Do the hadiths mentioned regarding abandoning prayer indicate major disbelief that expels one from Islam, or minor disbelief, or disbelief that is less than disbelief? And is minor disbelief intended by them? And does abandoning the 'Asr prayer or a single prayer invalidate good deeds and render its perpetrator an apostate? And is it permissible to adopt the view of the three imams concerning the non-disbelief of one who abandons prayer and to pray over him?

This issue is one of the ancient disagreements among scholars. Some consider the one who abandons prayer an apostate whose disbelief takes him out of the fold of Islam, citing the earlier hadiths as evidence. Then, these scholars differed on whether one becomes an apostate by abandoning a single prayer or more, or only by abandoning all prayers, and whether one becomes an apostate merely by abandoning it or if he must first be called to prayer.

As for the majority of scholars, they interpreted these hadiths as a form of strong warning and held that the one who abandons prayer does not leave the fold of Islam. They consider him to be among the Muslims; therefore, funeral prayers are performed for him, forgiveness is hoped for him, and he is subject to the will of the Lord. The layperson should follow the scholar whose knowledge and piety he trusts.