Struggling to reconnect with faith
I need some guidance. I used to pray regularly, but a difficult event shook me emotionally, and now I can’t bring myself to pray-maybe once a month at most. I have clinical OCD, and I used to read the Qur’an with so much passion, but when things didn’t add up and my critical mind got flooded with endless questions, it triggered mental breakdowns. I felt doomed for having those doubts, and now I’m too scared to open the Qur’an. I don’t know what’s wrong with me-I’ve become numb to nearly everything connected to the deen. I was raised around certain customs where Islamic attire like thobes and caps were seen as signs of piety. Also, there are so many sects, each insisting they have the sole truth-something the early Muslims never dealt with. Questions about this overwhelmed me for years until I hit burnout. I’m not praying, not because I don’t want to, but because I’m numb, as if my soul’s been numbed and can’t feel anything. When I did pray consistently, my OCD would hijack the prayer; my mind would force me to chase a certain feeling to be satisfied with it. Since I don’t understand Arabic, trying to translate the meanings in my head while praying was draining. So what should have brought peace ended up causing emotional and physical exhaustion. I believe in Allah and His Messenger, and I love the Islam revealed through Prophet Muhammad, but I don’t know how to heal these deep-rooted struggles inside me. The usual advice like “pray more” or “do dhikr” won’t cut it for me right now. I feel crushed by the obligations of Islam, yet I know that neglecting them only adds to my sins.