The Prophet of Allah sallalahu alayhi wasalam has coined an amazing analogy in regards to salat. The analogy is depicted in a conversation between the Prophet and the Companions radhiAllah anhum, in which the Prophet alayhi salatu wasalam said:

“Do you think that if there was a river by the door of one of you and he bathed in it five times a day that there would remain any dirt on him?” They answered: “There would not remain any dirt on him.” The Prophet of Allah alayhi salatu wasalam said: “That is how it is with the five prayers, through them Allah washes away the (minor) sins.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

GEMS

  • The prayer is spiritual cleanliness so don’t abandon it for anything
  • The mercy of Allah is that He has allowed people to pray to Him and receive forgiveness for their minor sins
  • Abandoning prayers is abandoning easy forgiveness from your Lord
  • With the mountains of sins we have engulfed ourselves in…can we afford to throw away forgiveness from ar-Rahman?
  • Knowing that Allah will wash away the minor sins is something to think about during salat…Knowing the Mercy of Allah will enhance the concentration

When you stand in front of Allah for salat know that He will forgive you of your minor sins. Ponder about it before, during, and after the salat and inshallah you will see the improvement!

In regards to monitoring the quality of your salat, there are a few things which you need to think about in respect to the different factors that you are working on:

  • Vision – What is your final destination? For example: Praying all fard salat in the masjid
  • Purpose – Why do you want it? Be specific about your purpose
  • Resources – list resources that could help you get to that destination; books, lectures, alarm clock, etc.
  • Steps – In accordance to your vision…what do you need to do to get there? List all the steps you need to take to get you closer to your destination
  • RPM – Are the results you expect specific and realistic? Is it time-bound? Is your purpose deep enough to push you towards your destination? Keep questioning your purpose. Do you have a plan to get the desired results? Make sure you map out a list of 10 things that will get you closer to your goal; pick the top 2 and implement them right away.