Sahib-Daratun-Nasihees writes that once a man was walking in the jungle and the Satan became his companion. That day, he didn’t offer his Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghreb and Isha prayers. When it was time to sleep, he wanted his companion (the Satan) to sleep with him. But the Satan tried to escape him. The man said, “Why are you running away from me?” The Satan said, “In my entire life I disobeyed Allah only once due to which I was cursed. But you have disobeyed Allah five times in a day. I fear lest a wrath of Allah should come upon you because of your disobedience and I also come under it”.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The thing that differentiates between a believer and a non-believer is leaving Salah”. He (ﷺ) said, “The one who abandons Salah intentionally, Allah absolves his responsibility from Him”. The Prophet (ﷺ) further said, “Salah is the pillar of Deen”, so the one who establishes Salah, establishes Deen and the one who abandons Salah, abandons Deen”. The most exalted and the most important of all the worships is Salah. In the Quran, it has been ordered numerously to establish Salah and it has been declared a worship that forbids evils, immorality and evil deeds. On the Day of Judgment, the first question will be asked about Salah. Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked “what is the best practice”, he (ﷺ) said, “offering Salah on right time”. Hazrat Abdullah Bin Shafiq (رضی اللہ عنہ) says that he companions (رضوان اللہ اجمعین) of the Prophet (ﷺ) considered abandoning prayers as an act of disbelief. According to the four Aaimah Karaam, the one who abandons Salah deserves strict punishment. (Ibraheem Parekh, Karachi)