Do you guys imagine stuff while praying or not?

True_Sultan

A logical believer
Salam brothers and sisters,

A question to you all. Do you guys imagine Allah's light or his presence while praying? or do you imagine his greatness while praying? Or do you just blindly recite the surah's?

Im asking because I don't know which on is correct. Like for me I can just recite the surah, or sometimes imagine myself praying in heaven, or imagine Allah's noor/presence, or his greatness, the ghayb, or the kaaba or the quran (like every time i recite an ayat, I imagine it glow :SMILY149:)

Is this wrong? I mean I always asked Allah for forgiveness every time i pray that I hope everything is right :)
 

Valerie

Junior Member
Good question... I do the same thing... Light coming from the direction I'm facing (and kinda "up" too). I hadn't thought about if it was right or not, so I'm glad you asked :) I started doing it because my mind started wandering while I prayed and this focused me.
 

FreedomFighter

Junior Member
:wasalam:

No I don't imagine the light while praying, sometimes I do imagine the greatness.

Sis Valerie, I see now you are a Muslim, congratulations and may Allah bless you. Do you happen to have a thread or post on your conversion story?
 

True_Sultan

A logical believer
Good question... I do the same thing... Light coming from the direction I'm facing (and kinda "up" too). I hadn't thought about if it was right or not, so I'm glad you asked :) I started doing it because my mind started wandering while I prayed and this focused me.

Congratz Sis on becoming a muslim. Also yeah it helps me focus and clean my mind as well.

:wasalam:

No I don't imagine the light while praying, sometimes I do imagine the greatness.

Sis Valerie, I see now you are a Muslim, congratulations and may Allah bless you. Do you happen to have a thread or post on your conversion story?

Yes, I sometimes do that as well.

By the way Happy Shobe Miraj to all. Its Shobe Miraj here in Canada.
 

a_stranger

Junior Member
:salam2: brother

I think we don`t need to imagine anything , all that is surrounding us is Allah`s creation , the light that is brightening our days, the earth that we are walking on, the heavens , the sun, moon , stars, birds........etc are clear signs .....now on this earth we can`t see our creator but his Aayat are all around:

3:190 Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,-

16:12 He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.

16:79 Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe.

45:13 And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: Behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.

Translation of the meanings of Quran

If you continue to pray and follow the example of the prophet salla Allah alaihi wa sallam you will feel the light within ......you don`t need to imagine ....just keep on your good efforts.

with regards
 

True_Sultan

A logical believer
:wasalam: :)

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=431939&postcount=392

Still learning, and trying to work through things I don't understand. Fortunately I have this forum and threads like this to help me through the learning process :)

Congrats sis, welcome to your dean. Soon you'll see the beauty of the truth in our religion. :)

Our religion is the truth, it complies with ever logic there is and was :)

:salam2: brother

I think we don`t need to imagine anything , all that is surrounding us is Allah`s creation , the light that is brightening our days, the earth that we are walking on, the heavens , the sun, moon , stars, birds........etc are clear signs .....now on this earth we can`t see our creator but his Aayat are all around:

3:190 Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,-

16:12 He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.

16:79 Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe.

45:13 And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: Behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.

Translation of the meanings of Quran

If you continue to pray and follow the example of the prophet salla Allah alaihi wa sallam you will feel the light within ......you don`t need to imagine ....just keep on your good efforts.

with regards

awesome. Well the imagining comes naturally i guess.
 

Aisya al-Humaira

الحمدلله على كل حال
Assalamua'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

To gain khushoo' (concentration) in Solaat is one of the hardest thing. At some point, when we are too preoccupied with the worldly matters, it will actually leads us to not being able to present our mind and our heart FULLY during our submission to Allaah subhanahu wa Ta'ala (in Solaat).

Some of the sayings of the Salaf as-Soleeh regarding how they try to gain khushoo' in Solaat:

When Hatim al Asamm was asked about his prayer, he said, "When it is near the time of prayer, I perform a perfect Wudu and go to where I am going to pray and sit down there until I become fully attentive to what I am about to do. I then stand up and pray, imagining that the Ka`bah is in front of my eyes, Paradise to my right, Hellfire to my left and the Angel of Death behind me. I imagine that it is the last prayer I am about to perform, stand up in hope (in Allah, His Paradise and rewards) and fear (from Allah's torment in Hellfire) and recite the Takbir while having full attention. I recite the Qur'an calmly, make Ruku` humbly, go into Sujud with Khushu1 and then sit on my left leg, with the left food laid on the floor and the right food raised up, all the while praying with sincerity. Afterwards, I do not know (nor feel certain) if that prayer was accepted from me!" [Al Ihya 1/179]

Bakr al Muzani said, "If you want your prayer to be of benefit to you, say to yourself, 'I might not have a chance to perform another prayer.'"[Jami` al `Ulum wal Hikam, p 466.]

Mu`adh bin Jabal advised his son, "My son! Pray the prayer of he who is just about to leave and imagine that you might not be able to pray ever again. Know that the believer dies between two good deeds, one that he performed and one that he intended to perform later on." [Sifat as Safwah 1/496]

Hammad bin Salamah said, "I have never stood up for prayer without imagining that Jahannam is before my eyes." [Tadhkirat al Huffadh 1/219]

`Umar said, while standing on the podium, "A man might have white hair in Islam (i.e. reaches in old age while Muslim), yet has not completed even one prayer for Allah, the Exalted!" He was asked, "Why is that?" He said, "He does not perfect the prayer's required Khushu`, solemness and attending to Allah with his heart." [Al-Ihya 10/202]


Saidina Umaar al-Khaatab radiyallahu anhu used to tremble when he recite ayaat of punishment in his solaat until he collapse. He fell sick for almost a week just because of that! MashaAllaah, how tremendously khushoo' were the Sahaabah.

Saidina A'li karamullahu wajhah used to weep everytime he came to the ayaat "Ihdina siraathol mustaqeem".

To let ourselves gain khushoo', it is also advisable for us to be khushoo' since when we are performing the wudhoo'. One of the sahabaah's r.a face will turn pale even when he was just taking his wudhoo'. It was because he has let his heart to be presence with him that he is about to perform Solaat and submit himself to Allaah subhanahu wa Ta'ala. (I cant recall which Sahabaah it was)

To gain khushoo' in Solaat isnt easy at all, but we can always try, try and try. Alhamdulillaah we have them (Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the sahaabah and the salaf al-soleeh) as our examples on how to let our mind and heart to be present fully during our solaat.

And yes, one of the method is also to UNDERSTAND and PONDER on what we are reciting during our solaat (specifically to non-native Arabic speakers).

InshaAllaah, the more often we try to be khushoo' in solaat, eventually we'll be able to feel the bliss sweetness of submitting and supplication through our solaat. MashaAllaah.

Wa'alaykummusalam wa rahmatullah.
 

BADTASTEBEARS

Fear Allah
Assalamua'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

To gain khushoo' (concentration) in Solaat is one of the hardest thing. At some point, when we are too preoccupied with the worldly matters, it will actually leads us to not being able to present our mind and our heart FULLY during our submission to Allaah subhanahu wa Ta'ala (in Solaat).

Some of the sayings of the Salaf as-Soleeh regarding how they try to gain khushoo' in Solaat:

When Hatim al Asamm was asked about his prayer, he said, "When it is near the time of prayer, I perform a perfect Wudu and go to where I am going to pray and sit down there until I become fully attentive to what I am about to do. I then stand up and pray, imagining that the Ka`bah is in front of my eyes, Paradise to my right, Hellfire to my left and the Angel of Death behind me. I imagine that it is the last prayer I am about to perform, stand up in hope (in Allah, His Paradise and rewards) and fear (from Allah's torment in Hellfire) and recite the Takbir while having full attention. I recite the Qur'an calmly, make Ruku` humbly, go into Sujud with Khushu1 and then sit on my left leg, with the left food laid on the floor and the right food raised up, all the while praying with sincerity. Afterwards, I do not know (nor feel certain) if that prayer was accepted from me!" [Al Ihya 1/179]

Bakr al Muzani said, "If you want your prayer to be of benefit to you, say to yourself, 'I might not have a chance to perform another prayer.'"[Jami` al `Ulum wal Hikam, p 466.]

Mu`adh bin Jabal advised his son, "My son! Pray the prayer of he who is just about to leave and imagine that you might not be able to pray ever again. Know that the believer dies between two good deeds, one that he performed and one that he intended to perform later on." [Sifat as Safwah 1/496]

Hammad bin Salamah said, "I have never stood up for prayer without imagining that Jahannam is before my eyes." [Tadhkirat al Huffadh 1/219]

`Umar said, while standing on the podium, "A man might have white hair in Islam (i.e. reaches in old age while Muslim), yet has not completed even one prayer for Allah, the Exalted!" He was asked, "Why is that?" He said, "He does not perfect the prayer's required Khushu`, solemness and attending to Allah with his heart." [Al-Ihya 10/202]


Saidina Umaar al-Khaatab radiyallahu anhu used to tremble when he recite ayaat of punishment in his solaat until he collapse. He fell sick for almost a week just because of that! MashaAllaah, how tremendously khushoo' were the Sahaabah.

Saidina A'li karamullahu wajhah used to weep everytime he came to the ayaat "Ihdina siraathol mustaqeem".

To let ourselves gain khushoo', it is also advisable for us to be khushoo' since when we are performing the wudhoo'. One of the sahabaah's r.a face will turn pale even when he was just taking his wudhoo'. It was because he has let his heart to be presence with him that he is about to perform Solaat and submit himself to Allaah subhanahu wa Ta'ala. (I cant recall which Sahabaah it was)

To gain khushoo' in Solaat isnt easy at all, but we can always try, try and try. Alhamdulillaah we have them (Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the sahaabah and the salaf al-soleeh) as our examples on how to let our mind and heart to be present fully during our solaat.

And yes, one of the method is also to UNDERSTAND and PONDER on what we are reciting during our solaat (specifically to non-native Arabic speakers).

InshaAllaah, the more often we try to be khushoo' in solaat, eventually we'll be able to feel the bliss sweetness of submitting and supplication through our solaat. MashaAllaah.

Wa'alaykummusalam wa rahmatullah.

May Allah reward you sister
 

PARVEZ SHAHIDI

Junior Member
:salam2:
This is a very good thread. Prayer is the means through which we can get anything from Allah subhanuwata'ala. I posted a little thing longtime ago:

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?p=276770#post276770

I would like to add a little bit more:

I pray because of one of two things:

Either I want something from the Almighty.

Or I want to thank him for something.

And when I pray, I try to concetrate on words I am saying (the translation of the sura, because I do not know the arabic language).

I would like to add a little more:

At one time Shytan strated to bother me so much during my prayer that it became impossible for me to pray with concentration. Most of the time I was forgetting how many rakas I have prayed and how many rakas are left, even during three raka salat.

Then I started repeating the full salah, if I did not remembered exactly how many rakas I have prayed, after finishing the salah.

No matter how hard I tried, Shytan was winning most of the time.

But since I strated repeating the salah( sometimes I repeated one salah upto four times), Shytan is not bothering me that much.

About 90% of the time I can concentrate on my salah. Sometimes Shytan divert my mind from salah for few moments but very quickly my mind come back to salah.

May be, the biggest enemy of us, the Shytan didnot like me repeating the salahs so is not diverting my mind much because he knows very well that I am going to repeat the salah.

I want some thing from the Almighty and that is why I pray.

May Allah increase our iman and give us everything which are good in this world and hereafter, Ameen.

 

Aisya al-Humaira

الحمدلله على كل حال
At one time Shytan strated to bother me so much during my prayer that it became impossible for me to pray with concentration. Most of the time I was forgetting how many rakas I have prayed and how many rakas are left, even during three raka salat.

Then I started repeating the full salah, if I did not remembered exactly how many rakas I have prayed, after finishing the salah.

No matter how hard I tried, Shytan was winning most of the time.


Assalamua'alaykum wa rahmatullah,

Brother, if one forget how many rakaat he has performed, he is adviced to take the lesser : lets say you doubt whether you have perform 3/4 rakaat, so you take 3, make up another 1 rakaat left and at the end, you perform sujood al-sahwi. InshaAllaah, maybe you can look up on how to perform the sujood? That way, you dont need to re-do your solaat once again fully, just make up the remaining rakaat.

Allaah knows best. InshaAllaah, can correct me if I am wrong.

Wassalam.
 

PARVEZ SHAHIDI

Junior Member
Assalamua'alaykum wa rahmatullah,

Brother, if one forget how many rakaat he has performed, he is adviced to take the lesser : lets say you doubt whether you have perform 3/4 rakaat, so you take 3, make up another 1 rakaat left and at the end, you perform sujood al-sahwi. InshaAllaah, maybe you can look up on how to perform the sujood? That way, you dont need to re-do your solaat once again fully, just make up the remaining rakaat.

Allaah knows best. InshaAllaah, can correct me if I am wrong.

Wassalam.

:salam2:
Yes sister I heard that bebore. But whose advice is that, you did not mentioned.

What is my experince that, to get someting from Allah SWT very quickly, we have to concentrate in our salah completely.

Alhamdulillah, I have almost defeated the Shytan and InshAllah one day I shall defeate him comletely.

Now most of the time I can remember number of rakas and what I am saying in my prayer. I got result by repeating salahs that is why I wrote it.
My muslim brothers and sisters are free to do it or not. I just wrote because I got result.

Shytan is trying hard to spoil our salah so we will have to try harder the way we like and which gives result.
:wasalam:

 

Aisya al-Humaira

الحمدلله على كل حال
:salam2:
Yes sister I heard that bebore. But whose advice is that, you did not mentioned.

What is my experince that, to get someting from Allah SWT very quickly, we have to concentrate in our salah completely.

Alhamdulillah, I have almost defeated the Shytan and InshAllah one day I shall defeate him comletely.

Now most of the time I can remember number of rakas and what I am saying in my prayer. I got result by repeating salahs that is why I wrote it.
My muslim brothers and sisters are free to do it or not. I just wrote because I got result.

Shytan is trying hard to spoil our salah so we will have to try harder the way we like and which gives result.
:wasalam:


I learnt it in my Sharee'ah class during in madrasaah. I dont mean it as giving an advice though (seems like my wording wasnt the best, sorry for that), but that is how I understood on how to make up prayers when we have doubts of the rakaat.

Maybe you can find a related article in Islamqa.

Was-salam.
 

saifkhan

abd-Allah
Saalam Alaikum wa rahmatu-llah

aaaa...a very good question, not for answering, coz we dont know which is right, but for sharing....so for that..Jazakum Allahu Khair

whenever I become casual in my prayers, like just reciting blindly, and whenever I realize that, I immediately refresh myself....like for what am I doing this?....Allah is looking everything...it happens sometimes....
again, sometimes I start Salah with crying and end up with crying just thnking how beautiful Islam is......and jus thinking like Allah is the Greatest One, and we r nothing more than a dust......its something like you told....I'll not say noor but blessing
The think I most often do, recite surah and realize the meaning, coz I mostoften recite surah, whos meanings are known to me......and that often make me cry.....

one thing I know, Allah sends angel with mercy and blessing, He doesnt come directly, for what we feel good, feel peace, in our heart and thats the fullfilment of our desires,,,His mercy and blessing soothes our heart....may that's what are you talking about.....just you named it : Noor or anything....

I dont know how far correct am i, but I think that make sense.....
and Allah knows the best

wassalam nerdy Sultan.....
PS:your brother in Islam is just joking lill scientist...
 

Rustandi

الفقير الى الله
:salam2:
Yes sister I heard that bebore. But whose advice is that, you did not mentioned.

What is my experince that, to get someting from Allah SWT very quickly, we have to concentrate in our salah completely.

Alhamdulillah, I have almost defeated the Shytan and InshAllah one day I shall defeate him comletely.

Now most of the time I can remember number of rakas and what I am saying in my prayer. I got result by repeating salahs that is why I wrote it.
My muslim brothers and sisters are free to do it or not. I just wrote because I got result.

Shytan is trying hard to spoil our salah so we will have to try harder the way we like and which gives result.
:wasalam:


:salam2:

to answer your question.

Uncertain of the number of rak’ahs

Sometimes, actually many times, I make mistakes during my prayers. Either I forget how many 'rakaas' I have done or something else of the sort. Do I stop my prayers and do them over, or continue?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad al-‘Uthaymeen was asked this question and said:

The correct view is that this does not invalidate your prayer, because doubts often come to a man without him wanting them to. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained the ruling concerning doubts in prayer, and that doubts fall into two categories:

1 – When the person doubts the number of rak’ahs he has prayed, but he thinks one of the two is more likely. In this case he should act upon what he is more certain of, and complete the prayer on that basis, then say the salaam and do the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw) after the salaam.

2 – When he doubts the number of rak’ahs, and neither number seems more likely to him. In this case he should act upon the lower number, because that is more certain and the higher number is doubtful, and he should complete the prayer based on the lower number, then do two prostrations for forgetfulness before the salaam. His prayer will not be invalidated in that case.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad al-‘Uthaymeen, 1/425


taken from islamqa, source:

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/33624
 

True_Sultan

A logical believer
Salam brothers and sisters,

Its great that we pray almost similar. I saw a hadeeth somewhere saying that when praying, you have to be in a state of concentration and the ways I achieve it are one of the same. I was just wondering what the universal belief is on that. Also to be honest, I sometimes mess up rackats to, but i continue. One thing i learned was that never recite a surah to fast, recite it at your own pace, as we can sometimes mess up. Its human nature but Allah will forgive us.

And yes saifkhan I am your lil scientist/unknown person, but were all brothers and sisters in a huge family :D
 

PARVEZ SHAHIDI

Junior Member
:salam2:

to answer your question.

:salam2:
Thankyou brothers and sisters for your answers.


I read once that our prophet :saw:, when he was leading a prayer of Shahabas, may Allah be pleased with all of them, once prayed five rakas in four raka salah. After the prayer the Sahabas asked him whether the rakas for the salah changed from 4 to 5. He said no and then turned towards the Kiblah and did the correction sujud.

My problem was, every time I was standing for salah with an intention that I shall concentrate 100% in my salah, Shytan was coming to mind bringing thoughts which I was not thinking at all before salah, such as memories of fishing when I was just a small boy.

I realised that it was that act of Shytan, he does not want me to concentrate in my salah. Then I started repeating the full salah because once I read that when a person first stand for salah, Allah SWT turn towards him but when he wanders away from salah, Allah SWT turn away from him. My understanding was that, if I forget how many rakas I have prayed, my mind must have wandered away.

Since I have started repeating salahs, within few days I was able to concentrate fully in it without any diversion of my mind most of the time. It seems that our biggest enemy Shytan did not like me praying again and again so it stopped his tricks on me.

I have another problem now, as soon as I start my salah I started yawning. Just before my salah I was not yawning and just after I do not yawn again. That means I was not tired. I shall have to do something about it.

I have written here my experiences. It was in not in any way, was an advice.

I have mentioned two readings here from my memories. May first Allah SWT and then my brothers and sisters forgive me if I have not said them correctly.

 

True_Sultan

A logical believer
:salam2:

to answer your question.

:salam2:
Thankyou brothers and sisters for your answers.


I read once that our prophet :saw:, when he was leading a prayer of Shahabas, may Allah be pleased with all of them, once prayed five rakas in four raka salah. After the prayer the Sahabas asked him whether the rakas for the salah changed from 4 to 5. He said no and then turned towards the Kiblah and did the correction sujud.

My problem was, every time I was standing for salah with an intention that I shall concentrate 100% in my salah, Shytan was coming to mind bringing thoughts which I was not thinking at all before salah, such as memories of fishing when I was just a small boy.

I realised that it was that act of Shytan, he does not want me to concentrate in my salah. Then I started repeating the full salah because once I read that when a person first stand for salah, Allah SWT turn towards him but when he wanders away from salah, Allah SWT turn away from him. My understanding was that, if I forget how many rakas I have prayed, my mind must have wandered away.

Since I have started repeating salahs, within few days I was able to concentrate fully in it without any diversion of my mind most of the time. It seems that our biggest enemy Shytan did not like me praying again and again so it stopped his tricks on me.

I have another problem now, as soon as I start my salah I started yawning. Just before my salah I was not yawning and just after I do not yawn again. That means I was not tired. I shall have to do something about it.

I have written here my experiences. It was in not in any way, was an advice.

I have mentioned two readings here from my memories. May first Allah SWT and then my brothers and sisters forgive me if I have not said them correctly.


Salam,

Yes thanks for sharing, I agree, one must pray whole heartedly. Though I don't make mistakes often in prayers, I only do when i start praying after a long period (yes i know i shouldn't do that), but when I pray, I don't see any memories I just imagine, Allahs noor, his presense, his greatness, the quran, kaaba, the ghayb, Allahs presence/beyondness/infinitness. Nothing that can divert me. I hope I do it right.
 

Peaceful661

Junior Member
Shab-e-mairaj

Yes, I sometimes do that as well.

By the way Happy Shobe Miraj to all. Its Shobe Miraj here in Canada.[/QUOTE]

shab e mairaj is not a decided date, scholars even differ about this, some say it was in ramazan, some say in shaban, some say in Rabi ul awwal etc. Even the year is not known, i've also read in a book by Mufti Taqi uSMANI that hazrat umar(ra) would force the person to break fast on this day.

I imagine a name of Allah written in English and it really helps my concentration alot.
 
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