Q: If a person who does not offer Salah (Prayer) slaughters an animal, is it permissible for the person who observes Salah to eat from the meat of that sacrifice?

A: Salah is one of the obligatory acts of worship next to the two Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) in terms of importance. Whoever abandons Salah denying its obligation is a Kafir (disbeliever). This is according to the general consensus of Muslim scholars, and whoever abandons it out of negligence and laziness is also a Kafir according to the preponderant saying of scholars. The basic evidence for this ruling is what Muslim related in his Sahih from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: Between the servant (Part No. 22; Page No. 446) and Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and Kufr (disbelief) is the negligence of prayer. Similarly, Imam Ahmed reported in Al-Musnad and the compilers of Sunan (authors of Hadith compilations classified by jurisprudential themes) with an authentic Sanad (chain of narrators) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: That which differentiates us from the disbelievers and hypocrites is our performance of Salah. He who abandons it, becomes a disbeliever. Consequently, according to the consensus of scholars, it is not permissible to eat the meat of a sacrifice slaughtered by the person you mentioned if he does not offer Salah out of denial of its obligation. If he abandons Salah out of negligence or laziness, it is not permissible to eat the meat of an animal he slaughters according to the scholars' preponderant view that considers a person who abandons Salah as a Kafir (disbeliever). This is because he is an apostate and it is not permissible to eat from the meat of an animal slaughtered by an apostate according to the views of scholars (may Allah be merciful to them).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.