I did not post this in Religion as I wanted to hear how praying helps in practice, rather than in theory. How many people turn to praying (I am talking about the physical act, and not making dua) when they are in distress? If one hasn’t prayed for many months, will it still help in relieving negative emotions? What if the intent for prayer is not religious, but rather personal, as stress alleviation or whatnot.
Re: Does praying really help?
I always find praying calms me in times of stress.
Re: Does praying really help?
It helps even when you havent done it in awhile (as is usually the case wid me).
I find that when performing the act of wu'du, if you think of it as a cleansing in a way, it can help. For example, imagine sins are being washed away as you are washing your arms, etc. When you splash your eyes with water, imagine that things you have seen that you shouldnt have, are being erased...etc. When you rinse your mouth, imagine words you have said that you shouldnt have, are being withdrawn from your "account". I find this helps in wanting to actually perform the act of wu'du. There is literature regarding this as well.
Then when you get into the act of actual namaaz, I find that when you are in complete sijda, if you stay down after the 3 phrases you say, and you make actual supplication and simply talk to Allah, then the floodgates can really open and you can pour your heart out. This is the time I sometimes find myself in tears. It is SUCH a stress-reliever. It's not like I always have crying spells or anything, but it really helps often times.
I like to think about the fact that I am bowing down the highest part of my body, to the lowest part of the earth I can touch, and I can only hope that Allah sees that as my submission to His Will. Just contemplating that for me brings me a certain calm and relief. That I find to be a very humbling experience, and very relaxing. When you ask Allah to bring relief from the pain, stress, etc, theres a lot of calm that often follows. Alhumdulillah. Allah is indeed the Most Gracious, the All Hearing and the Most Beneficient.
Sorry if I didnt make sense, but this is the only way I thought of to answer the question I thought was asked. smile
Re: Does praying really help?
praying always helps me.... it most definately always calms me and gets rid of negative thoughts...by the end of every namaz, im always a lot happier and relieved...
Re: Does praying really help?
Praying helps emotionally but it doesn't solve anything, i.e. any problem you have at that moment. It makes you passive doesn't it, when you ask god to take care of the problem? Even if you cry, purge, feel better, what does that solve? I guess maybe it gives us serenity and the courage to accept that problems are there, because we all always have them. I don't know. It's tempting - how rare is that, I am actually tempted by a good deed!
Re: Does praying really help?
Munni - that was great.
Sarah - for me it has always helped, even when I felt I prayed for my own peace of mind rather than considering it as an obligation (which it obviously is). Also, if possible try and see if you could attend jamaat at a masjid once in a while. When I lived closer to the masjid, I'd try and make salaat there at least once a day. I felt so much more at peace at the masjid during prayer, than I did when I prayed at home. I also find that sajda posture really helps even after you are done praying and making duaa. Just being in that position of total submission, it's very very calming and humbling (like munni said).
Re: Does praying really help?
I am not sure I like the thought of total submission. I would like praying to give me strength, courage, foreseeability, rather than leaving everything in the hands of Allah mian.
Sehar, I've tried praying in jamaat once or twice. 1) The kids crying made concentration impossible, 2) I couldn't hear the words of the person in front properly because the women were segregated so far away, 3) The floor was hard. Is this typical of masjids by the way? I've only been to three or four and this has been the case with all of them, at least the crying kids and the hard floor part.
Re: Does praying really help?
Sarah, I guess it depends how you see it. I derive strength and courage from total submission. It always gave me more fuel to run on, when I had felt that I'm almost burnt out. As long I knew I was doing the right thing, and giving it my 100% and I couldn't do anymore, I knew it was no longer in my hands, but in His. Sure, we've all had our share of powerlessness, helplessness and that nothing you do can make it right or better or in your favor. Then the answer is simple, you have to accept it, and praying for me in that instance has helped me accept it. It takes time. I don't know if that made sense.
As for masjids, I've usually prayed in student run masjids by university so no kids. I'm not sure if you have one of those where you study. But I totally hear you on kids running everywhere, but carpeting is pretty much standard at all the masjids I've attended.
Re: Does praying really help?
The physical aspect of praying has helped me on many occasions. There have been times where I prayed (physical act combined with duaa) and my supplication was answered almost instantly and there have been times where I had to pray for while for something to turn out the way I wanted to.
There have also been instances where I didn't get what I wanted, but praying in itself made me feel better and lighter. I just had to be patient having faith in God that things will turn out for the best.
Re: Does praying really help?
i think prayer offers us the strength to go beyond our issues and troubles. it's more of a benefit to us than it is to God....this is what i believe. Allah mian already has thousands upon thousands of angels worhshipping and praying for him. prayer is there for us so that we have a way of reaching Him, and when we reach for his blessing, it consoles our heart and mind.
having said all that, and yes, i do believe in what i've said, sometimes there are things that happen in your life that pull you away from prayer. and i've really tried to come back to it, but it's like my heart's not there anymore. why go through the physical actions when it's not coming from me..? i think i pray more, or talk to God more when i'm lying awake in my bed at night and trying to deal with my life.
Re: Does praying really help?
Depends on your attitude toward prayer. Some want it to be a harry potter spell, others need it for strength to carry on. You need to solve your own problems, and if you're not in a sound state of mind, or don't have the right attitude to go about it...you're going to find it hard.
Also, submission means accepting that there are certain things that are out of your control, not that you need to abdicate your responsibilities to God.
Re: Does praying really help?
Prayers are a MUST. It helps relieve all types of stress. It also helps with the wandering mind. It has helped me when I felt like things were out of MY control and when I have been angry for some reason or at someone in particular. I felt like after praying my focus shifted completely. From bad feelings to calm and a solid focus.
Definitely do it !
Re: Does praying really help?
countless number of times prayer has rescued me from the depression and all types of stress and help me through difficult phases of my life.
Re: Does praying really help?
I think it helps. For those moments (while you are praying), it makes everything okay. Throughout the day, it gives me the strength to deal with things i cannot change while knowing that everything is in God's hands and He will do what's best InshaAllah.
Re: Does praying really help?
Sarah....praying definitely helps.:)
We all now everything is in Allah's hands. I try to concentrate on the meaning....n in time of stress my eyes get flooded while reciting: 'Iyyaka na'abudu wa iyyaka nastaeen'....meaning along the lines of ...'we worship You and ask You to help us'
I can;'t think how He will not solve my problems when I ask Him admitting how helpless I am.
Plus theres another thing. When we believe in Him we know that He knows about everything.....so if our prayers aren't answered the way we wanted it must be due to the fact that it wasn't better for us.And as we can not foresee our future He keeps us protected in this way. Learning the translation of our prayer (namaz) really helps....if I concentrate on what I'm saying ...every verse makes me feel lighter n lighter....
I don't know if i was able to make any sense ....but this is what i think.
Re: Does praying really help?
If you pray with whole heart in it, meaning if just thinking of Allah (s.w.t) can make you shiver and makes you cry then def. it helps you. It does to me all the time and when I just pray thinking I have to pray, I am always left with some disturbance inside but once I let myself out infront of Allah (s.w.t)....I swear I feel like new-born baby with all the sins washed out!
Re: Does praying really help?
Praying to Allah swt gives peace to my mind, body and soul. After praying I know Allah swt has heard me and Will do what is best for me.
Re: Does praying really help?
starting the day with namaz does a whole lot of good throughout the day. i always have a meaningful day and get a lot of things done.
when in stresss or in confusion, praying makes me feel closer to Allah(swt) and i always remember the love He has for us is far greater than our parents's love. So imagine how much care he has for us. That makes my burdens seem lighter, knowing that I'll be taken care of. no doubt its upto us to solve our problems in life, but the thought of greater power watching over us is comforting.
Re: Does praying really help?
I think praying does absolutely nothing for you if you ultimately don't believe within yourself that God is in control of absolutely EVERYTHING. Also, remember, God mentions in the Quran that he does not like 'bad weather friends'. Meaning, he does not like the people who only call on him when in distress but once everything is hunky dory conveniently forget God.
God says to remember Him so that He may remember you. So the answer to your question is, if you don't pray, glorify God, remember Him, on a daily basis, then praying when you're in trouble probably won't get you anywhere.
If you DO sincerely remember God on a daily basis and acknowledge that He is in control of everything, then God says, the believer shall not fear nor grieve, meaning that when you realize that God is in fact in control of absolutely everything, you don't stress about anything because you realize that your stressing is pointless, that is when you hand yourself to God and say 'do with me as you will', which is not to say that He needs your permission, but it does mean that you have taken the first step in 'faith'.
Also remember, God does not test you beyond your limits, it is then when he takes you to the very edge of everything you know, it is then when he teaches you to soar.
Good luck with whatever's going on with you. God speed.
Re: Does praying really help?
Praying gives you sakoon that nothing else can eer offer.
Think about it this way- You are asking from the one who created you.