´It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Buraidah that his father said:` "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The covenant that stands between us and them is the Salah; whoever abandons it, he has committed disbelief.'"
Hadith Referenceسنن نسائي / كتاب الصلاة / 464
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:إسناده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«سنن الترمذی/الإیمان 9 (2621)، سنن ابن ماجہ/إقامة 77 (1079)، (تحفة الأشراف: 1960)، مسند احمد 5/346، 355 (صحیح)»
1؎ : According to the majority, this ruling applies to a person who considers the abandonment of prayer to be lawful, and as for the one who abandons it merely out of laziness, he is not a disbeliever. However, according to many scholars from the time of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) up to the present, even one who abandons prayer in practice—despite not denying its obligation—is also a disbeliever. See on this subject the great book “Ta’zeem Qadr as-Salah” authored by Imam Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi (edited by Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Faryuwai), and “The Ruling on One Who Abandons Prayer” authored by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (translated by Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Faryuwai).
´Narrated Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated from his father:` that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The covenant between us and them is the Salat, so whoever abandons it he has committed disbelief."
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation: 1: That is, as long as they continue to perform the prayer (salah), we will apply the rulings of Islam upon them, and when they abandon the prayer, then the rulings for disbelievers will be applied to them, because the covenant between us and them is the prayer, and when the prayer is abandoned, it is as if the covenant has ended.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 2621