What is the ruling regarding the wealth of a deceased person who used to pray Jumu'ah and fast Ramadan, committed many sins, but was trustworthy and merciful in his dealings, and signs of joy appeared on him after his death? Is his wealth for the heirs or for the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal)?

The majority of scholars, including Ibn Qudamah and Al-Nawawi, are of the opinion that abandoning prayer due to negligence does not constitute apostasy that expels one from the fold of Islam. They base this on the fact that the rulings pertaining to deceased Muslims apply to someone who abandons prayer: they are washed, prayed over, buried in Muslim cemeteries, inherit, and are inherited from.

As for seeing signs of good at the time of death of someone who abandoned prayer, this is a praiseworthy matter, and Muslims should be keen to guide those who abandon prayer while they are alive.

Those who assert that abandoning prayer constitutes disbelief stipulate that the person must be invited to pray and then refuse. Some of them further stipulate that the person must abandon it entirely.