Why Pray?

[Flame of Hope]

Knowing this actually helped me perform my prayer on time and wake up for fajr, alhamdollelah

My dear sister, people are motivated by different reasons. For you, it was the reason that Salah was a command given to us by Allah in Heaven. Alhamdulillah! I'm glad you got the motivation you needed.

But please recognize that not everybody may be motivated by the reason that motivated you. We are all unique individuals, with different tastes, personalities, likes, dislikes, life experiences, levels of knowledge. What works for one person may not work for another.

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I hope that it will also benefit and motivate someone who has a hard time getting up for Fajr.

Peace be with you.

 

[Riana17]

My dear sister, people are motivated by different reasons. For you, it was the reason that Salah was a command given to us by Allah in Heaven. Alhamdulillah! I'm glad you got the motivation you needed.

But please recognize that not everybody may be motivated by the reason that motivated you. We are all unique individuals, with different tastes, personalities, likes, dislikes, life experiences, levels of knowledge. What works for one person may not work for another.

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I hope that it will also benefit and motivate someone who has a hard time getting up for Fajr.

Peace be with you.

Salam sis

Agreed!
We are all different that's why I speak on my personal experience, I didnt say that one's input will not be good for others, I actually appreciate them
However, i thought after knowing the importance of Salah and actually works on me, I feel so obliged to share, for new Muslims and lazy Muslims, i hope this will be a help

I told myself, hmmm its clear to me that Salah is the Most Important form of IBADAH and I still ignore it, i dont know what else will motivate me,,, sure I can skip fasting and sadaqah with valid reason but there is no way to skip salah,,, alhamdollelah it was enough for me to realize I need to improve,

AS I said, there is no tricks or magic in Islam, its a process. This is big deal to me, i wanna keep praying in fajr and avoid delay of my prayers.
During my Atheist/Christian time, i dont even go to church for 3years, shame lol

 

[Salahudeen]

I'm motivated by something else, when I was little I wanted to be in the army, and you know how in the army you're not allowed to disobey commands from the leader, it's very big crime if you disobey orders. Well what motivates me is this, I think of myself as a solider and a command from Allah should not be disobeyed especially since it comes from the highest authority. he is my commander and master, and I am his soldier and slave. This motivates me to pray, I like this kind of lifestyle.

If only there was an army to join that was not defending secularism and democracy.

 

[Who Am I?]

I almost joined the US Army as you know from reading my story. I'm glad I didn't now.

There is a similar concept in Christianity. There are even a few hymns and songs dedicated to it.

 

[sister herb]

When I do the salat, I feel like I'm entering the battlefield. Anyone feels the same?

Yes yes yes!

 

[Just_A_Girl13]

When I do the salat, I feel like I'm entering the battlefield. Anyone feels the same?

Not that I'm really in a position to answer, but yes. Definitely yes.

 

[Flame of Hope]

Not that I'm really in a position to answer, but yes. Definitely yes.

I'm not the only one!! Alhamdulillah!

Nowhere do we fight Shaytan so intensely as we do when we do your prayer. It can be classified as a MAJOR BATTLE, in my opinion. But a battle certainly worth the fight.

Now where are my weapons? lol.

 

[Futuwwa]

Ah, fajr. Shaytaan's last stronghold in my case. But I'm making progress. The siege guns are grinding down the walls slowly but surely, and he's surrounded and the perimeter mined so he can't get out

Commence fajr, fajr at will. Make ready, present, fajr.

 

[Who Am I?]

I almost feel sometimes like praying a warrior's prayer when I am doing salaat:

"Allah, make my sword arm steady and my aim true. May my sword be ever sharp and my shield ever firm. May I not falter when surrounded by enemies, but may I stand firm and face them with a strong heart."

At times I have even quoted the Psalms from the Bible. "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me." "Blessed be the Lord my God who guides my hands to war and teaches my fingers to fight."

Maybe I'm breaking some kind of protocol there, but I'll chalk it up to being new to Islam.

 

[sabr*]

I almost feel sometimes like praying a warrior's prayer when I am doing salaat:

"Allah, make my sword arm steady and my aim true. May my sword be ever sharp and my shield ever firm. May I not falter when surrounded by enemies, but may I stand firm and face them with a strong heart."

At times I have even quoted the Psalms from the Bible. "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me." "Blessed be the Lord my God who guides my hands to war and teaches my fingers to fight."

Maybe I'm breaking some kind of protocol there, but I'll chalk it up to being new to Islam.

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم):

Akhi Just A Guy:

Islam doesn't require its adherents to incorporate anything other than what Nabi (Prophet) Muhammad (

) practiced in his daily prayer (Salah).

Your admission of altering and including sayings, supplications or prayers are considered bi'da (innovation).

Islam is already perfected and we as adherents only need to apply Islam.

Not surprised that the new adherents are not receiving the basic fundamentals and application.

Your entire thought process will require adjustment. Your former rituals will have to be measured
against what Islam permits or prohibits. That will only be acquired with learning.

Just not understanding the need to gather post counts verses knowledge of Islam.

You will be strong as your understanding will carry you.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 55:

Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah:

I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for the following:

1. offer prayers perfectly

2. pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)

3. and be sincere and true to every Muslim.

 

[Who Am I?]

Never mind. I made a mistake, but it was an honest one.

 

[Starrynight]

Well, I personally pray for guidance. I have heard some Muslim's enjoy prayer because it keeps them pure in heart and mind. It is harder to say bad things about people or break the rules if you stop and really think about God 5 times a day.

 

[Flame of Hope]

Your admission of altering and including sayings, supplications or prayers are considered bi'da (innovation).

Brother sabr, I would hardly classify that as bi'da.

Before you give out any advice perhaps it might be helpful to understand the brother's point of view and situation. He accepted Islam a few days ago and you are expecting him to follow the rules perfectly? If he doesn't do it right, you would label him as an innovator?! Subhanallah!

Not surprised that the new adherents are not receiving the basic fundamentals and application.

Your entire thought process will require adjustment. Your former rituals will have to be measured
against what Islam permits or prohibits. That will only be acquired with learning.

Just not understanding the need to gather post counts verses knowledge of Islam.

Perhaps if you were in his shoes, you would have done a better job.

La ilaha il Allah, Muhammaddar Rasul Allah.

 

[Ramadhan]

Well, I personally pray for guidance. I have heard some Muslim's enjoy prayer because it keeps them pure in heart and mind. It is harder to say bad things about people or break the rules if you stop and really think about God 5 times a day.

Exactly. the obligatory 5 times a day shalah is actually for our benefits.
Some people have spiritual inclination to always remember God and love to pray, but many are not like this. So can you imagine if there were no obligation to do 5 times a day shalah: these people would completely forget about God and afterlife.

 

[Salahudeen]

I almost feel sometimes like praying a warrior's prayer when I am doing salaat:

"Allah, make my sword arm steady and my aim true. May my sword be ever sharp and my shield ever firm. May I not falter when surrounded by enemies, but may I stand firm and face them with a strong heart."

At times I have even quoted the Psalms from the Bible. "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me." "Blessed be the Lord my God who guides my hands to war and teaches my fingers to fight."

Maybe I'm breaking some kind of protocol there, but I'll chalk it up to being new to Islam.

If you go to this link and scroll down, there's a video called "pray as you have seen me pray", the video contains details of how to pray and what are the prescribed things that we have to recite in our salah.

http://www.kalamullah.com/new-muslims.html

Never mind. I made a mistake, but it was an honest one.

Don't worry about it bro, which one of us is free from mistakes

 

[sabr*]

Brother sabr, I would hardly classify that as bi'da.

Before you give out any advice perhaps it might be helpful to understand the brother's point of view and situation. He accepted Islam a few days ago and you are expecting him to follow the rules perfectly? If he doesn't do it right, you would label him as an innovator?! Subhanallah!



Perhaps if you were in his shoes, you would have done a better job.

La ilaha il Allah, Muhammaddar Rasul Allah.

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم):

Ukhti Riham:

we will refrain from responding to your emotional outburst and reiterate the facts you are apparently unaware. Perhaps the next time you post you will have all the facts. Research the arabic word bi'da (innovation and all the aspects)

Our communication with Akhi Just A Guy in threads and PM have been nothing but supportive and most of all providing
constructive direction. Just A Guy isn't a teenager he is a adult. You communicate with adults as adults. The lukewarm
approach provides lukewarm results.

We have requested that he establish an offline presence at the his local Masjid and refrain from the online posting that doesn't appear to be assisting his admission of doubts.

The IB has endless threads that will assist in educating those who desire to learn
the basic fundamentals. A person has to want to learn it.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84, Number 56:

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud:

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds)."

 

[MSalman]

as-salaamu alaykum

Bismillah

I almost feel sometimes like praying a warrior's prayer when I am doing salaat:

"Allah, make my sword arm steady and my aim true. May my sword be ever sharp and my shield ever firm. May I not falter when surrounded by enemies, but may I stand firm and face them with a strong heart."

At times I have even quoted the Psalms from the Bible. "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me." "Blessed be the Lord my God who guides my hands to war and teaches my fingers to fight."

Maybe I'm breaking some kind of protocol there, but I'll chalk it up to being new to Islam.

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم):

Akhi Just A Guy:

Islam doesn't require its adherents to incorporate anything other than what Nabi (Prophet) Muhammad (

) practiced in his daily prayer (Salah).

Your admission of altering and including sayings, supplications or prayers are considered bi'da (innovation).

akhee sabr, one can recite any good dua'as in the final tashahhud after reciting the obligatory dua'as. Abu Hurayrah (radiAllahu anho) said: the Messenger of Allah (sal-allahu alayhi wa salaam) said: “When any one of you recites the Tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allaah from four things – from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evils of the Dajjaal, then let him pray for himself for whatever he wants.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1293]

For more on this subject, please refer to http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/5236

and Allah knows best

 

[Starrynight]

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم):

Ukhti Riham:

we will refrain from responding to your emotional outburst and reiterate the facts you are apparently unaware. Perhaps the next time you post you will have all the facts. Research the arabic word bi'da (innovation and all the aspects)

Our communication with Akhi Just A Guy in threads and PM have been nothing but supportive and most of all providing
constructive direction. Just A Guy isn't a teenager he is a adult. You communicate with adults as adults. The lukewarm
approach provides lukewarm results.

We have requested that he establish an offline presence at the his local Masjid and refrain from the online posting that doesn't appear to be assisting his admission of doubts.

The IB has endless threads that will assist in educating those who desire to learn
the basic fundamentals. A person has to want to learn it.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84, Number 56:

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud:

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds)."

:/ I think the point is that your responses can seem rather harsh. It makes newcomers like myself feel uncomfortable asking questions or making mistakes. I'm sure you are a nice person and don't mean to be perceived this way. Perhaps it is just something you should be aware of.

 

[Flame of Hope]

I almost feel sometimes like praying a warrior's prayer when I am doing salaat:

"Allah, make my sword arm steady and my aim true. May my sword be ever sharp and my shield ever firm. May I not falter when surrounded by enemies, but may I stand firm and face them with a strong heart."

At times I have even quoted the Psalms from the Bible. "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me." "Blessed be the Lord my God who guides my hands to war and teaches my fingers to fight."

Maybe I'm breaking some kind of protocol there, but I'll chalk it up to being new to Islam.

The salat is a means of purification..... and purification isn't going to happen without a fight. So if you are aware that you have enemies around you and that you need to fight these enemies, this is a good thing.

If you say to Allah, "Oh Lord, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me."...... this is a good thing to ask. Shaytan bids us to engage in shameful deeds. And he is an enemy we have to fight. There's no doubt that when we do our prayer he is going to start disturbing us with his evil whispers.

If a person is not at war during salat, then he is probably doing his salat mechanically, without thinking. The salat is thus reduced to a meaningless ritual that does nothing to purify the soul.

Brother King of Nines used to be Christian and he has a good habit of speaking openly to God about what's in his heart. I don't think there's anything wrong at all to talk to God.... it's a sign of faith. It shows that one believes that He is listening and that He understands. And this is definitely what we are taught in Islam. Isn't Allah the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing?

While brother King of Nines is learning to do the salat the correct way, I see nothing wrong at all if he pours out his troubles, worries and anxieties when he prays. Apart from prayer, there is also supplication.

Brother King of Nines may not have learnt fully how to pray.... but he can certainly supplicate.

And supplication is the best weapon of the believer.

 

[Flame of Hope]

Our communication with Akhi Just A Guy in threads and PM have been nothing but supportive and most of all providing
constructive direction. Just A Guy isn't a teenager he is a adult. You communicate with adults as adults. The lukewarm
approach provides lukewarm results.

One fundamental rule of Islam that you don't seem to know is that you must speak to people at their level of understanding. You can't say that the brother is an adult and therefore you will treat him as an adult, not a teenager. One's knowledge, level of taqwa and faith is not determined by age.

On the contrary a teenager can have more knowledge, wisdom and understanding than an adult. It is Allah who determines who gets what.

Brother Just a Guy may be an adult but he is just a baby as far as Islam is concerned!!!

We have requested that he establish an offline presence at the his local Masjid and refrain from the online posting that doesn't appear to be assisting his admission of doubts.

Why have you requested such a thing is beyond me. Just a Guy's participation in the forum, his number of posts and frank expression of his thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly indicate that he enjoys his stay at Islamic Board. He has profited so much by being in the forum that he actually went ahead and said the shahada. Obviously he is learning a great deal by being with us here in the forum. And you're telling him to stay offline? Subhanallah!

I think the point is that your responses can seem rather harsh. It makes newcomers like myself feel uncomfortable asking questions or making mistakes. I'm sure you are a nice person and don't mean to be perceived this way. Perhaps it is just something you should be aware of.

Yes, I agree. It is harsh. I wouldn't like to be spoken to in that way myself. Brother sabr, I'm sure you mean well. But there are nicer ways of saying things. We are all human and make mistakes. So let's not forget the rule...... look for excuses for your brothers in faith and be not quick to judge them. Let us think the best of others and not the worst.