Okay I still don’t understand why salat is obligatory but I really like the concept of doing wudu frequently during a day to keep oneself clean.
I don’t need to pray to remind me I have sinned. When I sin I know I have sinned and I feel guilty and I deserve to be punished for it, as simple as that. However that being said, I need to ensure I don’t repeat my mistakes again.
One needs to have a strong commitment to moral and ethical principles. (which is more evident in the west than any muslim nation on this planet)
There are a lot of other ways to form a community - culture, language, nationality…