• Developing mindfulness of Allah and celebrating His remembrance


• Refining the Character


• Cleansing and purification from spiritual vices: By performing regular prayers, it should refrain our self from committing any sin. If a person is praying and indulging into major sins, then he has not prayed perfectly. It is highly impossible to commit major sins if prayed perfectly with concentration.


• Developing awareness of accountability- Day of Reckoning: It embeds into us the thought of Day of Judgment. It reminds us that we have to stand in front of Allah and we will be accountable for our deeds.


• Discipline, and time management: It helps us manage our Time. We organize our self well by performing our prayers regularly on the stated fixed times. Salah has to be prayed on time. We condition our self to Time Management. Time is precious and we should spend it on things that are important. We should always prioritize our deeds.


• Developing the habit of concentration: Praying helps us develop Concentration and Mindfulness. When we pray, we concentrate on the verses we are reciting and do our best not to get distracted. Even if we get distracted, we realize it immediately. So in this way, we can develop both.


• Fostering the inner soul: Prayer makes our Soul strong. Praying regularly helps us physically, mentally and spiritually.


• Teachin equality of all humans before Allah

Dr. Mamdouh N. Mohamed
Associate Professor at the American Open University

What is Khushuu’?

Khushuu’ during Salaat is misunderstood by some people as crying and weeping. Rather, it is the presence of the heart during an act of ‘ibadah. When a person’s heart is fully occupied of what he says or hears, he is in a true state of khushuu’. The concept of Khushuu’ in Salaat is very essential.

1- It is a vital factor in making a person successful in this life and in later life. “Indeed, the believers, who have khushuu’ in their Salaat, are the winners.”
 قد أفلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون

2-It is a contributing factor for the acceptance of Salaat.

3- It is a way to gain more rewards from the Almighty Allah; the more the khushuu’ a person has, the more rewards he gets.

4- Without Khushuu’ the heart cannot easily be purified.

Ways to Gain Khushuu’

A. Pre-Salaat

1- A Muslim should know his Lord very well. Knowing whom one worships makes a person a better worshipper. Having clear and authentic knowledge about Allah increases His love in our hearts. Consequently, faith also increases.

2- Avoiding major and minor sins is very helpful in gaining Khushuu’, as the heart becomes more receptive to the words of Allah during and after Salaat.

3- Reciting the Qur’an frequently and consistently softens the hearts and prepares it for Khushuu’. Hard hearts do not gain Khushuu’.

4- Minimize attachment to worldly matters. Gearing one’s intentions towards the Afterlife helps against the temptations of life.

5- Avoid excessive laughter and useless arguments as they harden the heart and lead to heedlessness.

6- Stop working as soon as you hear the Azaan. When you listen attentively to the call of Salaat repeat after the muˆz-zin then offer the relevant supplication. This prepares you for a smooth transition from the business with worldly matters to the business with Salaat.

7- Performing wuduuˆ immediately after hearing the Azaan prepares you for the pending Salsat. Wuduuˆ also works as a buffer zone before engaging in Salaat.

8- Going to the mosque early for praying and continuing mention of Allah drives Satan away and help gain concentration.

9- The waiting time for the congregational Salaat helps create a buffer zone between the state of mind before Salaat and the state of during Salaat.

B. During Salaat

1- The Iqaamah itself is a final signal to the mind to be well prepared for performing the actual Salaat. Remember what the messenger of Allah said to Bilal (ra) “Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”

2- When you stand facing the Qiblah remember the following:

a. It might be the last Salaat in your life. There is no guarantee to live longer to catch the next Salaat.
b. You are standing between the hands of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. How can you be busy with something else?
c. The angel of death is chasing you.

3- Do not forget to make isti’azah. It wards off Satan’s whispers.

4- Keep your eyes focused on the place of sujuud. This helps you gain more concentration.

5- When reciting the Fatiha, try to recall the response of Allah to you after every ayah you say. (When you say: ”al-hamdu lillahi rab-bil ‘alamin) Allah responds: “My servant praised me.” etc. This feeling of speaking to Allah puts you in the right mood of khushuu’.

6- Beautifying the recitation of the Qur’an has a positive impact on the heart.

7- Recite the Qur’an slowly and reflect upon its meaning deeply.

8- It is recommended to change the suras that your recite from time to time to avoid the mechanic-like state of repetition.

9- Alternate between the various authentic sunan such as proclaiming a different opening supplication in every Salaat.

10- Undoubtedly, understanding Arabic helps you focus on the intended meaning.

11- Interact with the recited aayahs;

a. if you hear an ayah about Allah, glorify Him by saying “Subhaana Allah”;
b. If you hear an ayah about Hellfire, say “a’uuthu billaahi mina-n-naar”.
c. If you hear a command to make istighfaar, do it.
d. If you hear an ayah that requests tasbiih, make tasbiih.

12- These forms of interactions are very helpful in keeping you focused.

13- When you prostrate, remember that this position brings you closer to Allah. Seize the opportunity to make sincere du’aaˆ. Invest these moments in making sincere supplications.

C- Post-Salaat

a. When you make tasliim, make istighfaar to Allah as you might have made during Salaat.
b. When you praise Allah, thank Him from the bottom of your heart that you have experienced the beauty of Salaat in your heart. Getting used to this habit prepares your for the next Salaat, as you will always be eager to focus in your prayer.
c. One perfection leads to another perfection. If some one perfects his Salaat once, he would be self-motivated to continue on the same level.

Source: Received as an email

Download: Salah Quality Chart

By Sadia Masroor

In our competitive world, it is not surprising to see many young people going through a phase in their lives when they feel tired of their careers, homes, families and even their lives.

This state is typically disregarded by most of us who believe it to be just a ‘passing phase’, when in reality it is the most decisive period in one’s life that calls for awareness, proper guidance or even counseling.

To deal with stress one needs to realize the negative affects of stress that often lead to depression, thereby impacting the mental and physical health of a person. Hence, it is essential to treat the early symptoms of stress in order to avoid its repercussions later in life.

Some of the early symptoms of Stress are:

• excessive complaining

• increased irritability

• trouble getting to sleep

• the individual prefers to be alone

• heavy smoking

• less interaction with family

• indigestion, lack of appetite

• lack of concentration

Causes of Stress

Major causes of stress can be the death of a loved one, marital disputes, family disputes and separation from children, long-term illnesses, disability, abusive parents, disrespectful children, project deadlines, or even an exam.

A software professional observed: “Stress is a constant companion in our lives encompassing us the moment we grow as an individual and join the millions of others in the race to achieve the ambitious goals set up by humans in the ultramodern world.” She further added that with time we begin to accept our failures and shortcomings and prepare to live by them abandoning all efforts for improvement.

"I yell at my husband and children for an issue that turns into an ugly scene,” said a house wife. However, as time goes by, she realized that no matter how bad the situation is, the problem would only worsen by her outburst. It would have been better if she had analyzed the whole story with a realistic approach. "These kinds of outbursts during stressful times are not rare, and can occur at different stages in life. For instance, this can happen while working on a project or a presentation. No matter how hard the person works, many people still feel insecure to face the world, which sadly manifests during an important time in their career like attending an interview or making a presentation at a coveted conference," she added.

People have different approaches towards stress; therefore, we hear about a variety of consequences; some can be ‘inspiring’ and others that can be ‘pitiful’.

Dealing with Stress

Some of the youth who are under stress are often mystified and lose control of their ability to think and hence, tend to make more mistakes. These are the ones who are disorganized in their lives. They fail to value time and often relate ‘success’ and ‘failure’ to materialistic progress.

Such individuals are usually far from spiritual insight and are lacking in the fundamental nature of human consciousness. These are the people who lack faith in their creator and in the purpose of their creation.

On the other hand, people who believe they have a purpose in life perceive failures and successes as no more than a ‘test’ of their faith. While undergoing stress, such people resolve to make use of every failure as a stepping stone towards success, and thus, they patiently endure stressful phases. These are the people who put their trust in their Creator and believe that their efforts will never be lost in His sight. They have a sense of satisfaction that regardless of the outcome of their labor in this world, their hard work will be appreciated as promised by Almighty Allah who says in the Quran:

(Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you be it male or female. Ye are members, one of another.) (Aal `Imran 3:195)

The above verse acts like an anti-depressant for believers who are faced with strife in their family life or at work.

Belief in goodness will help a person remain steadfast throughout all the trials and tribulations that arise in life. It is the best practical solution for any kind of problem, either at work or in one’s personal life. Endowed with faith, a person is stirred by divine power that bestows sufficient strength to withstand the struggles of life.

A prominent youth counselor said,, “Most young people today are faced with cutthroat competition. This is further aggravated by growing stiffness among family relations owing to the deprave lifestyle which seems to have replaced even the basic moral values in most homes. This leads to a distressing atmosphere where communication between the young and the elders diminishes, causing more stress with dangerous implications. In such situations, the young and the old should be reminded of the principles that bind the believers as a family, with no room for self-interest. This will not only uplift the spirits of the youth, but will further inspire everyone to turn to faith, which is the only everlasting solution for life’s’ large and small problems.

Sadia Masrooris a freelance writer from India. She is interested in the issues related to Islamic History and Current Affairs. She is part of a group called" Jazba (spirit)" that participates directly and Indirectly in welfare programs, such as Micro finance projects for the poor, Interaction with kids at orphanages, and fund raising for the poor seeking medical aid. She also works as a graphic designer. sHe can be contacted atyouth_campaign@islamonline.net