The ruling on one who abandons one of the pillars of Islam

 He left one of the pillars of Islam

 

This is clear. He is a Muslim according to the two testimonies. Whenever he acknowledges the two testimonies and believes in the oneness of God Almighty, and believes His Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, he enters into Islam. Then he sees if he prays, his conversion to Islam is complete, and if he does not pray, he becomes an apostate. Likewise, if he denies prayer after that, he becomes an apostate, or denies fasting. He said: What It is obligatory to fast, fasting during Ramadan, he became an apostate, or he said: Zakat is not obligatory, the zakat of Islam is not obligatory, he became an apostate, or he said: Hajj when he is able is not obligatory, he became an apostate, or he mocked the religion, or insulted the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, he became an apostate. Do we understand? This should be clear. If he converts to Islam with the two testimonies of faith, he will be judged to be a Muslim, and then the rest of the matters will be considered. If he adheres to the truth, his conversion to Islam is complete, and if there is anything found in him that invalidates Islam, such as insulting the religion, such as denying the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, denying what was enjoined. Whoever prays or fasts, who denies what God has forbidden, such as if he says: Adultery is permissible, he apostates from Islam by this, even if he prays and fasts, even if he says: I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, if he says: Adultery is permissible while he knows it. The evidence has been established against him. He is a major disbeliever in God. We seek refuge in God. Or he said: Wine is permissible. The evidence was explained to him and the evidence was made clear to him. Then he insisted on saying: Wine is permissible. It would be a major disbelief, an apostasy from Islam. We seek refuge in God. Or he said, for example: Disobedience. It is permissible for him to disobey his parents, and it is an apostasy from Islam. We seek refuge in God. Or he said: False testimony is permissible, and it is an apostasy from Islam, after he has been shown the legal evidence.
Likewise, if he says: Prayer is not obligatory, zakat is not obligatory, fasting during Ramadan is not obligatory, Hajj is not obligatory if one is able, all of these are contradictions of Islam, then he is an infidel.
But the disagreement is if he says: Prayer is obligatory, but I do not pray. This is the subject of disagreement. Is he a disbeliever or what disbelieves? He says: Prayer is obligatory, but I tolerate what I pray. The majority of jurists say: He does not disbelieve, and if he is a disobedient, he must repent. If he repents, otherwise he will be killed as a punishment.
Others of the scholars said, and it is what was transmitted from the Companions, may God be pleased with them, that he commits greater disbelief in it, so he should repent, and if he repents, otherwise he will be killed as an infidel. According to the words of God Almighty: Then if they repent and establish prayer and pay zakat, then clear their way. [At-Tawbah: 5] This indicates that the one who does not perform the prayer will not be released, but rather asked to repent, and if he repents, otherwise he will be killed, and he said: If they repent and establish prayer and pay zakat, then they are your brothers in religion. [Al-Tawbah: 11] This indicates that the one who does not perform prayer - does not pray - is not a brother in religion.