2182 إن العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة، فمن تركها فقد كفر
The covenant between us and them is prayer; so, whoever abandons it has disbelieved

عن بريدة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إن العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة، فمن تركها فقد كفر».

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The covenant between us and them is prayer; so, whoever abandons it has disbelieved."

صحيح - ( رواه الترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه وأحمد ). Sahih/Authentic. [At-Tirmidhi]

يُخبِر رسول الله عليه الصّلاة والسّلام أنّ العهدَ، أي: الأمان والميثاق الذي بيننا أهل الإسلام وبين غير أهل الإسلام، أو بين المسلمين والمنافقين، بحيث يكون سببًا لأَمْن الشَّخص إذا تمسَّك به، ومُوجِبًا لحَقْن دَمِه إنّما هو الصَّلاة، أي: أداؤها وإقامتها، فمَن تركها كفر، لأن الصلاة أعظم أركان الإسلام بعد الشهادتين، والتارك لها عمدا معرض لعقوبة الله تعالى وسخطه وخزيه في الدنيا والآخرة. وترك الصلاة عمدًا ينقسم إلى قسمين: 1- ترك الصلاة مع جحود وجوبها، فهذا كفر بالإجماع. 2- تركها تهاونًا وتكاسلًا، وهذا أيضًا كفر بأدلة صريحة واضحة، هذا الحديث منها، وهو قول جمع من الصحابة، كما جاء عنهم بأسانيد صحيحة، ولا يعلم صحابي واحد قال بخلاف ذلك، وحكى إجماع الصحابة على ذلك غير واحد من العلماء، وقال به جمع ممن بعدهم، والقول الثاني أنه كبيرة وذنب عظيم، ويقتل تاركه ولكنه لا يكفر، وهو مذهب المالكية والشافعية، والقول الثالث أنه كبيرة وذنب عظيم، وأنه يحبس حتى يموت أو يتوب ولكنه لا يكفر، وهو مذهب الحنفية. وأما من تركها لعذر من الأعذار كالنوم أو النسيان أو غير ذلك حتى خرج وقتها فهو معذور، وعليه قضاؤها إذا ذكرها.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the covenant, i.e., the security and treaty that is between us - the Muslims and the non-Muslims, or between Muslims and the hypocrites - so that it becomes a means for a person’s security if he adheres to it, and necessitates the protection of his life, is the prayer, i.e., performing and establishing it. He who abandons it, has committed an act of disbelief. Because prayer is the greatest pillar of Islam after the two testimonies, and one who deliberately abandons it is exposed to the punishment, wrath, and disgrace of Allah Almighty in this world and in the Hereafter. Deliberately abandoning prayer is divided into two types: 1- Abandoning prayer while denying its obligation; this is disbelief by consensus. 2- Abandoning it due to negligence and laziness, and this is also disbelief as per clear and manifest evidences; this Hadīth is one of them, and it is the view of a group of the Companions, as it was reported from them with authentic chains of narration, and not even one of the Companions is known to have said otherwise, and this consensus of the Companions was narrated by more than one scholar, and a group of those who came after them held the same view. The second view is that it is a major sin, and one who abandons it is to be killed; however, he does not become a disbeliever, and it is the view of the Maliki and Shafi‘i school of thought. The third view is that it is a major sin, and that he is to be imprisoned until he dies or repents; however, he does not become a disbeliever, and it is the view of the Hanafi school of thought. As for the one who leaves it due to some excuse, such as sleeping or forgetting or so, until its time elapses, then he is excused, and he has to make up for it when he remembers it.

عِظَم شأن الصلاة، وأنّها هي الفارق بين المؤمن والكافر. الدّلالة على أنّ تارك الصلاة كافر. الاهتمام بأداء الصلاة والتَّحذير الشديد مِن تركها.
The Hadīth points out the great status of prayer and that it distinguishes the believer from the disbeliever. It indicates that he who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. It stresses the significance of performing prayer and gives a stern warning against ab