And He is with you, wherever you are (Quran 57:4)
Although I know that Allah is always listening, I often fail at making a connection during my prayers. I lose my focus. My attention is diverted and I hate to admit it but I often find myself thinking about other things whilst praying. My prayer goes into autopilot mode and I go through things in my head that could have waited until after my prayer.
I want to connect with Allah and thank him for all that I have and ask for forgiveness. But this usually ends in frustration.
I have found my inability to switch off and focus as an interference to my prayers. I knew I was not alone when it came to these struggles. My fellow sisters have also complained about these very issues.
For this reason, I decided to contact a professional to give me a few tips, Alhamdulillah, these tips changed my focus completely!
Here are those very tips because sharing is caring:
Keep it simple
Diving into complexity is not the way to go. If Allah himself breathed life into your soul, you will connect.
Allah adores simplicity and truth. With him, there is no need for add-ons or exaggeration. Complicated words will do nothing for your dua. It will make you feel further away from your creator. If you are trying to come up with a fancy string of words whilst making your dua, your attention will deviate, and you will forget what you want to ask for.
Try and be as simple as you can be. This will allow you to express your feelings in the best way. Allow your heart to open up and say whatever comes to mind.
Be strong in the knowledge that you will be heard.
Read the Quran
Have you ever experienced a one-sided conversation? These conversations often end early. If you are constantly praying without reading the Quran, you pretty much have no idea what Allah is saying. The motivation to make dua then withers away. For your prayers to be strong, you need to foster a relationship with Allah.
Avoid procrastination
By praying on time, you are wiring your subconscious mind to understand the importance of prayer. When you keep delaying your prayers, you will never grasp the importance of it. Rather than leaving prayer as the last thing on the list, leave all the worldly-matters aside and turn to Allah when it is time to pray.
By doing this, you will start to realise the importance of prayer and develop more of an interest.
Top tip: Download an adhan app on your phone so you can be reminded when it is time to pray.
Be willing to pray anywhere
Once you skip one single prayer, it will snowball into missing all the prayers. It is very easy to fall into this habit. If you are trying to build a strong relationship with Allah, do not compromise your prayers.
You already know there are five prayers you must complete. Therefore, try and maintain wudu, have a prayer mat in your car or bag and wear modest clothing so that you are always ready to pray.
Leaving aside the fardh, get into the habit of performing zikr. Whether you are in the car, walking to the park or shopping, constantly having Allah’s name on the tip of your tongue will definitely bring you closer to him.
Have faith in your creator
We might not always get what we wish for. However, this is not to be mistaken for Allah not hearing our prayers. Thinking your dua hasn’t been received is not a reason to stop praying.
Just as you know the sun will rise in the day, know that you must blindly have trust in Allah.
Taking these tips on has really changed my life. My connection with Allah is stronger than ever and I find my anxiety has calmed down significantly. Inshallah they help you too.
