salam to all.
subhan allah, subhan allah, subhan allah. when i have a problem that im too ashamed, scared, worried, shy or embarrassed to ask, someone always asks it at the same time i have that prayer. Allah is with us, he never leaves us, when i saw this post, before i clicked the link, i almost cried thanking Allah for showing me that someone else has this problem and it can be fixed.
i have this problem too. its very hard to deal with because i cry sometimes when making dua, i say 'Oh Allah, look at me, im making dua and crying in shame and i have such good Khushu, Iman but its in my heart and soul and truly strong but no its not there when i pray. its there in my dua and during the day when i think about you or ponder of your creation, but in prayer or reading quran, its not there, where is it?' and i cry. then guess what, my mind wonders off while im making this dua with my hands actually open and then i remember that im sitting and making dua why is my mind gone again then i cry and say 'see my lord, even making dua for 5 minutes i concentrate'
i made this dua for the pass few days and i felt it helped heaps
'Oh Allah, you created us and you created us to test us. But i cant concentrate in my prayer or when reading quran and that is the most important thing to do because it is part of islam. do i not concentrate because you do not want me? If i was to be a muslim, im meant to pray to you and worship you but how come its so so hard to pray. I cant stand in front of you and pray with all my heart, is this a sign that my heart is weak in Iman? Is this a sign that you are not happy with me? If this is a test, i ask you to help me through it because if i dont pass it, i can be punished. Strengthen my Iman, my balance and help me focus in my prayer more. thats all im asking for. im not asking for a nice house, or a car or money or anything but for my iman, balance and focus in Salah and quran and worship to be strong and for you to guide me through it. i cant do it if you dont help me because part of my Iman is taken away from me during worship, please give it back to me because i love you and love the prophet (saw) and believe in you and worship and try hard and very hard. I believe i am a good person, you made me this good person, but where is my Khushu in salah'
i said this for 3 days in a row. im doing great because allah put the inspiration in my heart of what i was doing wrong.
i use to recite small surahs in the salah and still not concentrate, when i realised this is serious, i wanted to find a solution. so...
i heard in my shariah studies how nice it is to extend the Fard prayer when reciting the quran as in dont read small surahs, read long ones. i only know long ones if i read off the quran book. i found out it was okay to do this so i read quran from the book. but then my mind still wonders off and im not focus but feel happy that i took very long time praying and i was patient.
now i realised, its not the long surah or the small surah that makes a difference, its focus. so i thought, i will read small surahs, but read them slowly and try to remember or understand what im reading means while im going like what Idris16 said in the message.
then i get down slowly and say the supplication slowly and remembering Allah is in front of me and he is watching me and pleased and proud of me for offering him prayer. im connecting with Allah. then i prostrate and say the supplication and also say 'Oh allah, help me to be more focus in my salah'. when i do the shahada / taslim, i make sure i read the shahada properly and remember what it means and that im putting my shahada finger up to worship Allah and tell him that i believe in him .... etc.
start of reading small surahs, and read them slowly, and think, think very very carefully, try to remember what it means or what your saying, remember allah is in front of you and watching you and he may be disappointed if we loose the concentration, make a connection with Allah, connect. do what a_stranger said, its really good message for us all. when you picture the Kaba is infront of you, picture your praying at the Hajj, and people are going around the Kaba and around you beause your facing the Kaba, picture the Angels, may be praying behind you or next to you or with you. Picture white colour, noor, pray under a light, close your eyes while praying, let the light come on you. during the day, pray outside, i know someone said not to look left or right. i dont do this and make sure you dont do this too. i know they also said not to look at the sky, subhan allah, looking at the sky with my eyes closed or open is the only way i can concentrate, subhan allah, its the only way. so thats why i do it. when im outside and look at the sky, with my eyes closed, the sun comes on my eyes and i picture noor, and Allahs blessings which makes me smile and pray in happiness and puts noor through my heart. light really really helps. even if you want to look down, when there is lots of light and you close your eyes, you can still see the reflection of the lights as in the beauty the colour. the reflection. this and a dua before prayer and while prostrating helps so much. picture you have angels around you. i'll try to get some more tips for you.
but remember, you are not alone okay, most of us have this problem. One good thing about it is that we become upset and closer to Allah in our dua and fear. As in, we are in need of making extra dua to ask Allah for help and we get upset and fear Allah because we are lacking in our salah no matter how many times we pray or extra salah we make or pray on time, we still are lacking it because of our concentration. but it lifts us up. you can feel it dont you, it lifts up your Iman, when you finish prayer, you feel sad, you feel you didnt pray, you feel Allah might be upset with us etc. when you pray right, you get up and say alhumdulilah allah is proud of me and walk off. so this is a test.
remember, when Allah gives someone more than us, whether its Iman or focus or richness, it does not mean he likes this person or honours him, and when he doesnt give someone that Iman or focus or richness, does not mean he is humilating him or hates him or not pleased with him.
Allah tests us, sometimes he is more happy with the person he gives less to because that person becomes in need of Allah and constantly calls for his help. if he is patient and is not upset with the test he is been put in.
Allah test us through our obeydiance to him, just because a sheikh for example know all the quran off by heart and knows so much about the islam, doesnt mean Allah likes him more than a person who is not Sheikh but still knows how to read the quran and is trying hard to learn more about islam. sometimes lots of sheikhs arent good people and make things up or do haram and im serious, i know 3 sheikhs in Australia that do haram things and are sheikhs and go to Joma prayer and do Kotba and lead people to the Hajj etc. a persons heart and intention is what allah loves and gifts the most. your heart and intention is not of praying without concentration and who cares what happens next, your heart and intention is of trying and wanting and crying out for help and concentration to Allah, and trying and making effort to pray again because you are not sure. Your intention and heart, thats what Allah subhana wa taala will reward you for inshallah.
im not making much sense but i hope you understand me. sometimes what i when i type what i think or want to say, i realise it doesnt make sense. so i hope i didnt say anything haram or wrong.
i hope you dont mind that i have shared my situation with you. i only did this so you dont feel your the only person who feels this and so we can exchange tips and learn more from the brothers and sisters advice. so far, i have added to my concentration list a few points from this post. jazakulah kheir to all for your wonderful advice. when i pray and each time i pray and use these points you have provided, you should know that you are getting rewards. so how many times will i be praying till i die, whether old or young, you will be rewarded inshallah for helping my prayer to be under control. and if your advice helps others, you will be rewarded inshallah for helping them concentrate in salah, for every prayer that they make for the rest of our life.
i make this dua for your reward. inshallah may allah accept it.
jazakulallah kheir.
more points, tips and advice from brothers and sisters on this post, remember inshallah you will be rewarded. so lets help Islam!!yay and im sure many of us too.
jazakullah kheir to Islam!!yay for this post which you have the Iman and strength to face and talk about. i think this is part of your repentance. feeling bad and trying to fix the problem is part of repenting. because you want Allah to forgive you and your upset and seeking help from brothers and sister.
