Can You Advise Me Now That I Want to Start Praying Again?

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Answered by Ustada Shazia Ahmad

Question

I’m currently 15 years old and I want to start praying again. Throughout my life, I have had a cycle of praying then stopping then praying again. I want to start praying but I’m afraid that I’ll stop. I share a room with siblings so I don’t have any space where I feel comfortable enough to pray. Whenever my mum finds out that I started praying, she tells everyone, even when I tell her not to, and that just puts me off from praying for some reason. It is awkward to pray next to my family because I feel they watch me when I’m praying and although I want to, I can’t go to the mosque because my parents don’t let me go to a supermarket. What do you advise me to do?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your tremendous intention and for taking the huge step of fulfilling your obligations to your Lord. By the grace of Allah, you will not regret it for an instant.

Prayer

Allah Most High has told us in the Quran, “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer should deter indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah knows what you all do.” [Quran, 29:45]

It was narrated from Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Do you think that is there was a river by the door of any one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him? They said: “‘No trace of dirt would be left on him.’ He said: ‘That is the likeness of the five daily prayers. By means of them, Allah erases sins.’” [Nasa’i]
Courage

Remind yourself of the above Quranic verse and hadith, that Allah has asked you to establish the prayer, no matter who looks at you, and no matter who talks about you. Your dedication is to Allah Most High and only He will reward you for it. Find the courage to stick to the prayer no matter what is happening around you, and know that it will bring bountiful blessings and goodness when you do, in sha Allah.
Please say this du`a from the Quran for divine aid in establishing the prayer:

رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ 

My Lord! Make me and those ˹believers˺ of my descendants keep up prayer. Our Lord! Accept my prayers. [Quran, 14:40]
Please see these links as well:
Praying with Presence
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Mawlana] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

 

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