One of the most important issues that Muslims face in their faith is the topic of Prayer. Its importance can be seen in the fact that it is the 2nd of the 5 pillars of Islam. Prayer isn’t just saying a few words, bowing your head, or moving your body. It’s a connection to your creator with which you show your appreciation and submission to him. In Surah Al-Fatiha, which is used in every rakah of prayer, we find the ayah, “Iyyaka na3budu wa iyyaka nasta3een”. This translates to “It is you (Allah) we worship and it is you (Allah) we seek help from”. Such ayahs show that prayer holds special meaning beyond words and bowing.
For new Muslims, prayer can be more of a difficult task than many may think. For one, it’s in a language that is foreign to most of us, and for two, it’s a different way of praying than we are used to. The bigger issue however is number one. The majority of new Muslims don’t speak Arabic. While we are learning to pray, it will take a long time for us to be able to comprehend what we are saying along with us saying it. We can memorize the words, but it takes some time to be able to put those words with the meaning in a way that we can understand what we are saying. This can be very discouraging, but in time it will become easy, Insha’Allah.
With Ramadan approaching, we should pay extra attention to our prayers. With our deeds more important than ever, this is a time which should be utilized to its fullest. The following videos (part 1 and part 2) were shared with me from someone who wanted to help me with my prayers (Thank You Mohamed), and I hope that Insha’Allah this might help someone as well. These videos describe The Prophet’s (SAW) prayer.
May Allah guide us all with light and increase our desire and need for knowledge, Ameen.