How to Be Regular with Your Prayers in Islam

Set alarms at least ten minutes before the prayer time. This will enable you to prepare yourself, such as by wearing proper clothing, finding an area to pray, making Wudu, and encouraging your Muslims friends or family members to get ready to pray, too. You may want to set alarms on your phone, tablet, or computer so you can get a notification about prayer. There are many smart phone apps available to set alarms according to your location. If you can't set an alarm, try writing the times of each prayer on pieces of paper and placing them around the house where you'll see them such as on the fridge, on your calendar, etc. If you find it hard to stick to an alarm, you might find it helpful for a Muslim friend or family member to remind you when prayer time is near. However, do remember you are responsible for your own prayers, so avoid depending on them too much.

Pray wherever you can, preferably in congregation at the masjid (mosque) for men or at home for women. It can be hard for working men to always pray at the masjid, so if you are busy and have other tasks to do, it is acceptable to pray at home or work. If you're out and know you won't be coming home in awhile, you can pray at the place you're in as long as you pray in a quiet, clean area (i.e praying at school, work, store, etc.). Maintain a clean and tidy area at home dedicated for prayer, where all the family can pray.

Learn about the blessings of prayer. Praying regularly is a great blessing and the rewards for it are numerous. Constantly remind yourself how important prayer is and the benefits of it. Prayer brings you closer to Allah. It allows you to reflect on all the gifts He has given you, to thank Him and to praise Him for His might and wisdom. It also allows you to ask Allah for help when you are going through a difficult time and to reflect upon your sins. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The most important of all matters is Islam, its spinal cord is prayer and the highest rank is Jihad for the sake of Allah.” Prayer also wipes off any bad sins. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Tell me, if there's an overflowing river in front of the house and you bathe into it five times a day, will there remain any dirt on you? They [the companions of the Prophet] said, ‘No dirt will remain on him’. He then said: “That is the example of the five daily obligatory prayers by which Allah erases sins.” Allah has commanded Muslims to pray because it is good for them, rather than Allah actually needing their prayer. Salah is a gift to remind Muslims throughout each day how completely dependent they are upon Allah.

Remember Allah often. The only way to be regular with your prayers is to be mindful of Allah throughout the day. This will prevent you from forgetting Him and will allow you stay regular with your prayers. Busy yourself with Islamic duties such as making Dhikr, giving charity or Zakat, attending Islamic gatherings or speeches, listening to Islamic lectures, reciting the Qur'an, fasting, and participating in other good deeds. Allah should never be far away from your thoughts. Every action throughout each day should be undertaken with seeking the pleasure of Allah in mind. Allow some time after each salat for quiet reflection and remembrance of Allah.

Make du'a daily for Allah to help you. Keeping at your prayers regularly is not always easy and you will feel lazy or discouraged at times. Understand that this is normal and many Muslims know that feeling. However, it's important not to give in and to ask Allah to help you by making Du'a. You can find many good du'as from the Qur'an, either in arabic or in your native language, or you can create one yourself by expressing yourself in your own words on how you need help from Allah. Some Du'as in the Qu'ran include: [14:40] "My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication." [66:8] "Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things." [7:126] "Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die as those who have surrendered themselves unto You." [3:8] "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Understand that the prayer has been made easy for you. If you're traveling, you are allowed to combine your prayers to help make it easy for you as you travel. If you're very weak or sick, you can pray sitting down, and if that's hard enough, you can also pray laying down. Point being: praying should not be a hassle and Allah has made it very easy for you. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to pray, and sometimes even less depending on how much you pray or what prayer it is. Prayer lies at the heart of the daily routine of the Muslim. Allah has created us to worship Him and so prayer must be prioritized above all worldly matters. Try to develop a deep focus when praying so that all other matters are far from your mind and your are devoting 100% of your concentration to your conversation with Allah.

Commit to your prayers and don't feel discouraged. There are times where you won't exactly be on time for prayer (e.g if you are a surgeon, you can't step out to pray during an operation; if you're a student, you can't go pray during an exam, etc.) nor will you be absolutely perfect for each one. You might wake up late and miss your prayer or just simply forget about it at one point. Don't feel discouraged and keep striving to be on time and regular to your prayers. Understand that Allah is the All-Forgiving (Al-Ghafoor). If you do end up missing your prayer, delaying it for no valid reason then repent to Him. Ask Allah to make it easier for you, promise not to repeat the sin and ask Him to forgive you and save you from the Fire. Make up the missed prayer (Qada) as soon as possible, and try to offset the sin, for example by repeating Astaghfirullah al Azeem (I seek forgiveness from Allah the Mighty). Be mindful that if a Muslim is heedless in his/her prayer then Allah will hold them to account on the Day of Judgement. Allah has created and sustains all humans and asks for very little in return, so Muslims have a duty to do their best to worship Him in the way that He has prescribed. Spend spare moments throughout each day thinking about the afterlife. Allah has created Jahannam (Hellfire) for those who disobey Him, for example by not praying, so use this to motivate yourself to obey Allah and be the best Muslim you can be.

Thank Allah from your heart when you do become regular to your prayers. Do something fun such as having a treat or going out to the park to mark your achievement, but do not become complacent. Regularly make dua to Allah to help you stay attached to your salah. All forms of motivation and encouragement are helpful to keep up the habit and stay regular with your prayers, but above all should be the desire to please Allah and attain Jannah (Heaven). Muslim children are taught to pray from the age of 7 and may be disciplined for not saying their 5 daily prayers from the age of 10 by gently reminding them that Jahannam (Hellfire) is the destiny for those who do not pray.

Understand that it may take time. If you're new to praying or have recently converted, keeping regular at your prayers isn't always easy and will require a lot of effort on your part. Understand that Allah helps those who really try to worship Him, and with His will, you'll be able to establish the self-discipline of regular prayer. Be aware that Allah initially assigned fifty prayers per day to mankind, though through Allah's mercy this was reduced to just five. Look into the many additional optional prayers that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed regularly, as these can help strengthen your connection with Allah. Try to make the Sunnah prayers part of your daily routine if you are able, though no sin will be recorded for missing them.

Understand what prayer is and learn about its significance in Islam. The best motivation to stay regular with your prayers is to appreciate its benefits and to understand that it is a command from Allah. You could be standing in prayer and have no idea what you're doing, but you're doing it anyway because you always do. This is not the correct way and could cause you to feel discouraged and prevent you from praying regularly. Learn the meaning of the words that are recited and understand their context by reading the Qur'an and studying Ahadith. In the Qu'ran it says, "And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." We pray only to worship Allah and to remember him. It's mentioned in a Hadith that "The first matter that the slave [a Muslim] will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad."