His father denies that prayer is obligatory and reviles the Sahaabah. What is the ruling concerning him, and how should he interact with him?
Question

                Who has guided us and blessed us with the blessing of Islam. I started to become religiously committed a few months ago, but my father is opposing me in that. My father does not pray, because he does not acknowledge that prayer is obligatory. He even reviles some of the Sahaabah and speaks against ‘Aa’ishah, and he speaks ill of some of the righteous such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. He doubts any hadeeth and he favours the Shi’ah. He treats me, my mother and my siblings badly, and he even mistreats my mother and humiliates her. He does not let my younger brother go to the mosque on the grounds that he should study, and he does not let me speak to my siblings about religious matters. He does not like anyone to advise him, and he cannot bear to listen to Qur’aan or to religious programs, and he thinks they are tools of misguidance. Every time he sees me watching a religious programme, he changes the channel. 

What is the Islamic ruling concerning him? How can I deal with him? Please note that I treat him kindly, praise be to Allaah, and I pray for him, but he mistreats me and humiliates me, and he tells my siblings that I am a terrorist, and he encourages them to listen to music and not to watch religious programs or listen to me. 

I hope that you can answer my question. May Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    We ask Allaah to increase your reward for the hardship that 
    you are going through, and we ask Him to guide your father before his life 
    ends. 

    As for the ruling on your father, he has done and said things 
    some of which imply that he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, so 
    how about if they are taken all together? That includes not praying even if 
    that is due to laziness, and denying that prayer is obligatory. These two 
    things constitute kufr and put one beyond the pale of Islam. With regard to 
    the former, according to the correct scholarly view, that applies even if 
    one does not pray because of laziness, and the latter is something on which 
    there is scholarly consensus. There is no difference of opinion concerning 
    the fact that the one who does not pray because he denies that it is 
    obligatory is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam. 

    Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy 
    on him) said: 

    The scholars are unanimously agreed that the one who does not 
    pray and denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, and that he should be 
    executed as a kaafir if he does not repent. 

    Adwa’ al-Bayaan (4/335). 

    Your father is not failing to pray because he is lazy, rather 
    he is failing to pray because he denies that it is obligatory. Even if he 
    failed to pray due to laziness he would still be a kaafir, so how about if 
    does not pray because he denies that it is obligatory? 

    As for his reviling some of the Sahaabah, it seems that he 
    only spares some of the Sahaabah and reviles some of the others. It seems to 
    us from your question that your father is a believer in the evil Raadifi 
    school of thought, which accuses the Sahaabah of being apostates apart from 
    a very few of them. This means that they are kaafirs, and those scholars who 
    did not rule that they are kaafirs ruled that they should be imprisoned 
    until they repent or die. 

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have 
    mercy on him) said: 

    Reviling the Sahaabah falls into three categories: 

    1 – Reviling them by saying that most of them were kaafirs or 
    that all of them were evildoers. This is kufr because it is a rejection of 
    the praise of Allaah and His Messenger for them and their approval of them. 
    The one who doubts that such a person is a kaafir is himself a kaafir, 
    because this view implies that those who transmitted the Qur’aan and Sunnah 
    were kaafirs or evildoers. 

    2 – If he reviles them by cursing them, then there are two 
    scholarly views as to whether he is a kaafir. According to the view that he 
    is not a kaafir, he is still to be flogged and imprisoned until he dies or 
    recants what he said. 

    3 – If he reviles them in a way that does not reach the level 
    of doubting their religious commitment, such as saying that they were 
    cowardly or miserly. He is not a kaafir, but he should be given a 
    disciplinary punishment (ta’zeer) to serve as a deterrent. This was stated 
    by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in al-Saarim al-Maslool, where he 
    narrates on p. 573 that Ahmad said: It is not permissible for anyone to 
    mention any of their bad qualities or to criticize any of them for a fault 
    or shortcoming. Whoever does that should be disciplined, then if he repents 
    all well and good, otherwise he should be flogged in prison until he dies or 
    recants. 

    Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 
    (5/83, 84). 

    One of the implications of criticizing the Sahaabah (may 
    Allaah be pleased with them) is that one is criticizing the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and Islam, and the Lord of 
    mankind, may He be glorified and exalted. 

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have 
    mercy on him) said: 

    Reviling the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is 
    not only an insult against the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), 
    rather it is an insult against the Sahaabah, against the Prophet  (peace 
    and blessings of Allaah be upon him), against the laws of Allaah and against 
    Allaah Himself, may He be glorified and exalted. 

    -As for its being an insult 
    against the Sahaabah, that is clear.

    -As for its being an insult 
    against the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him), that is by suggesting that his companions, confidants and successors 
    as rulers of his ummah were among the worst of people.

    It is also an insult against the Messenger of Allaah  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in another sense, which is that 
    it is a rejection of what he said about their virtues and good qualities.

    -As for it being an insult 
    against the laws of Allaah, that is because the intermediaries in the 
    transmission of the sharee’ah from the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) to us were the Sahaabah. If they were not 
    of good character, then the sharee’ah that they transmitted cannot be 
    trusted either. 

    -As for it being an insult 
    against Allaah, may He be glorified, that is by suggesting that He sent His 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the worst of 
    mankind and chose them to be his companions and to convey his sharee’ah to 
    the ummah.

    Look at the serious issues that are implied by reviling the 
    Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). 

    We disavow the way of these Raafidis who revile and hate the 
    Sahaabah. We believe that loving the Sahaabah is obligatory and that 
    refraining from speaking ill of them is obligatory. Our hearts – praise be 
    to Allaah – are filled with love for them, because of the faith and piety 
    that they had, and because they spread knowledge and supported the Prophet 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

    And we disavow the ways of the Naasibis (such as the 
    Khawaarij) who revile the Ahl al-Bayt in word or deed. 

    Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 
    (8/616). 

    So it comes as no surprise that the scholars of Islam 
    described as a heretic everyone who criticized the companions of the Prophet 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  

    Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

    The imam of his age, Abu Zar’ah al-Raazi – one of the 
    greatest of Muslim shaykhs – said:  If you see a man criticizing any of the 
    companions of the Messenger of Allaah, then you should know that he is a 
    heretic, because the Messenger is true, the Qur'aan is true, and what he 
    brought is true. All of that was transmitted to us by the Sahaabah, so 
    whoever criticizes them is intending to prove that the Qur’aan and Sunnah 
    are false. So he is the one who most deserves to be criticized and the 
    ruling that he is a heretic who has gone astray and is a liar and evildoer 
    is more apt. 

    Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah (2/608). 

    The same may be said about slandering the Mother of the 
    Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) – the one who does that 
    is a kaafir and apostate. 

    For more details please see the answer to question no. 
    954. 

    If the companions of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him) are not safe from a person, then the imams of guidance 
    who came after them will not be safe from him either, such as the Taabi’een 
    and those who followed them, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. By 
    reviling the Sahaabah and criticizing their religious commitment, he has 
    proven that he follows a religion other than ours. 

    Secondly: 

    As for how to deal with your father: 

    You have to use different ways of explaining the truth to him 
    and strive to guide him. Do not despair or give up. By his beliefs, words 
    and actions he has gone out of Islam altogether, but you have to do what you 
    think is best for him. We advise you to do several things such as the 
    following: 

    1-You have to disavow his 
    beliefs, words and deeds.

    2-Be gentle in conveying the 
    truth to him.

    3-Use various means of calling 
    him and explaining the truth to him. There are debates that have taken place 
    between Ahl al-Sunnah and the Raafidis, in which they were roundly defeated. 
    So you can make use of them to convince him to watch and listen to them. 
    There are also audio tapes and books that may suffice to call those who 
    criticize the Sahaabah and refute their specious arguments. 
    

    4-Strive not to let your father 
    influence your mother and siblings, so that the influence of kufr and 
    apostasy will not spread any further.

    5-Defend yourself by means of 
    your good attitude and good manners with him and your family.

    6-Do not despair about him being 
    guided, and continue to call him, either directly or through others of Ahl 
    al-Sunnah whom you know and trust.

    7-Always pray for him and choose 
    good times such as the last third of the night, and good situations, such as 
    when prostrating in prayer.

    The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: 

    How should we deal with a man who reviles the three 
    companions? 

    They replied: 

    The companions of the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) are the best of this ummah, whom Allaah 
    praised in His Book. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and 
    the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is 
    well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared 
    for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein 
    forever. That is the supreme success”

    [al-Tawbah 9:100] 

    “Indeed, Allaah was pleased with the believers when they 
    gave the Bay‘ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad صلى 
    الله عليه وسلم) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and 
    He sent down As‑Sakeenah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He 
    rewarded them with a near victory”

    [al-Fath 48:18]

    And there are other verses in which Allaah praises the 
    Sahaabah and promises them admittance to Paradise. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan 
    and ‘Ali are among the foremost to embrace Islam and those who swore 
    allegiance (bay’ah) to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) under the tree. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) himself swore allegiance on behalf of ‘Uthmaan [who had been sent 
    as a envoy to negotiate with Quraysh in Makkah] which was testimony in his 
    favour and a sign of his trust in him, and this oath of allegiance was 
    stronger than the oath of others to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him), according to many ahaadeeth, especially the oath of Abu 
    Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali. They were given the glad tidings of Paradise 
    along with a number of other Sahaabah, and the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against reviling them, as he said: 
    “Do not revile my companions, for if one of you were to spend the equivalent 
    of (Mount) Uhud in gold, that would not equal the mudd of one of 
    them, or even half of it.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh via Abu 
    Hurayrah and Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri. Al-Bukhaari also narrated it from Abu 
    Hurayrah.  

    The one who reviles or insults the companions of the 
    Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), 
    especially the three: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, who are asked about 
    here, has gone against the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, 
    and has contradicted them by reviling them. He will be deprived of the 
    forgiveness which Allaah has promised to those who follow them and pray for 
    forgiveness for them and pray to Allaah not to allow hatred in their hearts 
    towards the believers.  

    Because of his criticism of these three and their like, he 
    must be advised and told of their virtue and status, and their seniority in 
    Islam. If he repents, then he is one of our brothers in faith, but if he 
    persists in reviling them, then he must be disciplined, whilst paying 
    attention to the shar’i policy of denouncing according to what one is able 
    to do; the one who is unable to denounce with his tongue or hand (i.e., by 
    speaking out or taking action) must do so with his heart, but this is the 
    weakest of faith, as is proven in the saheeh hadeeth. 

    Fataawa Islamiyyah (1/12). 

    We ask Allaah to help you in your efforts and to make you 
    steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to guide your father. 

    And Allaah knows best.