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[Umm.aly]

A very interesting and important topic indeed..
we honestly need to improve our prayers big time!
we can get absorbed in other interesting things in our life, but wen it comes to concentrating on our prayers, its next to zero..its funny how, just during your prayers you will remember something really important, or think of 100 other tasks that you have to do once you've finished praying! many a times we think, once we've prayed, then there is no worry! Salaah should not be treated as a burden or a worry, it shud be carried out with Pleasure.
its quite sad actually, that we lack discipline wen it comes to talking to our Lord and Master, for we dnt fully realise the extent of His Power and at the same time His abundant Mercy..
Our Prophet (SAW) and Aimmah's (AS) have shown us great examples of the proper behaviour for Salaah.

Alhamdulilah, there is this great book that has been published by Jameel Kermalli titled Concentration In Prayers, its worth a read! I belive he had also designed an online coarse, or distance learning through CD's and manuals sent from the US, which is where he is located.

Achieving full concentration in prayers can be done if we really want to.. It has been said that if you perform the ablution (wudhoo) before prayers with full concentration, then you will be able to pay attention to your salaah.
Our concentration is usually broken because we end up thinking bout other worldly things. In order to avoid getting distratced, while reciting the arabic dhikr, the meaning of the dhikr should be running thru your head, so u know wat u r actually saying to your Lord. It is thus very important to learn the meanings of all the dhikr of Salaah.

What do u people think?

[saleha]

i think ure very rite muhaddisa...the concept of concentration in prayers has been forgotten..m not saying by all..Alhamdullilah..others r really gud at it..but those of us who aint...we shud try hard..n start conc. in prayers real hard..

[abuali]

Its surely a sad state that we do not manage to concentrate in prayers in the way that it deserves to be concentrated upon.

By way of Hadeeth we know that when Imam Ali (AS), once while injured in a battle, by an arrow/spear which had penetrated his thigh and was too painful to be removed, Bibi Fatima (AS) told his companions to remove the spear/arrow when Imam Ali went into sujood. They did so, but the Imam was concentrating in the sajda so deeply that he didnt realise they removed the arrow until he finished.

I feel that we have the power in us to concentrate. Our common day problems such as worries, thoughts, tiredness from the days work...etc are taking over the control and are making us haste our prayers, so much so that it has become a burden like Muhaddisa pointed out.

Its every individuals responsibility to corrct this. Making sure that the mind is totally aware of what action the body is going to engage in when one goes to pray would be a very good start.

Gaining knowledge about Allah (swt) and his immense power would be sufficient to make one totally concentrate on his prayers.

When one makes an intention to pray, make it audible so that you realise what you are going to do...and what is its importance. The Adhan and Iqamah when recited, should be making your heart softer and ready to stand infront of your Lord....

Does anyone have any sources or material which can help one concentrate?

[Muntazir Manji]

salaams, I am a new member, my name is Muntazir. Currently in my final year in Pharmacy at MUhimbili.. Well this topic on prayers seems to be interesting.. so lemme add my few cents worth...

hasin.. a god source would be Concentration in prayers as Muhaddisa pointed out, and if u like detailed and to the root reading, Adabus salah by Imam khomeini is good too.. However, here are some practical things that i suggest for conc in prayer...

1. From the time you looka the water for Wudhoo, remind urself that ur going to stand in the presence of Allah (swt)

2. Say your takbir loud with its requisites

3. Remind yourself taht this could be the last namaz that you are reciting (who has a guarantee for life!)..

4. Understand the meaning of all that you say in the namaz.

5. After every namaz, recite Ya Rahman Ya Raheem 21 times, or while you are eating youir food, with every bite (chew) say Ya Wajid.

Inshallah Allah will grant us the tawfiq to make our prayers better.

Ther is a hadith whereby it says that when a person says Takbir in his namaz, and at the time if there is anything other then allah in his heart, Allah rejects that prayer..

[Sibtain]

This topic is indeed very important for us.
I'd like to add a few points about this. I just learnt it in school:

1. Secluded Place
The place of prayers should not be a common place where people move around and talk. It should be free from pictures and other distractions. One can look at the place of sujud whilst praying or can close his/her eyes.

2. Removal of obstacles
Any health related obstacles should be dealt with first. If one is feeling hungry or thirsty, then he/she should satisfy his/her hunger and thirst and then go to pray. If one is feeling sleeping and drowsy, have a short nap and then go to pray. One of the biggest obstacles is the remembrance of this world such as wealth, power, property, family etc. One should forget about all of this when praying.

3. Comprehend the Greatness of Allah
Such as His Power, Glory, Intelligence etc. If one remembers all of this during prayers then he can surely achieve the concentration. It is also said that to achieve closeness to Allah one has to realise two things:
--> Allah's Greatness
--> his own nothingness
That's why it is said that, "2 rakat of scholar (learned person) is greater than 70 rakat of an ignorant person." This is because the scholar will be able to comprehend the Greatness of The Creator and hence concentrate in prayers.

4. Remembrance of Death
This also really helps. One should pray as if it is his last prayer and that he will not get to pray again. If one has this in mind then he will surely pray with utmost concentration and sincerety and Inshallah, his namaaz will be accepted.

I hope this will benefit us all

[kulsham]

Excellent teachings.. Its been ages i dont even remember what i hav learnt in madressa....

[Muntazir Manji]

sa.. I came across this interesting article about concentrating in prayers.. so thought id share it..

st~~ Concentration In Salat ~~ **

Most of us get distracted and bring lots of worldly thoughts and problems into our mind when performing Salat. It is said then when a person performs Salat they should imagine the things below.
Insha-Allah this will make us all more conscious and enable us to perform our Salat with more concentration.

I M A G I N E ……

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has said that whilst you are praying: Imagine that all the prophets are on your right side, all the angels on your left, heaven in front of you, hell below you, the angel of death at your back and Allah (S.W.T.) watching over you.

Imagine how revered a prophet is, that an entire chapter of the Holy Quran may be dedicated to him, imagine their position in heaven right now.

Imagine 124,000 of them all lined up on your right side whilst you are praying. How then can you be distracted?

Imagine the sacredness of an angel. Every human being has been allocated two of them for accounting of his deeds. Every cloud moves because Allah (S.W.T) has ordered an angel to that function.

Imagine the light from which each one of them was created, and all of them (much more than 6 billion) assembled on your left side listening to you praying. How then can you be distracted?

Imagine hell!

In a Hadith-al-Qudsi, Allah says that hell will have seven levels with fires, which eat each other! In each level, there are valleys of fire, cities of fire, castles of fire, houses of fire, rooms of fire, wells of fire, serpents of fire, oceans of black poison containing thousands of scorpions of fire, each one in turn having seventy thousand tails of fire. In reality, hellish fire is much hotter than earthly fire, and hell is unimaginably much worse this description.

Imagine heaven!

In Hadith-al-Qudsi, Allah says that heaven will have eight gates with thousands of gardens, thousands of cities of pearls, thousands of palaces of Ruby, thousands of rooms of gold, thousands of tables and of plates of jewels, thousands of kinds of food, thousands of thrones of red gold around each of which thousands of rivers will flow with life water and pure honey. On top of each palace, there will be thousands of gifts from the Merciful, which have not been seen by any eye, heard by any ear and are beyond our imagination.
It has been said that in spite of all this pleasure, if the residents of heaven were shown the punishment of someone who did wrong for just one hour on earth, they would scream out with fear. And in spite of all their discomfort, if the residents of hell were shown the reward of someone who did good for only one hour on earth, they would forget they are in hell!

Now imagine this hell beneath you and the open doors of heaven in front of you whilst you are praying. How then can you be distracted?
Imagine the angel of death behind you, the angel that appears as a beautiful person at the deathbed of one who is favoured by Allah and as fierce creature that pulls the soul out as if it were a cloth being dragged amongst sharp thorns for one who is disfavoured. Imagine this angel just at your back whilst praying. How then can you be distracted if you are not even sure that this might be your last prayer?

And finally imagine the Creator of all that has been mentioned in the previous paragraphs, one who has created an almost infinite universe of which earth is only a very tiny insignificant bit, and more insignificant are we who live in it. How then can you be distracted if the Lord of existence is watching above you whilst you are offering prayers to Him?

(messageislam.com)

[Umm.aly]

Why do we pray 5 times a day?
(This may not be the only theory..)

When the sun is just about to rise.. we get up and glorify God with Fajr prayers..

When the sun is high in the sky, at the peak of the day.. we stop all our work and perform Dhohr namaaz..

As the sun moves more towards the west.. we pray Asr

And when it begins to set.. we wind our day and pray Maghrib

As the night gradually settles in.. we offer our Isha prayers.

This shows that we are required to remember our Lord at every change in the day and thank Him for keeping us alive for us to perform our prayers one more time..

We should therefore not pray in fear of hell or for want of heaven, but because He is the most perfect Creator who is all deserving of our prayers and utter obedience and submission..

[abuali]

There is a great course...100% long distance that all of us can take advantage of. I am currently undertaking the course...

Have a look at it : -

Concentration in Prayer - 25 Strategies, 30-Day Workbook
http://www.concentrationinprayer.com/

Distance Learning Certificate Course For Teachers/Educators
http://www.zahrafoundation.com/

Teachers/Educators are encouraged to apply for scholarship for the Concentration in Prayer course. TO apply for scholarship and for further details please contact the Course Instructor at Jameelyk@aol.com

[Aliyah]

Assalamun alaykunah!

Thankyou very much bro. Hasin for leting us know, I indeed appreciate. Well concentration in prayers is really important! I really get carried away especially when i am praying.

Shukran

Aliyah