It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The five prayers, from one Friday to the next Friday, and from one Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are expiation for the sins committed in between, as long as major sins are avoided.
Hadith Referenceالفتح الربانی / كتاب الصلاة / 1009
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحیح
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه مسلم: 233 ، (انظر مسند أحمد ترقيم الرسالة: 9197 ترقیم بيت الأفكار الدولية: 9186»
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … It is understood that the aforementioned good deeds are an expiation for sins with the condition that one abstains from major sins (kabā’ir). In other words, if someone does not avoid major sins, then there is no promise of forgiveness for his minor sins (ṣaghā’ir). From this, it is also clear that through the aforementioned good deeds, only minor sins will be forgiven, not major ones. For the forgiveness of major sins, repentance (tawbah) is necessary. (Abdullah Rafiq)