Prerequisites to Pleasure in Prayer


*TL;DR*
Does Salat feel like a chore? It shouldn't. You have to do it anyways, so better make it pleasant. Like it should be.
*End TL;DR*

(1 min reading)
The beginning of surah mu'minun gives a list of attributes of, well, mu'minun. True believers.

The first is khusyu' in prayer. And honestly, i don't consistently focus in prayer.

But this morning I realized that the list is like a set of steps. You can't skip a step while going up.

Guarding the prayer is the last in the list. It's also the easiest. Above it is guarding promises/trust, then guarding private parts, then zakat.

I think Allah is implying that one who doesn't guard the prayer will struggle to keep promises. And one who doesn't guard their privates may be disinclined to pay zakat.

The ayat after khusyu' is about avoiding laghw'- useless activities and speech. This means that if one doesn't avoid time wasters, khusyu' in prayer will be difficult.

Now in case someone asks why khusyu' is important: salat shouldn't be a mere duty. It is a blessing for the Mu'min's heart, which should be pleasant rather than tedious. In a world of unpleasantness,  connecting with Allah is a Mu'min's oasis in the desert. Which is impossible without khusyu'. 

Also, you wouldn't be distracted when meeting a president, so what about your Lord?

To conclude, one who is consistently focused in prayer is InsyaAllah among the true believers granted the highest level of Paradise. If you're having issues with concentrating in prayer, Surah Muminun's list may point out what you should improve first.

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