On the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Between a man and polytheism and disbelief is abandoning prayer," in Sahih Muslim 1: 88, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi 5: 13. In another narration: "There is nothing between a servant and disbelief except abandoning prayer," in Musnad Abi Awana 1: 63, and Musnad al-Shihab 1: 181. These hadiths are not to be taken at face value, but rather can be interpreted as follows: Firstly, they are meant to emphasize and magnify the importance of prayer. Imam al-Laknawi said in 'Naf' al-Mufti' p.177: "The hadiths indicating the disbelief of the one who abandons prayer are meant as a deterrent and rebuke." Secondly, they are meant in the linguistic sense of disbelief. Imam al-Tahawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The disbelief mentioned in this hadith is not the disbelief in Allah, but rather, according to the linguists, it covers the faith of the one who abandons prayer and conceals it until it becomes predominant over him and covers it. From this is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: (Like a rain whose growth pleases the disbelievers) [Al-Hadid: 20], meaning the farmers who cover what they plant in the earth, not the disbelievers in Allah, the Exalted. And from this is what has been narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the hadith of the solar eclipse: "I was shown the fire and saw that most of its inhabitants were women. They said: Why, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Because of their disbelief. It was said: Do they disbelieve in Allah? He said: They are ungrateful to their husbands and ungrateful for kindness. If you were to do good to one of them for a lifetime, then she saw something from you, she would say: I have never seen any good from you," in Sahih Muslim 2: 626, and Sahih al-Bukhari 1: 357. So he called what they do, which covers up kindness, disbelief. From this is what has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from his saying: "Insulting a Muslim is disobedience and fighting him is disbelief," in Sahih Muslim 1: 61, and Sahih al-Bukhari 1: 27, and this was not disbelief in Allah, the Exalted, but rather what has covered his faith and concealed it from his bad actions... And Allah knows best so that these narrations are correct and not contradictory."