Offering five daily Farz (Obligatory) Salah is the duty of every Muslim, as it is one of the five Pillars of Islam. Namaz is considered an important part of a Muslim’s life because it means he or she always stays in touch with Allah and continues to pay attention to his faith.
Abdullah (R.A.) once asked the Prophet (PBUH), “Which deed is the dearest to Allah?”
The Prophet (PBUH) replied, “To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times.” …… (Sahih Bukhari: 527)
Many Muslims today have difficulty getting into the habit of offering Namaz regularly and consistently.
Here are some tips on how one can improve this habit to stay on track with this important obligation.
Set Up a Routine
Setting up a routine is key to developing the habit of praying namaz consistently. The first step is to download prayer time apps that can notify you when it is time for each salah. Look for highly-rated apps that allow you to customize the location, prayer times, and alarm sounds. Set the app alerts and alarms for each of the five daily prayer times – Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
When first starting out, begin with just one prayer time, such as Fajr, the morning prayer. Commit to praying Fajr every day at the earliest time, consistently, without fail. Pray it exactly at this time even if you have to set an alarm to wake up. Do this for Fajr continually until you find you are able to get up for it without the alarm. This builds the routine.
Next, dedicate a clean and quiet space in your home solely for prayer. This will condition your mind and body to connect this location with salah. Pray only in this space and nowhere else. The consistency of praying in the same spot each time will help build the physical cues and mental awareness to pray.
Setting alarms, being consistent even with one prayer, and designating a particular prayer spot lays the foundation for making salah a habit that sticks.
Use Namaz Alerts apps
Using technology such as smartphone apps, which can provide Namaz Times, can help in attaining punctuality for offering Namaz. These apps often include features like reminders and Namaz Time Notifications.
Athan app stands out among such Islamic apps as it provides you with all the essential features that a Muslim needs. With Athan app, you can set reminders for daily prayers, which will ensure that you will never miss your Namaz. The app also has the Quran, Duas, Islamic Calendar, and other features that can make managing your daily Islamic life easier and more manageable.
Why Should We Not Skip Namaz?
The importance of Namaz is mentioned over 100 times in the Qur’an. Namaz is the main difference between a believer and a non-believer as is clear from the wording of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
“The covenant between us and them is the Salat, so whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.” (Tirmidhi: 2621)
The Sahabah of our Prophet (PBUH) did not consider the abandonment of any good deed to be disbelief except the abandonment of the Namaz. (Tirmidhi: 2622)
Namaz will be the 1st thing you will be asked about on the day of Judgement. (Tirmidhi: 413)
An adult Muslim with a sound mind is not allowed to skip Namaz, even if he/she is sick. (Surah Munafiqoon 63:9)
So considering all the above points, it is clear that offering Fardh Namaz is the duty of every Muslim, and we all should try to offer Namaz at its designated time without any excuses.
Remember Why We Offer Namaz?
The purpose of Namaz is to connect us with Allah, deepen our relationship with Him, and express gratitude for all the gifts and His blessings while reminding us of His greatness.
Make a Promise to Yourself and set goals for Namaz
Make offering Namaz a must-attend event in your daily life. Allocate brief slots on your calendar for each Namaz on a daily or weekly basis.
It takes just over 10-15 minutes to set up, but the daily calendar blocks and reminders ensure that no one schedules a meeting with you at the worship time scheduled on your calendar.
You can also get help from Prayer Times applications, which also serve the same purpose. As mentioned above, the Athan app is a great option to set Namaz reminders on your phone.
Physical and mental benefits
Performing Namaz regularly not only improves your mental state but also brings other physical, mental, and emotional benefits.
Namaz soothes the soul, creates a sense of humility, and brings one closer to Allah. The health benefits of Namaz include improved blood circulation, improved digestion, reduced back and joint pain, and improved heart health.
Designating Namaz spaces at home and at work
Create a dedicated space for offering Namaz. At home, there is a corner that always has a Prayer Carpet. At work, you should designate a place or area for offering Namaz, which is rarely used by coworkers at the office. Always have a travel mat so you can offer Namaz while you are on safar (travelling).
Take small steps and try not to be too hard on yourself
You may not be able to start all five prayers on the first day. It might start with two and go from there, or you may not be able to offer all five Namazain at the same time. Consider starting with three slots per day.
For example, one slot for Fajr, one slot for Duhr and Asr, and one slot for Maghrib and Isha Namazain, then go from here to make five slots for each Namaz.
Set strict rules for yourself and stick to them
To offer Namaz regularly, set yourself a few small rules and follow them in any situation. For example, you should not allow yourself to leave the house until you have offered Fajr.
You should not allow yourself to leave the office until Zuhur and Asr Namaz are offered. Make a habit of not going to bed before Maghrib and Isha Namaz are offered.
Remember, it’s never too late to start!
Sometimes we think it’s too late to start, or we can never be regular in offering Namaz. Remember that Allah knows who you are and what your difficulties are. It just requires you to make an honest effort.
Your journey to get regular in offering all prayers can begin with the next Namaz, with the next, or with the next. It’s never too late, and you can start this spiritual journey today.
May Allah give us the opportunity to become His faithful worshippers and to offer five daily obligatory prayers at their designated time. Ameen!!
मेरा नाम मेराज अहमद है और मैं एक फ्रीलांस लेखक और ब्लॉगर हूं। मैंने अपनी शिक्षा दीनी मदरसों में पूरी की है। मुझे धार्मिक विषयों पर लिखना बहुत पसंद है और अपने लेखों के ज़रिए मैं लोगों तक सही इस्लामिक संदेश पहुंचाने की कोशिश करता हूं। मुझे लोगों को ज्ञान देना बहुत पसंद है।
