5 ways to avoid skipping Salah

Even as Muslims, we tend to forget the importance of salah (prayer) in our lives, obscuring it with our urgent daily chores. The evil whispers in the ears of believers and tend to see Salah as a ‘chore’, resulting in a secular look for satisfaction and comfort.

The moment we recognize Salah as a burden and begin to abandon it is the moment we accept the defeat and hand over the victory to the evil. Therefore, the emphasis on Salah cannot justify the purity and holiness of the act itself.

Salah holds the key to all illnesses that afflict humanity, socially, mentally and psychologically. Awareness of Allah is Salah’s true purpose, which empowers his followers. Salah is the favorite form of worship of Allah. It creates a direct connection between the Lord and His servants. Doing five daily prayers is the act of loving Allah.

Here are five simple steps you can take to make sure you don’t miss Salah:

Understanding the importance of Salah

Understand that Salah was not defined by Allah as a means of annoying or burdening humanity, but as a means of helping and guiding them. Through Salah, one goes beyond words and vows to build a strong relationship with Allah. All Muslims are obliged to pray daily and there is no way to deliberately avoid them. Salah is the first question all of us are asked on the Day of Judgment. So make sure to offer Salah and understand the importance of praying regularly.

Set multiple reminders per prayer

In the world of advanced technology, we all own mobile phones with easy-to-use alarm applications and more. Download prayer apps that sound an alarm for each of the 5 prayers. You can also use sticky notes to put in the most used room in your house or to work so that you don’t miss Salah when you’re in a hurry.

Plan your day around prayer time

We tend to get so lost in this temporary world’s rat race that we lose sight of the big picture. The question we must ask ourselves is: why do we prioritize worldly affairs over our Salah? In fact, every human being should plan his day around five daily prayers, because, on the whole, that is what will matter later, not business meetings, trips, or shopping. Salah acts as a shield for us which resist sin and being steadfast in prayer keeps you on track.

Remember, 5 minutes won’t hurt!

If you know you need to perform Salah and you are feeling lazy, remember that it will only take you 5-10 minutes (maximum) - that is nothing when you think about it. We tend to waste hours on meaningless activities like browsing social media, watching TV, etc. But spending 5 minutes devoted to Salah seems like an eternity, it’s not! So be proactive and remember that those 5 minutes will not only work in this world but also in the next life.

Perform duas and ask Allah to make it easy for you

If you constantly feel that you cannot get into the rhythm of the five daily prayers and you keep missing them, keep doing duas sincerely and ask for help from Allah in this matter. Don’t give up and ask Allah to give you strength and motivation to adopt a regular prayer routine if you call on Him, surely He will answer you.

ARR