Ash-Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, said:

إنه إذا داوم على ترك الرواتب وترك الوتر؛ تسقط عدالته، ولا تُقبل شهادته؛ لأن هذا يدل على تساهله في دينه، وإذا تساهل في دينه؛ كان متساهلاً فيالشهادة من باب أولى‏

“…Verily if he constantly leaves off the sunnahs of the five daily prayers and leaves off praying witr, then he looses his ‘Adaalah (i.e. means of trust and his uprightness), and his testimony is not accepted. (This is) because that indicates he was lenient regarding his religion and if he is lenient pertaining to his religion, then with greater preference he will be lenient relating to his testimony”

And Ash-Shaykh Bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

وأما قول بعض أهل العلم : إن ترك الرواتب فسوق فهو قول ليس بجيد ، بل هو خطأ

“As for the statement of some of the scholars that abandoning the sunnahs of the five daily prayers is fisq, then it is an opinion that it isn’t good rather it is a mistake”

؛ لأنها نافلة ، فمن حافظ على الصلوات الفريضة وترك المعاصي فليس بفاسق بل هو مؤمن سليم عدل.

“Due to it being a voluntary prayer, so whosoever preserves the five obligatory prayers and leaves off sins is not a faasiq (wrongdoer); rather he is a believer, free of crime, (and one) who is trustworthy”

وهكذا قول بعض الفقهاء : إنها من شرط العدالة في الشهادة : قول مرجوح

“Likewise (regarding) the statement of some of the scholars of fiqh that it is a condition of his ‘Adaalah, (then this) is an inaccurate opinion”

فكل من حافظ على الفرائض وترك المحارم فهو عدل ثقة . ولكن من صفة المؤمن الكامل المسارعة إلى الرواتب وإلى الخيرات الكثيرة والمسابقة إليها

“So whoever preserves the obligatory prayers and leaves off the haraam acts, then he is trustworthy and reliable. However, the description of the believer who has complete eeman (faith) is him rushing to pray the sunnah prayers and him rushing to do much good while racing to it…”

(Reference)

Translated by

AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr