Q: I am married to my cousin and we have a son, but my wife performs neither Salah (Prayer) nor Sawm (Fast) during Ramadan. I am afraid of being considered as a sinner and I am confused now about this. Please advise me and may Allah reward you with the best.

(Part No. 18; Page No. 284)  A: You have sinned by living with your wife up to now, when she was not performing Salah or Sawm, without exerting real efforts to advise her and deal earnestly with her. If the matter is continuing to the present day, as it was in the past, with her not performing these acts of ‘Ibadah (worship), you must exert your best efforts to advise her to perform Salah and Sawm and to adhere to all the other Faridahs (obligatory acts) of Islam. You should seek the Help of Allah and then you should ask anyone from amongst your parents and her parents who are alive, as well as her Mahrams (unmarriageable relatives), to advise her. If she responds to your advice, makes Tawbah (repentance to Allah), and performs Salah, all praise is to Allah, and you should continue living with her and treating her kindly. But if she insists on not performing Salah and Sawm, you should divorce her, and what is in store with Allah will be better for you and it is Allah Alone Who provides help. This is because not performing Salah is Kufr (disbelief) and Riddah (apostasy) from Islam, according to the Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Between a person and Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and Kufr is abstaining from Salah.” And, “The covenant that is between us and them (the hypocrites) is Salah. Anyone who abandons it has committed Kufr.” Allah (Exalted be He) also says (what means): Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.