[womberte]

Assalamo Alaikum,

Sometimes, I spend in excess of one hour trying to do one fard prayer because I think I did the prayer wrong (i.e. I stuttered or mumbled or didn't pay complete attention to the entire prayer).

Am I just creating unnecessary hardship on myself? Part of me thinks I don't need to keep attempting a prayer over and over again because I'll never be perfect.

Any thoughts?

[BrandandGeneric]

wa alaikum as salam wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Yes that definitely sounds like you're unnecessarily making things harder on yourself. but mashAllah you have awareness want to make effort to perfect your salah. When you finish your salah, ask Allah to accept it.

[rNr5Di3S]

sis

Spending 1 hour for a prayer because you are uncertain if you done it rightly is because of wasawis of Shaytan. Meaning whispering of shaytan. Its not your fault, just ignore such doubts and thoughts while doing Wudu or Salah. Its a common phenomenon. I had a problem of doing wudu many times when i was young, I always thought i did not do it right. Seek refuge in Allah at these times. What you have to do is just concentrate as much as you can in prayer and do not doubt if you making mistake in salah or not unless its very obvious. Recite Ayatul Khursi as much as you can at all times, its very effective against Shaytan.

May Allah protect us from such whisperings of Shaytan.Ameen

[rNr5Di3S]

Here is a book that will make you understand more about this and the different ways Shaytan attacks our mind. Please read it, InshAllah you will benefit from it.

[Cuccuccaltefe]

Assalamo Alaikum,

Sometimes, I spend in excess of one hour trying to do one fard prayer because I think I did the prayer wrong (i.e. I stuttered or mumbled or didn't pay complete attention to the entire prayer).

Am I just creating unnecessary hardship on myself? Part of me thinks I don't need to keep attempting a prayer over and over again because I'll never be perfect.

Any thoughts?

abbah! one hour? Leave it. As long as you havent done anything that invalidates the salaat its ok. Attach 2-4 rakaats of nafil afterwards to make up for any shortcomings.

As far as perfect salaat, this is a life long process. My shaikh db told me one time, "The day we think we have offered the perfect salaat is the day we have failed to do so." Otherwise, your condition right now would be taken as a very good condition, a sign of qubuliyat. You should report this matter to your shaikh if you have one. However, you need to keep working on perfecting salaat more. How is your wudhu? Your taharat? How careful are you about consuming only halaal tayyib food? How is your haal outside of salaat? How strong are you at abstaining from sin? Do you ever find yourself looking down on people? Think over those questions, dont answer them to me, especially all open on here. Just questions to think about.

[womberte]

Assalamo Alaikum,

Thank you for your replies. Indeed, I try to reciting Ayatul Kursi after every prayer, before bed, when driving, etc.

Thanks again for the advice. I will refrain from self-doubt Insha Allah.

(PS: Is there a way to fix Forum-settings, so that the oldest posting appears as topmost with replies below it? Besides being in "hybrid mode?")

[rNr5Di3S]

(PS: Is there a way to set my Forum-settings, so that the oldest posting appears as the topmost posting will replies below it? My forum appears with the OP as the very bottom and replies stacked on top of it...)

Yes click 'Settings' on top right. Click 'General settings', then you can see 'Thread Display Mode' in the middle, Select 'Linear-Oldest first'. Then click 'Save changes' below.

[BrandandGeneric]

^EDIT: The brother got there before me. JazakAllah.

[womberte]

Shukran Katheeran.

Jazak Allah Khair.

[Liaiskelile]

abbah! one hour? Leave it. As long as you havent done anything that invalidates the salaat its ok. Attach 2-4 rakaats of nafil afterwards to make up for any shortcomings.

As far as perfect salaat, this is a life long process. My shaikh db told me one time, "The day we think we have offered the perfect salaat is the day we have failed to do so." Otherwise, your condition right now would be taken as a very good condition, a sign of qubuliyat. You should report this matter to your shaikh if you have one. However, you need to keep working on perfecting salaat more. How is your wudhu? Your taharat? How careful are you about consuming only halaal tayyib food? How is your haal outside of salaat? How strong are you at abstaining from sin? Do you ever find yourself looking down on people? Think over those questions, dont answer them to me, especially all open on here. Just questions to think about.

wow what a great thought. it shows that we must always be humble and recognize that as humans we are never free from error. this doesnt mean that we give up on perfecting salaat. but that we pray salaat to the best of our capabilities and then ask Allah to forgive us for the mistakes and to accept the prayer. this is total jihad

[nithhysfusy]

I've actually heard the opposite of what Azhar bhai said, that it most probably is a sign that Allah SWT has liked your prayer and that he is making you pray again and again, also one of the ways to really concentrate while in Namaz is to concentrate while you are performing Wudhu, it really works.

[nithhysfusy]

@ bro mh16388, your signature is great.

[forotis]

Assalamo Alaikum,

Sometimes, I spend in excess of one hour trying to do one fard prayer because I think I did the prayer wrong (i.e. I stuttered or mumbled or didn't pay complete attention to the entire prayer).

Am I just creating unnecessary hardship on myself? Part of me thinks I don't need to keep attempting a prayer over and over again because I'll never be perfect.

Any thoughts?

Sis. This is definitely Waswasah (the whisperings of Shaytan). The only cure for waswasah is knowledge - you need to learn which things are necessary in the salat, and which things invalidate your salat.

May Allah Ta'Ala give you peace of mind.

[Bridgester]

As-Salaamu alaykum wa-Rahmatullah

You are being troubled by Shaytaan. He uses this ploy to frustrate a person, until the person gives up Salaah. Learn to ignore the doubts.

Highly recommed Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (RA)'s book "COMBATTING THE WHISPERINGS OF SHAYTAAN".
Download from yunuspatel.co.za

Offers an excellent prescription.