When young Muslims meet others for the first time and find out that they are Muslim, often one of the very first questions they ask each other is, “Do you pray?” It’s as if this is their touchstone to see if the person they have met is a real Muslim or not. Calling yourself Muslim is one thing, being a Muslim is something else.
Praying five times a day is at the heart of Islam. It is one of the things that distinguishes a Muslim from everyone else in the world; that all the activities of life can be made significant by the cycle of prayer and praise which we offer to Almighty Allah. So why, then, do we have such a problem being faithful to prayer?
My first `Umrah was one of the most important experiences of my life and it had its effects on me. Being so close to the Ka`bah was a deeply moving experience. Being at the very place where our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), like all the prophets before him, had walked and prayed, was amazing.
One of the things that hit me most about being in Makkah, amongst so many others, was when the call to Prayer sounded for Fajr, the Dawn Prayer. Thousands of people appeared from every direction and headed towards the Ka`bah for prayer.
Getting up in the middle of the night wasn’t difficult at all, because the experience of praying at the Ka`bah was so moving. At the time, moving with the vast crowd, I couldn’t help thinking about what it is usually like back home.
Those getting up and going to the mosque for the Dawn Prayer are certainly a minority, aren’t they? Away from Makkah, it is all too easy to ignore the Adhan completely and stay in the comfort of one’s bed.
At special times like Ramadan, or when we go on pilgrimage, it seems so much easier to be faithful to prayer and to take Islam so much more seriously. How many of us, for example, attended Tarawih Prayers in the mosque during Ramadan, even though we might occasionally miss one or two of the obligatory prayers?
It’s one of life’s paradoxes that we want so much to be good, and yet we find ourselves falling into the same old traps and doing things we later regret.
How odd we are as human beings! We can quite happily sit in front of the television for hours or sit idly chatting on the internet to no one in particular, yet we can’t manage to set aside ten minutes to pray.
We do pray, of course, when we want something. Prayer is no problem for us at all then. It comes quite naturally and is no inconvenience at all. The minute a plane begins to plummet to the ground because of engine failure, even the least religious person on board raises his hands in prayer. When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness or when we desperately want an interview to go well, we pray.
The Words of the Adhan
The very words of the Adhan call us to prayer and to security. There is no greater security than knowing that we are in the presence of Allah, Who controls all things. We fret so much and we waste so much time worrying about what might happen, when Allah is guiding everything and we have nothing to fear.
How beautiful it is, for example, to get up in the middle of the night, when all is still and calm, and to prostrate ourselves in prayer before the Maker of the Heavens and the Earth. No one else is around and we can be completely ourselves before Him, pouring out our hearts, asking, begging, and thanking.
If we want something from a friend, we have to couch our request with explanations: “Can I borrow such and such because…”. With Allah we need no explanations. He knows more about what we need than we know ourselves. All we need to do is to bow down in prayer. The very movement of the prayers is relaxing to our bodies and it helps us to put our lives into the proper context. In the presence of such greatness, life is very fragile.
For Muslims, the call to Prayer is like an air raid siren. In times of war or danger, an air raid siren will sound to tell the citizens to run and take cover. No one thinks twice about doing so. The siren sounds and you run as fast as your legs can carry you to a place of safety.
The Adhan is just the same, but it is calling us to escape, not from bombs falling from the sky, but from the everyday concerns and worries of life which often threaten to crush us. It calls us, instead, to take shelter in Allah alone, Who knows us and cares for us and Who wants the best for us. How quickly we should rush to prayer, taking refuge in Allah. How quickly we should leave the inconsequential things of life and turn in prayer to life’s Creator.
We have all seen old people in the mosque and been deeply touched by this old man or that old lady who spends so much time in prayer. Praying has made a difference to them.
It is very moving, too, to see a man come into the mosque from the street, straight from his work which is both back breaking and hard, and to see him prostrate himself in prayer, praying, perhaps, for his children or for the money he needs just to make ends meet. With our foreheads touching the ground, we are all equal. There is no pretending when we pray.
Who Should We Thank, and How?
We are truly blessed as Muslims. Allah has given us everything we need to live a good life, which will bring us happiness. The five pillars of Islam guide us to Paradise.
The five daily prayers are a way of giving meaning to our lives and of setting aside just a few minutes each day to return thanks for all we have. Every Ramadan we make lots of resolutions about how we are going to improve. The greatest resolution of all is to be faithful to prayer.
All our talk about Muslims and about Islam is worthless if we don’t ground it in prayer. Being faithful to the five daily prayers changes us for the better.
Better than watching TV, better than chatting on the Internet, prayer on a regular basis re-charges our spiritual batteries and makes us feel good.
What’s more, regular prayer makes us better people, better Muslims, since its effects stay with us for the rest of the day. In the words of the Adhan which call us to get out of bed and to pray Fajr, the Dawn Prayer, “Prayer is better than sleep.”
The One who created you is profoundly in touch with you; so extremely close, that He knows your most hidden thoughts and innermost feelings.
He knows, intimately, your dreams and hopes, and how your heart hurts sometimes.
When your whole world seems to be crashing down around you, He is there.
In your moments of greatest joy or accomplishment, He is more attentive and understanding of your happiness than your closest companion.
He wants you to succeed. He wants you to step easily into Jannah; and He wants you can see and feel the wonderful accolades and pleasures He has prepared just for you.
Salah: The GPS of Life
To help you stay focused, He has provided you with many tools and methods to stay connected to your purpose. Think of them like the GPS of life. They help you find your way, and get you out of tough situations, so you can return to the right road, even in the darkest moments.
The single most important of these tools is the Salah: the daily prayers.
The Prophet Muhammad said:
The first matter that the slave (‘abd) will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad. (At-Tirmidhi)
From this hadith, we learn that the prayers are a metric by which we can assess the rest of our actions. By working to perfect our prayers, as a natural progression the rest of our lives will likewise improve.
If we find ourselves faltering, and feeling generally weak willed when it comes to doing good, it is a clear indication that our prayers need repairs. Allah Himself confirmed this when He said:
Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds (Quran 29:45).
He described the prayer as shielding us from being impatient and greedy:
Indeed, man was created anxious: When evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding [of it], Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers… (70:19-23).
In addition to the greater level of self-awareness and control we can attain by guarding and sharpening our prayers, they also may wipe away our sins like water washes away impurities. Due to this great importance, it is imperative to approach and learn them in a way that is effective, not overwhelming.
The prayers can be learned at your own pace. The quality of your prayers will develop over time, as long as you put in the necessary effort.
My Own Experience
As you learn the prayers, be sure you are performing them in the same manner as the way the Prophet Muhammad did. In order to do this, it is crucial to check any sources you are learning from and make sure that they are teaching according to the way the Prophet Muhammad prayed.
This is a useful link to a great video that explains and demonstrates the prayer according to the authentic reports, made by the Foundation For Knowledge and Development, an organization dedicated to educating and developing Muslims with authentic knowledge.
When I began to learn to pray, I recorded everything and I would listen to it repeatedly while practicing the positions. I learned a little at a time: first I memorized the takbir: Allahu Akbar, then I began memorizing chapter Al-Fatihah, then gradually, over several weeks I memorized the entirety of the prayer.
It is essential to memorize the translation of all the words in a language that is natural to you, so that you can focus on the meaning of every part of the prayer as you say it.
Read Also: New Muslims – Tips to Build Self Confidence in Prayer
I do not recommend learning the whole prayer in Arabic, without knowing the meanings, because prayer is a communication; and if you don’t know what you are saying, you are only regurgitating words. It may be even easier for you to learn initially in a language you understand and then superimpose the Arabic words as you progress.
To this day, almost 14 years since I entered Islam, I still repeat the meanings of every saying in English in my head after the Arabic, because my Arabic is not yet fluent enough such that it is my internal language. Thus, I feel more secure repeating everything in English to be sure I truly mean what I am saying.
Don’t be deterred if you find the prayer difficult at first. Many people learn how to do it, and you will too, by Allah’s will and with His help. One of the important parts of chapter Al-Fatihah is where we say:
You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help. Show us the straight way. (1:6)
Abundantly seeking Allah’s help will draw you nearer to your Lord; it will increase your gratitude to Him as you grow and progress. It’s okay if your pace is slower than others; remember Allah recognizes the effort you are putting in. If you are trying your best, He is fully aware and appreciative.
Know the Prayer Timings
In addition to learning the prayer itself we must also learn the timings. The spacing of the prayers throughout the day serves to reorient our souls; and it helps prevent us from becoming wholly distracted and enamored by our material lives.
The prayers are meditation; during them we work to constantly pull our hearts and minds back to the remembrance of the source and destination of life, Allah. Doing this throughout the day is like training, keeping our spirits fit and nimble; ready to face whatever life throws at us.
Read Also: 5 Practical Steps to Maintain Focus in Prayer
The timings have been prescribed and they are not something we can alter. We have to try to find a way to do our prayers at the times prescribed except in extenuating circumstances such as travel. This brings us to the issue of praying in public, or in front of our families who are not Muslim.
At first, it might seem embarrassing to tell your family in the middle of a gathering or while out on an excursion together, that you need to stop and pray. This can be especially difficult for those of us that come from backgrounds that scoff at religion, or those that are very strong in a particular religion, and strongly opposed to (what they believe is) Islam.
Unless your life is threatened, you should try to find a way to make your prayers on time. Initially there may be discomfort but, with Allah’s help, as you grow in faith, you will feel more confident to pray wherever, whenever. As you grow and begin to understand the value of the prayer, your worries will pale in comparison.
To help you feel more confident in this regard, please know that many people have come to Islam, due to witnessing the prayer; and many others find it touchingly beautiful.
An Inspirational Story
I read an account written by a non-Muslim woman. She and her husband were being driven by taxi, when their driver began looking at the sky anxiously. Finally he apologized and told them he had to stop and pray- he was about to miss the Asr prayer. They watched as he pulled out a rug and performed his prayer on the side of the road. The woman was deeply moved by that moment. That captivating experience instilled respect in her for both the driver and Islam.
Of course not everyone will feel this way. A friend of mine told me that in the early days of her Islam, her mother used to kick her when she would bow in prayer. I have another friend who is keeping her Islam a secret at the moment, so finding the ability to pray all the prayers on time has been a struggle.
This life is fleeting. Guarding the thing that brings us closer to our Lord and the quality of which will determine whether our outcome is good or bad, is worth the struggle.
The best things don’t often come easy, so garner up whatever strength you have and put it into your prayers!
