How sound is the Hadith: "If many of them were to get a glimpse of it, they would abandon prayer"? And what are the proofs of those who say that one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever?
The Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad from Jasrah bint Dajajah, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood repeating a verse until he prayed Fajr, and then said: "I supplicated for my nation, and I was answered with that which, if many of them were to know it, they would abandon prayer," then Umar prevented the people from being given glad tidings of it—this Hadith is weak. Its chain of narration includes Qudamah ibn Abdullah ibn Abdah al-Bakri, who is مقبول (acceptable), and Jasrah bint Dajajah, about whom al-Bayhaqi said, "There is some doubt about her," and al-Bukhari said in his Tarikh, "And there are wonders (strange things) related from Jasrah." Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen commented on it, saying that this Hadith is perhaps one of the wonders of Jasrah that al-Bukhari referred to, otherwise, the Hadith is not explicit in stating that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever. If it is not explicit, then it becomes one of the mutashabih (ambiguous verses/narrations) that must be referred back to the muhkam (clear and decisive verses/narrations) which indicate the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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