Question:
Lately, I have not been punctual in my salat. Many times, I do not offer qada of the missed salat also. I feel very guilty about this and want to be punctual in offering the 5 times daily salat. Please give some naseehat (advice) so that I become regular and punctual in offering salat.
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
– Read ahadith on the warnings and punishments of neglecting salat. Do this everyday.
– Ask yourself if you will be able to bear those punishments mentioned in the ahadith for neglecting salat.
– Ask yourself if it is easier to bear a little hardship now and offer salat or be punished in jahannam.
– Realise that there is no magic pill which will enable you to perform salat without your nafs trying to stop you from doing so. Realise that for your entire life you will have to battle your nafs in order to offer salat and to follow the ahkaam of Shariah. Even the awliyaa’ullah have to undergo this same battle for their entire life. Yes, by spending time with pious people and abstaining from sins, it will become easier to battle one’s nafs. But the battle itself will not go away until death.
– Spend time in tabligh as frequently as you can.
– Everyday spend 10-20 minutes doing muraqaba. Muraqaba is that you close your eyes and see yourself dying in that very instant. Thereafter see everything that happens to you after your death, such as angels taking your soul, your family burying you in a dark, lonely grave, answering munkar and nakeer, getting up for hashr and giving hisaab, people going to jannah and jahhanam, etc etc. See it in as much detail as you can.
– Everytime you miss salat, make it a habit to give a certain amount of money as sadaqa to the poor. The amount should not be too much that you cannot bear; but it should also not be too less that your nafs does not even feel it. Tell your nafs that you will keep on punishing it in this way everytime you miss salat.
Inshallah, if you consistently and rigidly follow the above to the best of your ability, you will become punctual in salat.
And Allah knows best
Mufti Faizal Riza
5/1/2013
Darul Ifta Australia
