or not we should allow this marriage to take place. My brother said: "Marry him for perhaps Allaah will guide him." However, my father refused. I want to know the Islaamic ruling concerning this matter.

Response: If someone is known not to pray in congregation, then he should not be wedded to. This is because not praying in congregation is an open, public display of disobedience to Allaah. This is one of the characteristics of the people of hypocrisy and it is one of the steps that leads to abandoning the prayer in totality. And abandoning the prayer completely is a greater form of kufr [that takes one out of the fold of Islaam]. Allaah has stated:

{Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He who deceives them. And when they stand to pray, they stand with laziness}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 142].

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

((The hardest prayers upon the hypocrites are the 'Ishaa. Prayers and the Fajr Prayers. If they knew what they had [of reward and blessings], they would come to them even if they had to crawl)). This was recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

In this regard, ibn Mas’ood said: "During our time, none would lag behind the prayer in congregation except for the hypocrite who was well-known for his hypocrisy." This was recorded by Muslim in his Saheeh. It is also confirmed that the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

((The covenant between us and them is the prayer. Whoever abandons it has committed kufr (infidelity))). This was recorded by Ahmad and the compilers of the Sunan collections with a Saheeh chain.

The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) also said:

((Between a man and disbelief and polytheism is the abandoning of the prayer)). This was recorded by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh.

There is no doubt that abandoning the prayer in congregation is one of the means that leads to abandoning the prayer in its totality, as we mentioned earlier.

We ask Allaah for guidance for all of us.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz
Fataawa al-Mar.ah