I Am Afraid That I Am Losing My Faith Because I Am Not Establishing My Prayer. What Do I Do?
Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil
Question: I have been spending hours watching TV and ignoring my prayers. I made the Umra for the first time recently. But even after coming back missing my prayers seems not to bother me at all.
I am really afraid that I have lost my faith. I love Islam. I don’t want to lose it at any cost. What can I do to turn to Allah?
Answer: Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray this finds you well. May Allah reward you for reaching out to us.
Ramadan
Alhamdulilah, the fact that you have written in to ask about your state is a sign that Allah wants good for you.
It’s extremely important that you renew your intention to commit to Allah, and to establishing prayer the minute you read this. Following the guidelines of the Shari’ah is your path to attaining Allah’s Mercy. Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, and ask Him to keep you guided.
Alhamdulilah, the blessed month of Ramadan is right around the corner. I urge you to make the most of the winds of mercy throughout Ramadan. Ensure that you revise the fiqh of fasting (Shafi’i school of thought or Hanafi school of thought) and set the intention to draw closer to Allah through obligatory acts of worship, especially prayer and fasting.
Please bear in mind that it is obligatory for you to pay back your missed obligatory prayers, instead of praying tarawih. I repeat – do not pray tarawih until you have paid back your missed obligatory prayers. It would be sinful for you to pray tarawih instead of paying back your missed obligatory prayers.
Prayer
Is better to uphold the prayer even if your heart is not in it, compared to leaving it completely. None of us will ever truly worship Allah in the way He deserves. All we can do is spend our lives trying our best, and picking ourselves up when we fall. Don’t fall for the trap of trying to be the ‘perfect’ Muslim, and then abandon prayer when it doesn’t feel good enough for Allah. Do your part, and leave the rest to Allah.
Dua
Please recite this beautiful dua every day, after every prayer, with the intention of strengthening your faith.
Shahr ibn Hawshab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I said to Umm Salama, ‘O Mother of the believers! What was the most frequent supplication of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) when he was with you?’ She said, “His most frequent supplication was, ‘O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm in Your deen!’” [Tirmidhi]
يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك
Ya muqallibal-qulubi, thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenika
Reflection
“Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!” [Qur’an, 13:38]
Is there something in your life you are trying to avoid? Is there something causing you pain or discomfort? I encourage you to sit out in nature and reflect on what could be causing your state of heedlessness. Look carefully at the source of your income, the food you are eating, and the company you keep.
Please see:
How Do I Raise My Resolve to do Good & Overcome Hardness of the Heart?
How Do I Strengthen My Faith and Truly Repent?
Wassalam,
Raidah
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
