BismilLaah

As we begin a new year Islamically, let's make our daily salaat our 1st priority in our life.
Today we have indeed come to treat the Prayer (Salah) as something insignificant in our lives. Very often we hear some says, "I will start praying when the time comes." Others, specially the younger Muslims, do not find much comfort, and joy in their Prayers. Due to our treatment of Prayer as a burden, due to lack of Islamic knowledge, weak eemaan etc, our love and passion for the Prayer has vanished.

Our hearts have become hardened, and we have become a depressed and defeated people. As a result, many are searching for 'cures and remedies' to the distress in our lives, through any means available, but are unable to find any because they have ignored the greatest medicine [b[Salaah[/b]!

The whole purpose of Salaah is to be ever conscious of Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Salaah is indeed, one of the most comprehensive forms of Dhikr (Remembrance). No wonder, Allah states in a hadith qudsi: "Out of all the ways through which My servant gets closer to Me, Salaah is the dearest to Me." (Bukhari). Allahu Akbar.

Remember, first and foremost, that as soon as you commence your Salaah, Shaytan makes it his duty to fill your mind with anything and everything but not thoughts of Allah. He tries ceaselessly to disengage your mind and heart from such remembrance. It is this state of absentmindedness that destroys the quality of our Prayer. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said: "Allah does not accept the Prayers of an individual until his heart achieves in it what his body has achieved." [Al-Ghazali in Ihya-Uloom ad-Deen].  
Priority on our daily Salaat
The ability to concentrate in Prayer may be improved by undertaking adequate psychological, mental and physical preparation before the Prayer and by utilising certain techniques during the Prayer. This is not 'just a good thing' but an obligation on every Muslim. According to the Prophet, if we knew the good in praying in jama'ah we would not miss it even if we had to crawl to the masjid except our sisters who are permitted to pray in their rooms even though they should not be discouraged if there is a nearby masjid for them to attend if they have no children to attend to!

Avoid praying in a state in which you are mentally and physically fatigued. Keep your mind free of worldly worries, evil thoughts, and ideas. Plan what verses/duas you are going to recite. If you do not understand Arabic learn the meaning of what you recite in your Prayer. Remind yourself that engaging in Prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the tensions of this world.

The Prophet has said that in Prayer was placed the comfort of his eyes. Therefore cherish the opportunity to remove the burdens of this world from your shoulders. Use your Prayer to remain focused on your mission in life, which is to bring your entire being to serve only Allah. Use your Prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities.  Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your Prayer, for e.g., thirst, hunger and calls of nature. Pray in a pure physical state. Perform your wudu with care and perfection. Although the whole earth is a masjid or a place of worship, choose a place that is clean. Pray in an environment free of noise and one where there is no distraction. Adorn yourself with clean and respectable clothes.  

Our Salaat Is An Act Of Getting Closer To Allah
Ibn al Qayyim’s (rahimahullah) heart-softening words were, “Surely in the heart of every human being, there is a sense of scattering which cannot be brought back together except by turning to Allah. And in the heart of every human being there is a sense of loneliness which cannot be put out except by being close to Allah. And in the heart of every human being there is anxiety and there is a sense of fear and unease which cannot be removed except by fleeing to Allah. And in the heart of every human being there is a sense of guilt and regret which cannot be removed except by being pleased and content with Allah.”

To attain Allah’s love should be our primary goal. It is the most important thing absent on many a bucket list. We’ve become so consumed with the world and its acknowledgements and prizes we don’t know of the magnificent ways our Most Merciful Allah blesses us in this life.

Abu Huraira (radiallahu anhu) narrates that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Jibreel (alayhi salaam) saying, ’Allah loves so and so; O Jibreel love him. And make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the heaven, Allah loves so and so therefore you should love him also’, and so all the inhabitants of the heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasures of the people on the earth.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

There is nothing we can do to please AllAh if our salaat is deficient. Let's study the rules of salaat properly and support our obligatory salaat with lots of sunnah salaat.

There is no better aid other than Allah SWT. There is no better love to covet other than Allah’s love for His slave. There is no better acknowledgement to seek other than Allah’s.
May Allah aid us to love Him through Obeying His commands. Aameen.

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