5 Tips in Overcoming Laziness to Pray

"I’ll pray when I feel better." "I don't feel like praying."

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The first of man’s deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be Solah (prayer). If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser. If any shortcoming is found in the obligatory Solah, the Glorious and Exalted Rabb will command to see whether His slave has offered any voluntary Solah so that the obligatory Solah may be made up by it. Then the rest of his actions will be treated in the same manner." [At- Tirmidhi]

Tip 1: Identify your triggers

1. Am I tired?
2. What am I occupying my time with?
3. Do I lack motivation?

By doing this, we are become aware where this feeling is coming from and address the root of the problem.

Tip 2: Keep Good Company #friendstilljannah

There is nothing more beautiful than a friendship that reminds and helps us practice the Deen.

"Close friends will be enemies to one another on that Day, except the righteous." (Surah Az-Zukhruf:67)

Tip 3: Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Be the best version of you.

1. Rise early
   Majority of successful people start their day as early as 4am. There are so much barakah being placed in the last third of the night.
   - Pray at least 2 rakaat of Tahajjud
   - Start your day with Qur'an recitation
   - Go for a short run/jog
   
   
2. Watch the food that we eat
   - Eat less of processed food
   - Eat in moderation
   - Drink water instead of sugary drinks
   - Drink coffee without or with less sugar!
   
   
3. Stay active. Even walking counts!
   - Adopt a sport as a habit such as cycling, badminton 
   - Abandon screen time for a walk

Tip 4: TAKE. DEEP. BREATHS.

1. Learn Breathing Techniques
   We are busy hustling our day in and out that we forget to pause and breathe. Try to do this before prayer to manage our focus during solah.
2. Breathing Techniques help us to focus and manage stress.
3. Include in zikr while breathing and feel every word that is being recited. Best time would be after every prayer!

Tip 5: Seek Knowledge

• Realigning the direction in our lives help us to discover our need for worship.

• Meet new people that are also striving to be better versions of themselves.

Let's remind ourselves of the following:
1️⃣ Solah is not a burden. It is a relief. Solah brings blessings (Barakah) into our life and the work we put in.

2️⃣ Solah is the call to success (al-falāh). True success is in both Dunya and Akhirah.

3️⃣ Solah is a way to connect with our Creator and there is nothing that can understand the creation other than its’ Creator. We don't need to have it all figured out. Be vulnerable with Allah.

💞 Allah is Al-Baseer, the All-Seeing. He is aware of everything, even the whisper in our hearts. Have good opinion (husnuzhon) that Allah knows how we feel even when we cannot explain it. It is Allah who will lift our burdens.

📝 Seek knowledge and be in good company - for these are also 2 important things that constantly makes us mindful of our worship and help to fight off the evil whispers of the Shaytan and our nafs.