problem with salah(contact prayer) please help me:(
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Peace!
I dont know whether its from the bad food intake or that im tired, however im really struggling with making contact prayer have no idea why, it is like the prayers dont do anything for me but i know it does because its directed to God, and only God can help you. But the thing is, i have been in masjids, and when i heard the azan i went into the toilet and "skipped" the contact prayer, or i have been outside a masjid but when the prayer started i go away. Its like im scared to pray, subhanAllah. Is this a test? I literally have felt so close to God spiritually, that i have gotten high from euphoria, but now im just depressed.
This is unbelievable and im literally shaking as im writing this, but whats happening to me? Im currently fasting, and i dont pray my 5 salats, may God forgive me. The only prayer that i feel refreshed and healed by is the Jumuah salat, i will cut off one of my finger just to attend it.
One year ago i lived with a man that was very anti-islam, and he basically had bad spiritual negativity around him subhanAllah, but i continued to live in one of his room because i was a student and i needed to sleep somewhere. Well as the days passed by, i started to realize that this man hates everything about islam and muslims, i didnt know there were people like this but when i found out i got really scared...When i came home i saw him sitting alone in the dark and he thought people were spying on him etc...And during this time i was still praying my 5 prayers, but as i said, i was so scared to pray in this house that i prayed in secret like a mouse in my room so he couldnt hear me. It felt like he was possesed by a evil spirit or something, and i dont really want to think about it anymore, may god make things easy for us. The last night i got really paranoid and couldnt sleep,it was like something dragged me down while i was laying in my bed, i said to myself that i needed to leave directly but then a voice in my head appeared and told me i cant, its impossible, i thought that i was going to die or something, i went crazy. I have never been like that but i just couldnt stand living at that house, so i moved out directly. This was 5-6 months ago.
Ever since then, i have not been praying my daily 5 prayers, well i have been praying but not like i used to, and i still attend jumuah prayers, all glory be to God. However i dont know whats wrong with me, is it my mind? maybe i should do a pay back attack against this man, for example, spray paint his door etc.
I just feel so alone and im reall scared right now, i do fast but i cant do my prayers, i make dua and thats all.
Any advice and help would be appreciateable.
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Why don't you do the 5x prayers? Sounds like you don't believe in them, but that you are trying to convince yourself that you believe in them. I think you logically are trying to show yourself that the 5x prayer do you good, but that you really don't believe deep within. Sounds like your mind is trying to fool your heart, but cannot. Are you having a bad conscience for not doing the 5x prayers? Don't feel bad. Don't give in to fear. Did you cheat? Did you steal? Did you deceive? Did you harm somebody? NO! So no need to feel guilty.
That man you stayed with... perhaps had some very bad vibes. Some people do. Even nice people who are well meaning can have sort of destructive vibrations emitting from them. Some get affected negatively by it, other seem to not get affected. It's good you left, but please forget all about getting back at him? Why would you do that? Move on.
(https//www.heartmath.org/gci/)Also keep in mind that as humans, we grow all the time (unless we prevent ourselves from growing). Wisdom and maturity come with experience. It takes time. Don't worry. All your experience will contribute to maturity, if you let it. Just don't worry.
Try to let go, and instead listen to your heart. Life is not easy, there will be easy times, and there will be depressed and stressed times... and that's how life goes.... in cycles.
I wish you peace! Don't fear the fear.
I cannot really give an solid advice. Life is such a thing that must be discovered afresh be each individual human being. -
I dont know whether its from the bad food intake or that im tired, however im really struggling with making contact prayer have no idea why, it is like the prayers dont do anything for me
May I know what kind of contact prayer that you meant here.
Is it "Sunni contact prayer"?
I suppose I don't find true benefit from that kind of prayer as well, except if I remove the "the Sunnah things" from the prayer.
But the thing is, i have been in masjids, and when i heard the azan i went into the toilet and "skipped" the contact prayer,
Hmm... and why not doing it after you out of the toilet?
You could also perform contact prayer (at masjid or at home) by yourself, right?
Whether is a must for you to join the congregation?
or i have been outside a masjid but when the prayer started i go away. Its like im scared to pray, subhanAllah.
I also resist to join Sunni congregational prayer.
Is this a test? I literally have felt so close to God spiritually, that i have gotten high from euphoria, but now im just depressed.
Maybe it's time for you to learn how to rely on Allah. I found it helps, quite a lot.
Put your trust in Allah, trust Him to help you in any kind of matters.
The only prayer that i feel refreshed and healed by is the Jumuah salat, i will cut off one of my finger just to attend it.
Bold You shouldn't say something like that, be careful with your words, brother.
However i dont know whats wrong with me, is it my mind? maybe i should do a pay back attack against this man, for example, spray paint his door etc.
No, I think you shouldn't do it. Be patient and try to forgive him, if you could.
From your story, I could conclude that he allowed you to stay in his house, didn't he?
So, perhaps he's not really bad. If he doesn't hurt you physically, then you shouldn't do anything harm to him or his house or the other things he has.
Don't let that person ruin your life. I mean, why not forgive him and move on.
I just feel so alone and im reall scared right now, i do fast but i cant do my prayers, i make dua and thats all.
My suggestion is, remembering Allah as often as possible, don't lose the relationship with your Lord.
Dua is good to maintain contact with Him, inshaAllah. So, keep making dua, ask forgiveness to Allah, and implore Allah to help you.
Peace.
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Salam agphys.
Just in case you do not understand Arabic... my suggestion would be for you to learn the meanings of the words that you say during salat - if possible with word-by-word meanings. Then when you try to stand in salat next time, do focus on the meaning of what you are saying and actually mean them from your heart.
Also know that salat does not need to be as rigid and inflexible as traditionalists imply them to be.
Here are a few tips that can make the ritual ever fresh and interesting- Try learning new verses of Qur'an (of course with meaning) and use them in salaat.
- Feel free to have your own say in the ruku / sizdah positions - even if it is in your own words - own language.
- Use the sitting position to have your own prayers (dua' - even if it is in your own words - own language. Some of the best prayers can actually be found in Qur'an. But if you use them make sure you understand them and mean them.
I try to practice the above myself and my experience of salat has transformed from an obligation which I wanted to get over with - to - a personal break from the chaotic world that I actually look forward to!
Hope these tips will help you.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman -
I think those are good tips, brother Arman.
I try to practice the above myself and my experience of salat has transformed from an obligation which I wanted to get over with - to - a personal break from the chaotic world that I actually look forward to!
Nice! Praise be to Allah.
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Salam agphys.
Just in case you do not understand Arabic... my suggestion would be for you to learn the meanings of the words that you say during salat - if possible with word-by-word meanings. Then when you try to stand in salat next time, do focus on the meaning of what you are saying and actually mean them from your heart.
Also know that salat does not need to be as rigid and inflexible as traditionalists imply them to be.
Here are a few tips that can make the ritual ever fresh and interesting- Try learning new verses of Qur'an (of course with meaning) and use them in salaat.
- Feel free to have your own say in the ruku / sizdah positions - even if it is in your own words - own language.
- Use the sitting position to have your own prayers (dua' - even if it is in your own words - own language. Some of the best prayers can actually be found in Qur'an. But if you use them make sure you understand them and mean them.
I try to practice the above myself and my experience of salat has transformed from an obligation which I wanted to get over with - to - a personal break from the chaotic world that I actually look forward to!
Hope these tips will help you.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
ArmanI do the same, great suggestions.
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Peace
Follow that which is sent down toward you from your Lord, and follow not any patrons beside Him; yet little ye are admonished 73
A crystal clear command to THE PROPHET to follow only what is revealed UNTO HIM and not to follow any patrons.
Were the details of Salat revealed to the Prophet? Were the details of Zakat revealed to the Prophet? Those who follow that which is not revealed are following conjectures.
And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah's way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie. (Al-An'aam 116)
And they have no knowledge of it (SALAT and ZAKAT); they do not follow anything but conjecture, and surely conjecture does not avail against the truth at all. (An-Najm 2
And there is no animal that walks upon the earth nor a bird that flies with its two wings but (they are) genera like yourselves; We have not neglected anything in the Book, then to their Lord shall they be gathered. (Al-An'aam 3
But still the details of SALAT and ZAKAT are missing in the Quran. SURPRISING?
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Salam brother Hafeez.
My intention is not to debate with you. I would just like to highlight some counterarguments ? which you and the readers can consider.
Then everyone can use their own understanding to follow what is appropriate.Qur?an is fully detailed does not mean Qur?an is meant to serve the purpose of an encyclopedia. It means Qur?an is fully detailed as guidance. If one follows the teaching of the Qur?an wholly and wholeheartedly, one will not deviate. But there is always room for deriving practical suggestions from outside Qur?an. For example, Qur?an tells us to eat from the delicious things. But Qur?an does not provide the recipe for how to prepare foods. We learn that from our community / family / environment.
It is sufficiently clear form Qur?an that Qur?an encourages to pray to Allah and to remember Allah continuously as well as repeatedly (day and night). Given that is the expectation, if one follows the ?recipe? of prayer based on how his community practices ? takes the best of it and improvises to one?s personal needs - and practices it with due sincerity without emphasizing form over substance, how does one violate Qur?an? It only becomes problematic when someone gets over fanatic about the form, format and frequency of the ritual ? which is of course not elaborated in Qur?an as these are left to community and individual to decide.
Similarly, Qur?an encourages to perform charity. If a community follows a historical recommendation of a certain standard ratio of excess wealth as the minimum expected level of charity ? and if someone complies with that standard and tries to do more with due sincerity then where is the problem? It only becomes problematic when someone gets over fanatic about the percentage and gets convinced that somehow meeting the ratio would absolve him from his full responsibility of charity and kindness and guarantee purity of his livelihood in spite of other forms of wrongdoing.
The specific verse you quote (73) tells us not to take a patron beside him. One would be taking a traditionalist as patron if one believes following the traditionalist?s form of rituals guarantees one?s salvation. As long as one?s faith and submission are to Allah ? being consistent with community in terms of practice does not harm. Rather it makes complete sense.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman -
Hafez kazi,
It is not so strange since the scripture itself is the salat to follow/maintain/uphold.
Be well
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Maybe forget about praying until you understand more about Allah and prayer, or not.
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Peace Brother Mof
Hafez kazi,
It is not so strange since the scripture itself is the salat to follow/maintain/uphold.
Be well
This is what I discovered after 14 years of research. My article on salat is yet not complete.
Thanks
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will my fasting be accepted if i dont pray salah?
Can you pray fajr,maghrib and isha with 2 rakats? (instead of prayig isha with 4, you do 2 etc.)
difference btw reading the quran and praying?
Salam agphys.
The way I view this is - salaat means "respectful obedience" to Allah. The ritual salat is the expression of your "respectful obedience" to Allah. While the form of expression is not hardcoded in Qur'an - there is absolutely no doubt that establishing respectful obedience for Allah (akimus salaat) in one's lifestyle is an indispensable part of consciousness (taqwa). How does one establish respectful obedience for Allah in one's lifestyle? - By consciously guarding against shameless and deplorable behavior (2945) and continuously striving to do good (1071-7).
If this above understanding is acceptable to you, you can consider below responses to your queries
- will my fasting be accepted if i dont pray salah?
- As long as you are respectfully obedient to Allah you are establishing salaat. The ritual salaat is a means to that end, not the end in itself.
As such failure to perform ritual salaat should not prevent from taking benefit of any other act of goodness (e.g. siam) in any way.
However, practicing the ritual salaat is the prescribed method of expression of our "respectful obedience" for our community (Ummah). So deliberate ignorance or avoidance of the ritual is by definition disrespectful and will make you vulnerable to departing from "respectful obedience". So, the recommended action would be to guard the rituals with sincerity as well.
The similarity is, performing the assigned homework prepares a student for the exam. But not doing the homework does not stop one from preparing for exam in other approaches. But of course, doing the minimum prescribed homework before any other optional excercise is the recommended method.
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Can you pray fajr, maghrib and isha with 2 rakats? (instead of praying isha with 4, you do 2 etc.)
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If that is what is convenient to you as a starter, why not? There should be no blame for you to shorten the prayer while you are in the transitional state. But once you are secured and assured do give an effort to be grateful to Allah for how He taught us what we did not happen to know (i.e. adhere to the minimum standard taught to us through our communities).
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difference btw reading the quran and praying?
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Reading Qur?an (without understanding meaning) has very little value, if any. Reading Qur?an with understanding is valuable and can serve the purpose of salaat ritual during the transitional state.
Complete salaat ritual traditionally comprises of reciting (from memory) and contemplating over selected verses of Qur?an in standing position, performing ruku and sizdah to express our obedience and submission to Allah and then praying to Allah (in flexible format) in sitting position. Prayer of course should have a balance between praying for goodness in life of the world and hereafter (2200-202).
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman -
Hafez kazi,
I am glad that you came to this conclusion after this long because you are absolutely right on spot now. The word means literally "The Following" but that sounds a bit awkward in English whereas "Guidance" springs to mind.
Fit that several times and you have a more intelligible scripture. Moses has GOD with him as long as he upholds the guidance (following). Shu'aybs guidance makes him determined. Patience and following are good ways. The birds follow in formation (salaTEH is not used there). GOD and the angels/Malekateh give the prophet guidance (following). Etc.
Be well
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will my fasting be accepted if i dont pray salah?
Can you pray fajr,maghrib and isha with 2 rakats? (instead of prayig isha with 4, you do 2 etc.)
difference btw reading the quran and praying?
Peace agphys
- will my fasting be accepted if i dont pray salah?
There is no "accepting" of salat. Salat is "spiritual food" for your soul.
- Can you pray fajr,maghrib and isha with 2 rakats? (instead of prayig isha with 4, you do 2 etc.)
There are no set number of rakats, the Quran only mentions one sequence "one rakat"
(I cannot find the word rakat in the Quran.)- difference btw reading the quran and praying?
The Quran is a text that has many attributes, while prayer is for the self.
God bless
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Peace agphys
- will my fasting be accepted if i dont pray salah?
There is no "accepting" of salat. Salat is "spiritual food" for your soul.
- Can you pray fajr,maghrib and isha with 2 rakats? (instead of prayig isha with 4, you do 2 etc.)
There are no set number of rakats, the Quran only mentions one sequence "one rakat"
(I cannot find the word rakat in the Quran.)- difference btw reading the quran and praying?
The Quran is a text that has many attributes, while prayer is for the self.
God bless
I agree with all that. I can not guarantee anyone's efforts might garner any good results or bad results, or if anyone's efforts will be rewarded in the ways they might expect, thus like it has been said, one should do these things for oneself and their immediate benefits rather than a view that they are meaningless and to please Allah.
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I think salat is for Allah*, but salat is also something good for us.
Say, truly, my salat, my service of sacrifice (?), my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin
*and it doesn't mean that Allah need us to do that, but He commands the believers to do that
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Salat is giving your time for God, listening to Him, talking to Him, Silently sitting can also be a form of Salat.
lets not assume our ancestors had a well developed language, they used different methods to communicate, symbols and signs too were part of their communication, so ritual Salat is also good in a way we are giving our respect symbolically, it conditions ourselves.I believe the primary purpose of Salat is to take us out from excess, think of us working nonstop through out the day, our mind is occupied totally on our selves/desires, too much stress is the result. we need balance and so we stop and spend some time remembering Him(the common goodness provider) and continue.
To me Salat is no different from the worship of dieties in temples. The objective in both is all the same, only the symbols are different.