Missing Salah (Prayer) Intentionally

Nothing we can do is worse than missing Salah. Check this out:

A woman came to Prophet Musa and said, "I committed a grave sin. Please pray to Allah that He forgives me."
Prophet Musa: "What did you do?"
Woman: "I committed fornication and later gave birth to a boy whom I killed."

Prophet Musa: "Go away from here, you wicked woman, lest a fire from Heaven destroys us all because of your sin!"

The woman left broken-hearted. Then Angel Jibril descended and asked, "O Musa, why have you turned away a repentant woman? Have you not found anyone worse than her?"
Prophet Musa: "Who can be worse than her?"
Angel Jibril: "The one who abandons salah intentionally and persistently."

[Al-Kaba'ir, Adh-Dhahabi, Book of Missing Salah]

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook - Recipe 2: Sweeten the taste of Salah!

Bismillah. 

By Deeds in 60 seconds

Recipe 2: Sweeten the taste of Salah!

The Prophet pbuh said, “When anyone of you is engaged in the Prayer, he is holding an intimate conversation with his Lord.” [Muslim]

[Imagine] as soon as we say “Allahu Akbar” to commence the prayer, the barrier between us and Allah is lifted. He remains looking at you, facing you, and responding to you when you recite al-Fatiha as long as you are not distracted. When you say Allahu Akbar, you are throwing away the worries of the world and fleeing to Allah (swt) who is greater than it all, and is the only One who can remove your distress.

When you go into ruku’, you are demonstrating your humility before Him. And when we go into sujood, it is the closest that we are to Allah (swt). How many of us, myself included, fail to realize this?

[Take 60 seconds…] make a CONSCIOUS EFFORT to realise this BEFORE EACH prayer for the next 5 prayers!

Connecting to Prayer

Praying five times a day can be a struggle for adult Muslims, but an even greater one for young people. At a time when texting and other technology offer fast-paced distraction, encouraging our youth to establish Salah can seem impossible.

But this pillar of Islam keeps us all grounded in our faith. It is that necessary daily reminder of Who we are accountable to, as well as Who is our greatest Benefactor. It keeps us connected to Allah in all circumstances, and it is a gift and obligation we must pass on to young Muslims.

Here are a few ways to start that process.

1. Set the example

As is the case with all other good habits, parents, mentors, teachers, and others young Muslims look up to must be praying themselves. But we need to not only be offering our prayers. We must also truly reflect the level of concentration and commitment it takes, by praying on time, doing our best to focus, and offering the prayers diligently.

2. Establish prayer in the home

Kids learn faith first and foremost from the family and within the home. This is where prayer as a way of connecting to Allah needs to be discussed and shown in practice. Make it a habit to pray in congregation when going to the Masjid is not possible. Avoid having everyone pray in their own little corner of the house. Start today by designating one space of the home for this purpose.

3. Don’t discourage even small steps toward prayer

Prayer is a long-term commitment that requires the kind of dedication that’s hard to muster for many older people, let alone young people distracted by the ding of texts on their phone or other issues. Praise even the performance of a short, two-Rakat prayer, and encourage youth to take it to the next level.

4. Don’t discount strength in numbers

Whenever possible, pray in congregation with other Muslims outside of the family, especially other youth. This can be at weekend school, or even joining one of the prayers at a full-time Islamic school with the administration’s permission. This will show that prayer isn’t something "weird" that only you and your family do. Rather, it is something other young Muslims do regularly, as well.

5. Make prayer time parent time

Spend a few minutes after each prayer with your young Muslim connecting, asking or answering questions about an issue of concern, or simply making it a time for hugs, jokes, and lighthearted hanging out.

Compiled From:"8 Ways to Connect Young Muslims to Prayer" - Samana Siddiqui