*Ways to Improve Salaah*

• Avoid praying in a state in which you are mentally and physically fatigued. Keep your mind free of worldly worries, evil thoughts, and ideas.

• Plan what verses/Dua’as you are going to recite.

• If you do not understand Arabic, learn the meaning of what you recite in your Prayer.

• Remind yourself that engaging in Prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the tensions of this world. The Prophet (saw) has said that in Prayer was placed the comfort of his eyes. Therefore cherish the opportunity to remove the burdens of this world from your shoulders.

• Use your Prayer to remain focused on your mission in life, which is to bring your entire being to serve only Allah.

• Use your Prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities.

• Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your Prayer, for e.g. thirst, hunger and calls of nature.

• Pray in a pure physical state. Perform your wudhu with care and perfection. Although the whole earth is a masjid or a place of worship, choose a place that is clean.

• Pray in an environment free of noise and one where there is no distraction. Adorn yourself with clean and respectable clothes.

• Assess your mental readiness for Prayer before its commencement, during the various postures, after each raka’ah and ultimately at the end.

• Pray with humility both in your mental state and in your physical manner.

• Pray with hope and awe.

• Remind yourself continually that you are talking to the most important ‘One’ in your life – your Creator and Sustainer. He is in front of you. You are facing Him and you are involved in a dialogue with Him.

• Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah’s help and protection from the influences of Shaytan.

• Lower your gaze while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you.

• On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or attributes of Allah in Ruku and Sajdah, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah and express your true emotions.

Utilize the occasion of Sajdah to make additional Dua’a to Allah.

The Prophet said:

“A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in Sajdah”