Assalamu 'alaikum dear brothers and sisters,
In this article we will talk about the struggle of concentrating in Salah (prayer), the reasons why we lose focus on Salah and how to focus on Salah.
Salah is the second pillar of Islam, right after the Shahdah (Testimony of Faith), by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon everyone.
There's a Hadith that makes us understand the importance of prayer:
Once a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again answered, "The prayer," then on the fourth occasion he stated, "Jihad in the way of Allah." [This is from a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban. According to al-Albani, the hadith is Hasan. Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Sahih al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1982), vol. 1, p. 150]
There is this struggle that all Muslims have faced (or face) when it comes to Salah. We try our hardest to stay concentrated but still lose focus.
The Prophet Muhammad ļ·ŗ said: Indeed the first deed by which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is his Salat. If it is complete, he is successful and saved, but if it is defective, he has failed and lost. (Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 413)
Signs Indicating a Lack of Focus in Salah:
When you find yourself constantly repeating the same words, verses, or even entire surahs because your mind has not been fully engaged.
When you pray and all of a sudden you've finished Salah without even noticing.
Completing your Salah without conscious awareness, as if the prayer has transpired without your active participation or acknowledgment.
When your thoughts during Salah are consumed by worldly matters, diverting your focus from the profound act of worship at hand.
Recognizing these signs becomes crucial. Salah is not just a physical ritual; it's a connection with the Divine.
Now...
How to focus on Salah
Intention (Niyyah):
Begin with a sincere intention. Recognize that Salah is not merely a routine but a profound encounter with Allah. Set a clear intention to engage fully in each movement and word.
'Umar bin Al-Khattab said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ļ·ŗ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
The mercy of Allah goes beyond, to the extent that even when we don't do a good deed but still have the intention (niyyah), we will still be rewarded as if we have done it.
As Prophet Muhammad ļ·ŗ said:
Allah ordered the angels that write the good deeds and bad deeds...If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him);...(Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6491)
Understand & know the meaning of the words you're reciting:
Delve into the meanings of the words you recite in your Salah. Knowing the translation of what you say fosters a deeper connection, preventing the mechanical recitation that often leads to distraction.
Once we understand what we are reciting during salah. This will help you become closer to Him and to focus on our salah.
Visual Focus:
Your gaze should not wander in any direction but should be focused in front of you in your place of prayer.
Direct your gaze to the place of prostration. This visual focus helps anchor your attention, preventing wandering thoughts. It is a practical technique to bring your mind back to the essence of the prayer.
In a Hadith: ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) narrated: I asked Allah’s Messenger ļ·ŗ about looking hither and thither in the Salat (prayer). He ļ·ŗ replied: “It is a way of stealing by which Shaytan (Satan) takes away (a portion) from the Salat (Prayer) of a person.” (Reference: Bukhari 1 718)
Aisha also reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the Ka’bah and his eyesight was not diverted from his place of prostration until he exited from it. (Reference: al-Sunan al-Kubrá lil-Bayhaqī 9726)
Make this salah as if it's the LAST ONE you'll pray:
As one of the righteous people of the past said:
Pray as if Jannah is on your right side, Hellfire is on your left side, the siraat (bridge over Hellfire) is under you, the angel of death is behind you (waiting to take your soul any minute), your sins are above you (waiting to crush and destroy you), and this is the last deed, the one that decides if you go to Jannah or Jahannam forever.
Imagine that these are the last few moments of your life, of your last salah. Imagine the green, lush gardens on your right. Imagine the heat, the smoke, on your left. Imagine a bridge under you, thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword.
Imagine the angel of death, like the head of a team, waiting behind you; waiting to take your soul at any instant.
Imagine your sins, the ones people know about and the ones they don’t, the ones you make excuses for and the ones you justify, the things you know you should do but don’t, all hovering above you like a giant black mountain, waiting to crush you from their collective weight.
This is it; this is your last chance, your last moment, your last deed, before your books are closed, your story is over. Life is upon the ending; will your ending be good, or evil?
It’s your choice, to decide right now, in these last moments as you pray your final farewell prayer to Dunya.
How would you pray in those moments? Nobody knows when they will be; they may very well be right now.
That is the feeling you want to capture in your heart and mind as you pray. Everything else in this life will fade away compared to that.
Try it. You will feel the difference for yourself. [Source: Friday Khutbah at ISNA by Shaykh Alaa Elsayed, August 22, 2014.]
Allah is the most merciful, so be patient and try your best. May this knowledge be beneficial to you, and if it was, remember, The Prophet ļ·ŗ said: "Whoever teaches some knowledge will have the reward of the one who acts upon it, without that detracting from his reward in the slightest." (Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 240)
So make sure to share it with your loved ones.
Assalamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu and see you in the next article.
- MuslimSpace
