how I built up to 5 prayers
Many people have told me they are interested in performing their prayers, but they don't know where to start. I can relate. ⠀
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It's important to note: where in your faith you were a year or even a month ago does not matter. What matters is what you can do today to be in a better place in a month or a year from now. ⠀
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Here's how I built up my salah practice. (If you don't know the words, start there.) ⠀
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(1)Fajr Only. I used to pray here and there. Especially during college years, it was hard to stay consistent. Exam times would come and I would fall off the wagon and take months to be consistent again... to fall off again. So I told myself, I will commit to Fajr... every single day. And I promised myself to not feel guilty for not doing the other prayers. ⠀
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(2)Learn and memorize the translation of the words. While I focused on Fajr, I also made flashcards with the transliteration of the words on one side and the translation on the other side. I read through my flashcard everyday. ⠀
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(3)Ramadan - All 5 prayers - not necessarily on time. By the time I had established my Fajr habit, I was working a 9-5 job. During Ramadan, I made a goal to do all 5 prayers, but I made up the prayers I missed during work hours. After Ramadan, I went back to just Fajr.⠀
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(4)All 5 prayers - not necessarily on time. After a year or two of that, I went on to performing all my prayers. Again I made up some prayers. It was on and off, but I kept pushing myself. ⠀
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(5)All 5 prayers - all on time. More recently, I started doing my prayer in my car during work hours but then learned that was not allowed. So I asked my boss if I could perform my prayers at work at a storage space. He was supportive. I aim to perform my prayers on time, but of course, there are times I miss some. ⠀
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If you are looking to take your faith to the next level, start with the pillars. Establishing your prayers is a priority in your journey. Your salah is the most important thing that distinguishes you as a Muslim.
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