وَعَن النُّعْمَان بن مرّة
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَا تَرَوْنَ فِي الشَّارِبِ وَالزَّانِي وَالسَّارِقِ؟ «وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُنْزَلَ فِيهِمُ الْحُدُودُ قَالُوا: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ: «هُنَّ فَوَاحِشُ وَفِيهِنَّ عُقُوبَةٌ وَأَسْوَأُ السَّرِقَةِ الَّذِي يَسْرِقُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ». قَالُوا: وَكَيف يسرق م صَلَاتِهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «لَا يُتِمُّ ركوعها وَلَا سجودها»
An-Numan ibn Murra reported God’s Messenger as saying, “What do you think of the drinker, the fornicator, and the thief?” That was before the prescribed punishments regarding them were revealed. On receiving the reply that God and His Messenger knew best, he said, “Such sins are abominations and punishment is prescribed for them, but the worst theft is what one steals from his prayer.”
He was asked how one could steal from his prayer and replied, “By not performing his bowing and his prostration perfectly.”