Question Summary:
What is the ruling in Shariah regarding a person who doesn’t offer prayer or read Quran but says I have Allah in my heart?

Question Detail:

What is the ruling in shariah regarding a person who doesnt offer namaz or read quran but says i have ALLAH in my heart. And a person in my family told me that following hadees and quran that is written in adam and hawa time was for that time.. you cant follow everything in this era,if you follow it will b harmful to you.
Its absolute absurd thing i ever came across. So i decided to not to say them anymore regarding good things. That person has one thing saying - first you need to follow everything and then tell others. But my perception is any human has some weakness, he might not follow all the hadees and sunah, but follows maximum of it. Is it gunnah for dat person for not following all the sunah? 
 
Also, what about a person who offers 5tyms a day namaz, follows sunnah and quran ( max of it) but yet tends to do some minor mistakes and at times major mistakes.. what is ruling in shariah. Will he/she be punished by ALLAH SWT in akhirath or his/her good deeds will leave no place for his bad deeds?
 
I am feeling so bad for those people who are saying all these,because they are themselves incurring wrath and anger of ALLAH. I am helpless. Please help me out.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
You have raised many important issues in your email which require detailed responses. Seeking knowledge is a gradual process. It is impractical to learn everything at once. Furthermore, we have to attend to many other questions. Therefore in this email, we will respond only to your first query.
 If a person states that he has Allah in his heart but does not practice on the injunctions of Shariah, that is incorrect.
Practicing on the dictates of Shariah has been emphasized in the Quran and Hadith. Consider the following verses:
 
وَالْعَصْرِ َ. إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ َ. إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ  
 
Translation: By the oath of time! (the passage of time that overtakes everything material). Verily man is at loss (in both worlds)……..except those who have Imaan, who does righteous actions, encourage (urge and counsel) each other towards (remaining steadfast on and propagate) the truth and who encourage each other to exercise sabr (patience).      [Surah Asr]  
It is clear from the above mentioned Surah, that Allah Ta’ala refers to doing righteous actions and deeds, and refers to it as being exempt from loss.
 
Rasullallah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ " بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
[صحيح بخاري][i]
 
Translation: Rasaullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) once said: Islam is based on five; the Shahadah La Ilaha Illallah Wa Anna Muhammadan ‘Abduhu Wa Rasuluh, the establishment of Salah, the giving of Zakah, the pilgrimage of the House of Allah Ta’ala and the fasting of Ramadhan.   [Sahih Bukhari]
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِي الخَيْرِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّ الإِسْلاَمِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ: «تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ، وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ
 [صحيح بخارى][ii]  
 
Translation: A man asked Rasullallah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam): which (action of) Islam is the best? Rasullallah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) replied: to feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and whom you do not know. [Sahih Bukhari]
 
 It is quite clear and apparent from the above mentioned Ahadith that merely stating that “Allah is in my heart” is not sufficient. Salah, Zakah, Hajj and all other injunctions of Shariah are all outward actions that are compulsory for a Mu’min. In reality, it is part of Iman to accept all the injunctions of Shariah to be practiced upon in our lives. Without it, a Mu’min can never be a bearer of Iman in the true sense of the word.
In worldly issues we pay lots of importance to outward appearances. We do not confine ourselves on what is hidden inside. When purchasing fruits one looks at the shape, smell and colour of the fruit. He does not know the fruit from the inside and whether it is sweet or not. He makes a decision based on the outward appearance of the fruit. If a person is hungry, he will have to eat real food. He cannot suppress his hunger by eating in his mind. If a person is an adult and wants to fulfill his carnal desires, he will have to get married to have physical relationship with his wife to fulfill his desires. He cannot fulfill his desires in his mind. If outward appearances were insignificant, then the alternations of day and night would also be insignificant. The forms and shapes of human beings would be insignificant. The colour and appearances of various fruits would also be insignificant.
The above are some points of consideration to understand the outer appearances of things in our lives.
It is therefore incorrect to state that one has Iman in his heart and making A’mal makes no difference.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Fahad Abdul Wahab
Student Darul Iftaa
USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai