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Is it correct to say that not everyone who abandons an obligation has committed something unlawful?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Neglecting an obligation necessitates blame and punishment. An obligation is what the Lawgiver has commanded in an obligatory manner. Ibn 'Uthaymeen mentioned that forgiveness is for deserving sin by neglecting an obligation or committing a prohibited act, and there is no difference between them in deserving punishment.

However, not every neglect of an obligation may be a forbidden act or necessitate punishment, considering the specific doer and the excuses that may arise for them, such as: 1. Neglect due to a permissible interpretation, where the interpreter who intended to follow the Messenger is not deemed a disbeliever or a transgressor if they strove and erred. 2. Ignorance of the obligation's necessity, where the ignorant person who does not know the ruling is excused. 3. The presence of an excuse that prevents its performance, such as inability, coercion, or forgetfulness, in accordance with His, the Almighty's, saying: ﴿Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity﴾. 4. The Law's permission to neglect an obligation, such as not fasting Ramadan for a traveler. 5. Communal obligations (Fard Kifayah), where the sin is lifted from the rest if some individuals perform it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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