Many people find their minds crowded with thoughts of work or family as soon as they stand for prayer. A piece on Our Islam notes that such thoughts, when they come unbidden, do not invalidate the prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said God has forgiven his community what crosses their minds, as long as they do not act on it or speak it (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5269).

One cause of distraction is the whispering of Satan. A hadith says Satan comes to the one praying and says 'remember this, remember that', reminding him of forgotten things until he no longer knows how many units he has prayed (Sahih al-Bukhari, 608). So when an unwanted thought arrives, the advice is not to dwell on it but to return to the verse, tasbih or supplication being recited.

One way to deepen concentration is to keep alive the sense of standing before God. Explaining ihsan, the Prophet said: worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot, know that He sees you (Sahih al-Bukhari, 50; Sahih Muslim, 8).

Knowing the meaning of Surah Al-Fatiha, other verses and the prayer's glorifications makes it easier to attend to them. God says: recite the Quran slowly and distinctly (Surah Al-Muzzammil, 73:4), and stand before God in devotion (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:238).

Performing bowing, prostration and recitation properly without hurry, settling pressing matters before prayer, keeping the phone and other distractions away, and taking a few moments to prepare the mind also help, the piece says.

Photo: Pharouqenr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Source: Our Islam