Tips to maintaining your Prayer - II

6.     Train yourself to be enthusiastic about the Prayer

 

Rest assured that your enthusiasm to every matter is based upon your quickness or slowness in performing it. Thus, if you were to come to it early and quickly, you would find yourself forthcoming and spirited in performing it. However, were you to come to it lethargically, you would find it burdensome and hope that you could be free from it. If you want a suitable example, then look at the one who comes to the Prayer early. You will find him the last to leave and the opposite goes for the one who comes in late. Similarly, in yourself you will also find the same. In the Prayer that you came early to, look at the manner in which you offered it and your disposition after it and the manner in which you made your supplications after it. On the other hand, in the Prayer that you came late to, remember how you hurried up the Prayer and hardly did that which comes later on from supplications or supererogatory prayer. This matter is not just limited to the Prayer only; rather it is for all matters and examples.

 

7.      Love it, and it will give you

 

Sow the seeds of love for the Prayer in your heart and harvest its fruits by the will of Allaah Almighty. How can that not be so when it is a link between the servant and his Lord? It is a door from the doors of Paradise and a vast river that flows past our doors cleansing us of all dirty deeds. It is expiation for sins between it and the next. Its benefits are so numerous that to mention them all would run into many volumes.

 

8.      When hesitant, remind yourself of the Hereafter

This is because the time of hesitation is the time that Satan tries to affect you. So, if you were unwavering then you would find the Satan humiliated and disgraced. Just as when hesitating at the time of taking out money for charity and the amount of it. If you remember the Hereafter, then Satan would not be able to distract or deter you. After you had given charity, then you would never accept it back even if you were to be given millions in return. This is because it was the Hereafter that you were aiming for then. Similarly, at the point when you are standing at the door to your house about to enter and suddenly hear the call to Prayer and hesitate between entering the house or answering the call, then take a minute to wait and think. If you were to enter your house, then you would not feel anything. Rather, it would be the easy thing to do. However, if you were to sacrifice an insignificant amount of your time and proceeded to the Mosque, then you would feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, insight and understanding that would demonstrate the ease of what you are doing and the mistake and loss of those who are not doing similar. So, whoever repents to Allaah then he it is that will remember and ponder, and whoever forgets then it was he who was unrepentant.

 

This truly is the decisive factor. One can be punctual in offering the Prayer during free time and energy, such as the Thuhr (noon) Prayer during holidays. However, is this also the case when work piles up and the requirements increase or at times of lethargy? Do you give the Prayer secondary important at such times?

 

9.      Establish it by answering its call

 

It is important to know that the command to Prayer has never come in the Quran except with the word "Iqaamah" (i.e., establishment). Similarly, it is known when someone can be said to have truly established an action. To establish an action is to carry it out to the highest level of performance. Thus, whoever does not establish it, it is not surprising that he does not truly like it, nor finds himself turning to it. This ultimately leads to his Prayer being deficient.

 

One of the greatest means to establishing the Prayer is to have the presence of the heart, to understand meanings of the words that are recited and of the actions that are done. Ibnul-Qayyim says, "If you see a person in Prayer perfecting his bowings and prostrations, then he has performed the Prayer correctly in its outer aspects. As for the inner aspect, then Allaah knows best about it." Ibnul-Qayyim said this about the one who offers his Prayer correctly outwardly. So, what can we say about the one who is deficient even in his outward performance of the Prayer? When saying: "Alhamdulillah" in your Prayer, be sure to make your heart ponder about its meaning. Do the same while you say "Subhaana Rabiyyal-atheem", "Subhaana Rabiyyal-A'laa", "Ashadu an-laa Ilaaha Ilallaah", while bending your back, bowing to Allaah and putting your forehead on the earth in prostrating to Him. If you were to loose concentration throughout the Prayer, then try your best even if it comes at the last minute in the fourth Rak'ah. Truly, the best of supplications is that which is done by the heart as well as the tongue.

 

10.       Supplication is the surest way to Allaah's Pleasure

 

In addition, we know that Allaah does not disappoint the one who calls upon Him. Knowing this, then what do you think about someone who supplicates and asks for help and aid in performing that which Allaah loves and is pleased with? Allaah Almighty Said in a Sacred Hadeeth, "O my slaves, all of you are astray except whom I have guided; so ask me for guidance and I will guide you.”

Therefore, we must make a part of our supplications for the Hereafter. Have you not seen how the close friend of Allaah, Ibraaheem say, "My Lord, make me and my progeny from those who establish the Prayer." By Allaah, how many times have we said this? Or, do we think that the matter will be established even though we have not asked the One and only to make us from those who establish it? Never will this be the case.

 

If we were to call upon Allaah Almighty and He knew us to be truthful in our request, He will never deny us. So, call on Allaah, and be certain of His answer.