Prayer is the second pillar out of the five pillars of Islam. It has been prescribed to Muslims as a way of drawing closer to God and personally connecting to our creator, through a direct dialogue between oneself and Allah (swt). Not only is prayer a way of connecting to God and thanking him for our blessings but it also serves as a way to find tranquility, ease and inner peace.
Muslims are required to fulfill five daily prayers over the span of a day, but for some individuals praying five times a day may be challenging to them. For those that may be struggling, the best approach would be to start small, but keep it regular. Breaking things into smaller bits makes building a new habit more attainable.
For example, start by making the conscious effort to pray before bed, just like you would make sure you brush your teeth. Tell yourself that right after brushing your teeth, the last thing you will do before you sleep is pray. Begin doing this and then gradually build upon the new habit. Now tell yourself that upon waking up, I will take two minutes to pray. Just like your new bedtime routine, try in the morning right after you brush my teeth to pray. Even if you aren’t waking up at the prescribed time to pray, once you’ve mastered this new habit, you will begin to push yourself to pray at the prescribed time.
Remind yourself that if prayer isn’t something you're used to, it may take time to become accustomed to incorporating it into your day, so be patient with yourself.
Know that God encourages us to do what we are able with good intentions, as long as one does as much as they can. In the Quran it says, “God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear,” (Quran 2:286).
Mastering a new habit takes time, but small steps and consistency is key 🔑
In a hadith by the prophet Mohamed (p.b.u.h) he reportedly said that the most beloved deeds in the sight of God are the deeds which are regular, even if they’re small.
Be patient with yourself and those around you who are facing this difficulty and also remember to have mercy on others and let’s ask God to have mercy on them as well.