Struggling to Pray, Feeling Lost
Assalamu alaikum, everyone. Sorry if my words aren’t perfect-English isn’t my mother tongue, so I hope you’ll bear with me. I honestly don’t know what to call my state. Maybe I seem lazy, overly emotional, or just a fraud. But here’s the truth: I haven’t been praying for years. At my best, I once managed to do all five for one week. I’m fully aware that neglecting salah is a huge sin, that there’s no real life without it, and that my outcome could be the Fire. I know every detail, every ruling-I’ve watched countless videos and taken notes. I live in a Muslim country, I was born into Islam, and still, when the adhan calls, I try to get up… but it’s a struggle. I make dua, I cry, begging Allah to help me pray. Today, I only caught Maghrib and Isha. Right now, I feel like someone’s choking me, a weight pressing down so hard I can’t even shed a tear. I hate myself more each day, wondering why I can’t just do it. Every morning, I promise myself: no sins today, I’ll pray them all. But the guilt and sadness don’t move my limbs, and I can’t explain why. So please, if your salah is slipping, fix it before you reach this point-where all your worship and good deeds might vanish because of missed prayers. Don’t end up knowing, deep down, that after death you could face true torment. Don’t be seen as a Muslim when you feel like a hypocrite inside. Nothing in this dunya-no hardship, no trial-is more painful or empty than losing your salah. Any advice? Maybe a solution I haven’t tried yet. I pray that when my time comes, my salah is finally mended.