Difficulty of concentrating in Salah
13-1-2003 | IslamWeb
Question:
Can I achieve tranquility in the salat since I find it difficult to concentrate while the salah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Dear inquirer!
Before starting prayer, you have to imagine The Greatness of Allah and that you are before Him. Also, it is improper for one to be engaged in worldly matters. When you start your prayer with Allah-u-Akbar, you have to keep in mind that He is the Greatest of all. Then, seek refuge with Allah from the Devil and recite al-Fatiha and a short portion of the Qur'an with contemplation and close examination of the meanings since recitation in a hurry causes loss of tranquility. But, when you perform your prayers in congregation, you have to listen to your Imam.
Furthermore, here are some causes that lead to tranquility:
1- To avoid major sins and misdeeds in general, since they darken the heart and make it inattentive as well as they disrupt the mind, especially if one commits what is Haram.
2- To be a companion of good and righteous persons. One should co-operate with the pious and shun bad people and evil-doers, whose companionship brings evil-results Here and Hereafter.
3- To be engaged in Zikr (remembrance) of Allah, reciting the Qur'an and learning The Prophetic Hadith. For sure, such matters generate tranquility, soften the heart and bring reverence.
4- To increase supplication and prayer to Allah and to ask Him to make one love The Hereafter more than this present life, to get rid of the sweeping love of the present life and to grant him full submissiveness.
Allah says: {Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salât (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness} [23:1, 2]
5- To think deeply about the present life. One has to know that the present life is worthless i.e. it equals less than a wing of mosquito. This, Insha Allah, will increase tranquility.
6- To prepare oneself for prayers at their fixed times and to go to Mosque early so that one can perform the optional prayers.
7- To avoid extravagance concerning food, speech and cooking here and there. This, Insha Allah, will help one achieve tranquility.
Allah knows best