I Have been a muslim all my life,as much as I love my religion,found it difficult to practice,only time I cud remember devoting time to pray was (1)in my final year in d university,(2)when I was job searching...after I get what I want I stopped praying..

I need guidance on how to maintain a relationship with Allah,1st I believe knowledge is power,my understanding of d religion is as little as that of a 5yr old, I never attended quranic school,I believe knowing who God is,is wat one should seek b4 attempting to worship..now my question is how do I re-intergrate mysef in2 islam? What books can I read to help remove d veil I have covering my heart?..is it really hard to live as an average muslim?those going through similar situation are free to comment...share ur thought and advise!!!

"....Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves." 13:11

Onus is on you. I believe you are a grown man. You know right from wrong. I also believe that you are making sincere request and you really want to change. Just that many are so lazy these days. Well, you can reconnect yourself by making Quran your "new friend". I would imagine you probably can read Arabic. Get yourself a copy of Quran with english translation. You should be able to read it slowly in Arabic.

Going for counseling will not change anything if you are not willing to change yourself. Change begins with you. I am sure you can get free Qur'an somewhere. Start reciting Qur'an. Get up early morning before fajr. Recite verses of Quran slowly (start with short Surah). People always say they dont have time. Thats just not excuse. If your environment is un-islamic you may want to move and change all your company (friends) altogether if they can not positively contribute. The kind of company you keep really makes lots of impact. Move close to Muslims. Attend Mosque regularly for Salah. This is just my initial contribution to your request. Try it and see if it works. It will work if you want to. Others will come here and contribute more ways to improve yourself.

Watch Makkah and Medina live 24/7. All you need is internet connection. They offer daily prayers and recite Quran and other activities. This is live all the time. It's my hobby.
http://www.searchtruth.com/tv.php

Ramadan Mubarak

There are many ways in which you can develop your relationship with Allah SWT.

Firstly, to develop a relationship with Allah is by talking to Him and listening to Him. When you are in Salah you are actually talking to Him and when you are reading the Quran you are listening to His words. Spend time reciting and understanding the Quran. When you read the Quran you will feel that Allah is telling you something. Stop and ponder over the meanings. Pray and ask Allah to show you the guidance and ask for his help and his love.

Secondly, you can offer the five obligatory prayers promptly. A hadith once mentioned that prayer is dearer to Allah than both serving your parents and engaging in jihad. So we have to make sure to salah on the right time and not before its adzan for the next prayer. Also, pray the 12 Sunnah prayers. There are 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Dzuhur, 2 before Asar, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha. Inshaallah a mansion will be built for those who pray the Sunnah prayer. Everyone would love to have their own mansion built for them in Heaven. Wouldn’t that be lovely to have?

Thirdly, praying tahajjud prayer. A hadith states that Allah is nearest to the believer in the later half of the night, so if it is possible for you to be of the believer who mentioned Allah at that hour then is of them. Pray tahajjud prayer, to be those who are amongst the nearest to Allah SWT. “When one third of the night remains, every night, Our Lord, Allah, the All-Mighty says as follows till the dawn to break: ‘Whoever wants me something, I shall give. Whoever supplicates to me, I shall accept his/her pray. Whoever repents, I shall forgive him/her.’ (narrated by Abu Hurairah)

Making dhikr constantly is another way we can maintain our relationship with Allah. Whether it’s while you’re on public transport waiting for your stop or you’re at the doctors waiting to be called, make dhikr in the time being. Make dhikr when you’re in bed and you’re about to sleep, so you fall asleep uttering Allah’s name and remembering Him. For example, when one says Subhan Allahi wa bihamdi hi 100 times a day, all his sins will be forgiven. Mashaallah, this shows how merciful Allah is, for He is the Most Merciful. While dhikr is the most excellent and dearest of all deeds, we must bear in mind that prayer, recital of the Quran are also beneficial.

Lastly, seeking forgiveness 100 times a day is another way to maintain your relationship with Allah. If anyone is to seek Allah’s forgiveness then Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relieved from every anxiety and will provide for him from where he did not expect. Allah is pleased with anyone’s tawbah and istighfar. So seek for forgiveness even if you’ve committed the smallest of sins, ask for forgiveness and Allah shall forgive you.

Your problem is solved, because you know the solution already. However, all you need to do is to be tactical & determined to apply what is required of you to be properly grounded & educated on the tenets of Islam. So, you merely need to attend an Islamic school so as to be educated & acquainted with the principles, teachings & ethics of Islam. May we all be rightly guided amin.

In addition to what have been advised, i think the most important factor is the type of company you keep. So make sure you surround yourself with practising muslims. Ask questions and use the internet for good Islamic websites.

You can also watch Peace TV and other Islamic TV channels and programs.

Ihdina siratal mustaqeem.

I thank y'all for ur contributions...ur kind gestures were well received..I pray I can come back here to testify soon..tanx once again..

assalamualaikommm

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