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The Obligatory Prayers

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Between a man and polytheism (shirk) and unbelief (kufr) is the non-performance of the prayer." [Sahih Muslim] This hadith indicates the importance of the five daily obligatory prayers. It describes the performance of the prayer as the line of demarcation between a believer and an unbeliever.  While the importance of the obligatory prayers cannot be stressed enough, and not performing them is a major sin, nevertheless, missing the prayers does not take one out of Islam.  The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Allah has made five prayers obligatory: whoever performs their ablution well and prays them in their time, completing the bowing, the humility, and the awe that is due in them, has entered a solemn pact with Allah to forgive him. And whoever does not, has no pact with Allah: should He want, He will forgive him, and should He want, He will torment him." [Abu Dawud] The evidence from this hadith is that