Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing} [Surat al-‘Ankabūt: 45]
1) Prayer that prohibits immorality and wrongdoing is the one that a person establishes in the most perfect manner, both inwardly and outwardly, in accordance with the Prophet’s guidance. He should enter the prayer with a focused mind, performing all its obligatory and supererogatory elements and fulfilling its pillars and requirements.
2) A person’s insistence on sins and misdeeds prevents him from prayer. Just as prayer prevents immorality and wrongdoing, immorality and wrongdoing prevent prayer and the love and desire for it.
1042/1 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “If there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?” They replied: “No dirt would remain on him.” He said: “That is the example of the five prayers. Allah obliterates sins by them.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1043/2 - Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The five prayers are like a great river running by your door in which you wash five times every day.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Through the five prayers, Allah Almighty obliterates a person’s sins until he becomes pure and free from all sin.
2) Setting examples for educational purposes makes understanding easier.
3) The more a person performs prayer in the proper manner, the more his sins will be expiated. So, we should be keen to learn how exactly the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray so that we will be rewarded with the expiation of our sins.
1044/3 - Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man kissed a woman (unlawfully), so he came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of the matter. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the following verse: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds.} [Hūd: 114] So, the man said: “Is this for me?” He replied: “It is for all my Ummah as a whole.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) It shows Allah’s mercy towards the Muslim Ummah as He has legislated for them good deeds that expiate sins. Indeed, all praise and thanks are due to our Lord.
2) Fundamentally, all Shariah rulings generally apply to the whole Ummah, unless otherwise established by a proof, like the verse that says: {[This is] only for you [Muhammad], excluding the [other] believers.} It is the general meanings of the words that matter, not the specific circumstance surrounding them.
1045/4 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The five (daily) prayers and the Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer are expiation for the sins committed between them, unless major sins are committed.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Major sins are only expiated by separate repentance. Minor sins, on the other hand, are expiated by prayers and other acts of worship.
2) Recognizing the high status of Friday prayer and other congregational prayers, as they are means for bringing mercy and forgiveness of sins.
1046/5 - ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When the time for an obligatory prayer comes and a Muslim properly makes ablution for it and performs its bowing and other acts with humility, this prayer will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he does not commit major sins; and this applies at all times.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) Making ablution properly and offering prayer is a great means for expiating minor sins.
2) The Hadīth mentions humility during prayer to draw attention to its significance, for it is the spirit of prayer. Allah Almighty says: {Certainly the believers have succeeded. Those who are humble in their prayer.}