Question: Can a Muslim marry someone who does not pray?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
Ṣalāh is the most important pillar of Islām after the testimony of faith. Abandoning it is among the gravest sins and is a point of major legal consequence in Islamic law.
Allah says:
﴿ فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ ﴾
“Then there succeeded them a generation who neglected prayer and followed desires…” (Sūrat Maryam: 59)
If a person denies the obligation of prayer, all madhāhib agree that such a person is no longer a Muslim, and marriage to them is invalid.
If one does not pray out of laziness or neglect, while still affirming its obligation, the ruling differs:
The Ḥanafī, Mālikī, and Shāfiʿī madhāhib consider such a person a major sinner (fāsiq), but not a disbeliever. The marriage is valid, though highly discouraged.
The Ḥanbalī madhhab—especially its more apparent view—holds that one who deliberately abandons prayer is considered a disbeliever, even if they do not deny its obligation. According to this view, the marriage would be invalid.
Fatawa councils emphasize that marrying someone who does not establish prayer brings major spiritual risk and may affect the religion of the household and offspring. Even if technically valid in some views, such a union is not advised for a practicing Muslim.
Therefore, marriage to someone who denies the obligation of prayer is invalid. As for one who neglects it without denial, the marriage may be valid in some madhāhib but is gravely discouraged due to the seriousness of abandoning this pillar of Islām.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.