Islamic marriage advice and family advice

If you neither pray nor cover are you Muslim?

two muslim men praying

Are you still a muslim if you don't pray or wear the hijab at all?

- khadidjah1


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14 Responses »

  1. Asa

    Dear Khadija...i am not a scholar but my understanding is that if you do the shahada and believe in the oneness of Allah (swt) and his messeger Prophet Mohamed (saw) as his last messenger then you are a muslim...however doing salah and hijab as a muslima are vital. If you dont do these you are still muslim but are commiting sin for each salah missed and gaining sin for EACH and every gaze of a non mehram that you receive while not covered in the islamic way (that is with only the maximum of hands and face showing ...no ears, neck, arms , ankles etc)

    Why would you want to live your life where you are accumilating such huge amounts of sin every day...especially when you are aware these things are sins which makes it worse as you will be rebillious in your practice of Islam.

    I hope and pray Allah guides you and increases your imam...start slowly and your salah will increase...try to cover as much as you can...and if you fast in ramadhan, cover your head with hijaab while fasting otherwise your fast will not be counted as women who fast but remain uncovered while fasting in presence of non mehram men do not have theor fast counted...something to consider..as this was the reason I started Hijaab as I didnt want my fasts wasted and Alhumdullilah after the 30 days of ramadhan...i was so used to the hijaab that it stayed on..and i have been wearing the hijaab now for 20 years mashAllah.

    I pray you have every success in increasing your iman and practice...

    • Asalaamualaykum,

      Naila is correct in what she says, but at the same time, some scholars have said that praying Salaah is what distinguishes a believer from a non believer. So where some believe that not praying salaah makes one a weak muslim, some say it makes one a non muslim and there is evidence to support both opinions.

      When we are in our grave, we will be questioned about who our Lord is and thereafter about our Salaah. if the state of our salaah is good, we can expect good in the grave. If the state of our salaah is poor, what should we expect in the grave?

      Salaah is our means of communicating with Allah. If we cut that off, we will be lost in this world and the next.

      ***

      Hijab is compulsory, but is not one of the five pillars of Islam as Salaah. It is important, but not to the same level as Salaah, i.e one is not considered a non muslim if she does not observe hijab.

      ***

      Point to remember is this: Muslims must submit to the Will of Allah, so we should do what He has ordered and abstain from what he has forbidden. Allah has prescribed a punishment for leaving Salaah in the hereafter and the Sunnah also mentions punishment in the hereafter, for not observing Hijab. We not only lose blessings if we leave Salaah and Hijaab but also incur punishment and so it is in our best interests to stick to both, in doing the things that Allah has prescribed, we are holdingy on to the rope of Allah. Without this, we have nothing.

      SisterZ
      IslamicAnswers.com Senior Editor

      • Is it true as the above poster said that your fasts will not be accepted if you dont observe hijab?

        • Its up to Allah. Someone could be praying and covering but backbiting or hurting someone. Perhaps Allah will not accept this person's fast.

          Just keep striving, purify your deeds, purify your intentions. If you don't wear hijab, this doesnt meant you are a bad person, it just means this is your weakness, so ask Allah to forgive you and to make you strong enough to wear it. I wear hijab, so this is no longer my weak point, instead I have may other things that are my weaknesses, which perhaps in Allah's eyes are worse than not wearing hijab. So I must also do tawbah.

          Just keep striving.

      • We are a misleading nation and specially in the name of religion. I agree that prayer is most important and I pray regularly. But Allah is merciful, He can accept our any deed and we cannot say that someone good deeds will not be accepted if he/she don't pray salah. And if a person is doing any deed for Allah just in this month, Allah will accept that surely. Let's leave that matter to Allah only. We have an example of a women who was into formication and other sins but her one good deed (giving water to a thirsty dog) took her to jannah

  2. Hi, I am very glad that you posted this as I am interested in the answers myself. I have only recently reverted and I am trying to learn as much as I can. However I have not been comfortable with the idea of wearing a Hijaab. My friend showed me how to put it on properly (apparantly just drapping it over my hair loosly isn't enough?) and he thinks I should wear it and will get used to wearing it but I am not so sure.

    I had seen women in town who I know to be muslim not wearing it and wondered if the rule was flexible. I have a womens gym and some of my muslim members come in wearing the hijab and take it off while they are working out where as others come in without it, however I saw them all at mosque and know that they are all muslim. They all wore it at mosque but not all of them do when out and about so I was left a little confused but thought it rude to ask them.

    I don't believe that anyone should pick and chose parts of their religion they want to follow however I can understand that when living in a western society many people feel uncomfortable following their faith fully.

    So from the above post it would appear that it is not a flexible rule then?

  3. Khadijah assalamu aleikum.....

    To be Muslim or not is serious matter, if you are reverted recently first take your shahada
    that is believe in oneness of Allah, His messengers Mohammed, Jesus, Moses, Abraham and all of them.
    Get knowledge of oneness (Tawheed) of Allah.

    Then get your five prayers done daily, after you have known all about oneness of Allah and your duties as Muslim lady, if you knowingly leave prayers you are left your religion and you are disbeliever (not Muslim) except for woman those days that she is in period time. About Hijab, your duty is to ask yourself "If I do this what I get from Allah and if I leave this what face from Allah= responsibility"....the verses in Koran which Allah talks about how honorable, modest, modern Muslim lady should dress is this:

    "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful"....

    So my sister in Islam the respectable Muslim lady does not take her Hijab off in the public places like work, streets etc except in the sight of her husband and those that are not to marry her (her brother, her children etc mentioned in the Koran)....

    Islam is to make our life here and hereafter EASY, Islam takes us from dark to light and knowledge about Allah and His signs, His messengers, teaches us about this World and the World after this..."

    Furthermore, I would like to welcome you to Islam, which is light. May Allah guide all of us to the right path.
    Jazakallahu kheiran.

    Sincerely your brother in Islam Abdullah.

  4. I think you should do some research and be satisfied as to what Islam requires of you. Yes, the Quran speaks of modesty (hijab) and prayers. But it also speaks of charity, saying kind words to our parents, remembrance of Allah and the hereafter, preserving chastity, being kind to neighbours, etc. In fact, in respect of the latter, the Quran mentions these items over and over, particularly the concept of charity/almsgiving. Imagine what the world would be like right now if every muslim took that obligation seriously!!! The vast majority of wealth in this world lies with muslims especially muslims in the middle east. In one fell swoop the muslim ummah can eradicate child poverty, maternal death, fund schools for girls,etc. Instead, wealthy muslims are building giant towers in the gulf and 6-star hotels in other parts of the middle east. What if each muslim in North America contributed $5 daily to a kitty....only $5...the cost of a grande coffee...imagine what we could accomplish with that money in impoverished countries. So much.

    So yes, hijab is mandatory. Be cognizant of your responsibility to be modest (hijab) and say your prayers. But remember, you should be cognizant of other things as well. We can't pick and choose what failures constitute "major sins". The Quran does speak of hijab, but it speaks of charity to those less fortunate, and remembrance of Allah, and the oneness of Allah, over and over and over throughout the Quran. Are you nice to your parents and try to take care of them? Remember that Jannah is at your mother's feet. Can you sponsor a few orphans on a regular basis through a reputable aid organization? You would go so far in fulfilling your Islamic duty!!!! I am modest in my dress, but i don't cover my head. But I try to pray 5 times a day. I try to give Zakaat on a regular basis -- but i could probably afford to do more, if I really think about it. But no one can tell me if Allah SWT will punish me in the grave or the hereafter because I failed to cover my head, or because I failed to be more charitable. I just don't know, and no one knows. Read the Quran, follow your heart and do the best that you can.

    • This is a seriously flawed reply because of the following reasons:

      Yes, the Quran speaks of modesty (hijab) and prayers. But it also speaks of charity, saying kind words to our parents, remembrance of Allah and the hereafter, preserving chastity, being kind to neighbours, etc.

      The sister has particularly asked about if someone remains within the fold of Islam if someone completely abandons salah and hijab. Yet you have brought the issues of kindness towards our parents and neighbors, hereafter, chastity etc. I cannot say what motivated you to bring these other issues, but we should remember the following points:

      -One of the ploy of the Shaitan is he tries to make sins appear less serious in the eyes of human beings. We need to be extremely watchful of that. Suppose someone only prays Jumuah salah and abandons all other prayers. The moment he starts to feel bad or anxious about the fact that he is abandoning all other regular prayers, the Shaytan will come and make him remember his other acts of worship. The shaytan will say, "Why are you worrying man? Look at other people. At least you attend the Jumuah. There are so many people who even does not attend Jumuah. Also you do perform some other acts of worship. And don't you know that Allah is the most merciful?" Most of us fall in this trap. But what did the Messenger of Allah instruct? He instructed us to look upon people above us when it comes to worship. Like if I can worship Allah like scholar X, I should then look upon a person who is better than scholar X in that regard. I should continue my striving in this regard. It will never end, because the greatest worshiper of Allah is His Messenger, and no one shall reach him. On the other hand, we should look people below us when it comes to worldly possessions. Like if I have a car, I should not look at those who have BMW; rather I should look at those who ride cycle.

      -No matter how much you worship Allah, a single disobedience can be enough to destroy all your good deeds. The best example in this regard is Iblees. He worshiped Allah for thousands of years. He raised in rank so much that he became the master of the angels. He even knew 'Ism Azam'. And then what happened? He disobeyed just one order from Allah and became included among the disbelievers.

      - In Islam, one worship does not compensate for your shortcoming on others. For example, suppose I earn millions. My earning is halaal. I pay off my zakah (obligatory charity). I say my salah regularly. I am the sponsor of hundreds of orphans. Even after all this if my wife goes out without hijaab, I would still be responsible for that. Allah will reckon me for that. Just because I do so many other acts of worship, does not simply waive me of my responsibility of making sure that my wife observes proper hijaab.

      - Even if a sin is minor, it should not be belittled. Because a sin is a sin and sin means rebellion against the majesty and honor of Allah. And persistence on a minor sin ultimately leads someone to bigger sin and then to Hell fire.

      -Whenever someone fails in some aspects of deen, he or she should at least have the decency to recognize it and have some sort of remorse for it. Trying to cover our failures with some other worships actually demonstrates a subtle form of arrogance.

      In fact, in respect of the latter, the Quran mentions these items over and over, particularly the concept of charity/almsgiving.

      What Quran mentions over and over is about obligatory charity, the zakah. It has been mentioned in many places alongside salah. But the most mentioned worship in the Quran is Salah, which has been mentioned approximately 82 times.

      Then again, shouldn't saying once should be enough, since it is Allah who is telling us to do something? Take fasting for example, only one verse talks about it. Does it mean that we can take the command of fasting lightly?

      We can't pick and choose what failures constitute "major sins".

      All the classical scholars have CLEARLY classified (or picked and chose) all the sins into major and minor sins. So, how can we laypersons say that sins can't be classified be into these two categories? Saying that We can't pick and choose what failures constitute "major sins" is like remaining in a state of denial.

      But no one can tell me if Allah SWT will punish me in the grave or the hereafter because I failed to cover my head, or because I failed to be more charitable. I just don't know, and no one knows.

      Yes, we cannot say if a particular person will be punished or rewarded; but we can talk in general. Because the Messenger of Allah witnessed during the his night journey certain punishment being meted out for certain sins.

      Read the Quran, follow your heart and do the best that you can.

      You do not follow your heart, you follow the scholars and the people of knowledge.

      And my last take on salah and haya: the relationship between them

      The nation of each prophet was blessed with a defining characteristic. So what is the defining characteristic of the nation of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the greatest Messenger of Allah? The answer is Haya-the modesty. This is such a great concept that volumes of books can be written on this single topic.

      Now, modesty can be cultivated in three different ways: physically, spiritually, and intellectually. Observing the hijab (for women) and zealously lowering the gaze (for men) is extremely necessary to cultivate haya in all three ways.

      Physical haya means I feel shy to use the blessings of Allah (eyes in case of men, hair and other parts for women) in ways that displeases Allah. Spiritual haya means I feel ashamed when I stand before Allah thinking how much Allah has blessed me with and yet how disobedient and ungrateful I have been to Allah. Intellectual haya means I concede that my heart cannot remain pure if I do not lower my gaze or observe hizab, no matter what my heart tells me, and thus I submit to the will of Allah.

      If the concept of haya is not cultivated through lowering the gaze or observing hijab, in my humble opinion, salah can at best be mechanical. I cannot talk for everyone, I can talk for me only. There was a time in my life when I never practiced lowering my gaze and my salah was mechanical. Why? Because to attain the khushoo in salah, according to Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda, three things are necessary:

      01. Change in life style.
      02. Preparation.
      03. Knowledge of fiqh of salah.

      Change in life style is an extremely necessary and first condition to achieve the khushoo in salah. Because human beings are not machine. I am sitting in my office, talking and chatting with my beautiful secretary (without lowering my gaze), then when I come home I watch all those movies, and then when it comes to Salah, I say "Allahuakbar". Does anyone think that my mind and my heart will automatically be locked into 100% submission of Allah? Never. Shaitan will constantly remind me how gorgeous that girl was, how beautiful smile that lady has, and blah blah. And I will perform a mechanical salah.

      Even after someone changes their lifestyle, it is not enough. After you change your lifestyle, you need to take proper preparation (half an hour) to make your mind ready for each salah. Then you start the salah, have khushoo, and perfrom it with proper concentration on the fiqh of salah.

      Conclusion: If someone really wants to say their salah properly, if someone truley wants to develop good relationship with Allah, then start performing salah and changing your lifestyle. Start cultivating haya. And that should start from lowering the gaze or observing hijaab.

      • Stranger: I also found some of Precious Stars comments seriously flawed. Thank you for your comments above.

        Precious Star: in matters of deen, it is not good enough to just say 'Follow you heart'. If we are supposed to rely on our hearts to lead the way, then what role does the guidance of the Quran play?

        SisterZ
        IslamicAnswers.com Senior Editor

        • I agree that it is not just "good enough" to simply follow your heart. But I think you are over-simplifying my comments. I do not think that you can reduce my comments to that one statement.

          My point was, there are a multitude of good deeds and obligations referred to in the Quran that keeps us "within the folds of Islam", and a multitude of bad deeds that take us out of it. I am encouraging this girl who posted the question to look at ALL of Islam's obligations and to be concerned about ALL of them, and do her best to follow them.

          Contary to what Stranger has said, I did not in any way downplay the duty to pray Salat and observe Hijab.

          That being said, I agree with the question posed by Tammy. Its not always a black and white issue - "do this, you'll go to Jannah,", don't do this you'll go to hell." I don't think Islam or Allah SWT operates that way. For example, my parents are very God-fearing and religious, and try to follow all aspects of Islam. However, my father needed to borrow money once and thus incurred interest costs. Are all his prayers, good deeds etc thereby nullified? It is possible; however, I'm not sure if a just and merciful God will draw that conclusion. Similarly, my mother observes hijaab, but she once many years ago she removed it in order to get her passport picture taken by a male photographer (this was in the days before hijab was widespread in North America and the rules were not relaxed); did she commit a sin? Were all her pious deeds wiped out?

  5. Salaams,

    I think it would be beneficial for all of us to remember what the Prophet (saws) said about what the practice of Islam would be like in the latter times (which many believe we may be in)- namely, that it will be like trying to continually hold a hot coal in the hands. I have also heard that there is a hadith that says something to the effect of this: that in the beginning of Islam, Muslims were accountable to keeping 90% of the shariah, and in the ends of times Muslims will be blessed if they are only able to keep 10%. If these are accurate, then indeed it is a mercy Allah has on us that we are at least trying to do what we can at the level we are able, and we should support each other in our progress and not be critical of each other in our shortcomings.

    I heard someone say that any salats we neglect in this life, we will be forced to make up in the next life while standing on a grate over hellfire. Once we make up all the prayers we missed, then we can enter jannah. That's why it is better that if we do miss any salat, we make them up in this life. Better to err on the side of caution and keep steady toward our spiritual goals, then to take for granted the patience of Allah and continue to procrastinate changing our lives in the direction that's better for all of mankind.

    For the sister who asked about those who don't wear hijab at a ladies gym: Hijab is only for covering during salat and while in the presence of non-mahram. What this means is that, women can remain uncovered around males with whom she is blood-related (brothers, father, grandfathers, uncles) or other females if no non-mahrem men are around. So if you are at a gym for "ladies only", and men cannot view the women there from outside, then it would be permisable for them to dress comfortably without hijab for their workouts.

    However, there are women who will wear hijab while only at a mosque or masjid, but not at any other time, but that doesn't mean they are right to do so.

  6. As brother Abdullah mentioned something from the Quran...

    "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful"....

    I understand that women need to be very modest in covering. However, I am curious to know where it specifically mentions about the head/hair part?

    It really get's to me when people give black and white answer.
    Some of the things people have mentioned and I heard before:
    - Your fast will not be accepted, if your hair is shown in front of non-mahram
    - People who don't eat halal/zabhia meat, then their prayers will not be accepted

  7. Assalamua leikom wa rahmato Allahi wa barakatoh
    Allah order and we have to follow his order.Why he order woman to ware hijab or islamik clothes???Because to safe us from toughts that can lead us to haram.There are mans who attrakt hairs of womans too much or legs or body forms so Allah order us not to show them freely so that mans dont get haram toughts with this womans.Do u think u have the right to change what he order?????In quran is not only one time writen that womans has to cover her head its more time writen.Woman should think about whats importent in life to please ur society and friends or Allah who has the power to give u a better life in the life herafter.I am converted Muslima from Germany and its not easy in my society to ware hijab and islamik clothes but its a part of my religion and Allah order muslim woman to ware it and thats what i havce to follow.To face problems is a test of ALlah how strong is our Faith and in sha Allah i will not fail in his tests.Its easy to go out without hijab special in my society but am i happy with that knowing that i do against what Allah order us womans to do????To reach jennah we have to work on it and one is to follow the rules of islam ALlahs order.May Allah guide all muslims on the right Path and safe us from Shaitan ameen Fee amaan Allah la illeh il Allah

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