How can one respond to someone who abandons prayer, citing the two verses: "Whom Allah guides, he is the [rightly] guided; but whom He leaves astray, never will you find for him a protecting guardian to lead him" and "Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills," and what is the correct interpretation of these verses to clarify whether humans are compelled or have free will in acts of worship?

Guidance is of two types: general, meaning elucidation and indication, and specific, meaning divine enabling (Tawfiq) to accept the truth. One is not excused by divine decree (Qadar) for committing sins. And whoever argues by divine decree for committing sins, his argument is invalid. There is no proof in the two verses (Az-Zumar: 56-57) for persisting in sins. It is obligatory to advise a companion who argues by divine decree for committing sins. If he does not benefit from the advice, then it is better to leave him, because sitting with bad companions is dangerous.