“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when he was asked, ‘Why is it that a fornicator is not considered an unbeliever as one ignoring the prayer is? What is the reason and evidence?’ The Imam said, ‘A fornicator and so forth commits such act due to lust that influences him, while one ignoring the prayer does so due to his considering it insignificant. You do not find a fornicator contact a female for any other reason besides lust and desire that motivates him. One who ignores the prayer does not do so for pleasure. When you negate lust and pleasure then the motive is considering it insignificant, and when this happens it is disbelief.’ “The narrator has said that Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) was asked, ‘What is the difference between a person’s looking at a female, then fornicating or to wine, then drinking it and one who ignores the prayer? Why is it that in the two aforementioned cases it is not ‘considered insignificant’ as is the case with ignoring prayer? What is the proof and reason that establish a difference?’ The Imam said, ‘Proof is that whenever you place your soul in something without any urging motive like lust and so forth, that are found in fornication and wine. In a case such as prayer in which there is no lust and desire, then it (the motive) is considering it insignificant and that is the difference between this and the other two cases.’”