Question Summary:
I think I am suffering with a lot of waswasas in my salaat. Alhamdulillah I try my best to stay away from wrong things and I am punctual with my 5 times salaat… I am not 100% certain if I have completed all the farz?

Question Detail:

I think I am suffering with a lot of waswasas in my salaat. Alhamdulillah I try my best to stay away from wrong things and I am punctual with my 5 times salaat. I try in salaat to maintain concentration but just for a few seconds if my mind deviates, then I forget very easily. I forget if I have read qirat, done ruku, sajda etc. because of which I break my salaat and repeat it again. Sometimes I end up repeating it about four or five times. Although I am not 100% sure whether I missed one of the farz or not, I think that most likely I don’t miss any farz out because alhamdulillah I have been reading salaat from a young age and the actions have become habitual so I think its unlikely that I miss any farz out, but I feel that it is not good enough and my salaat will not be accepted incase I have missed a farz. Should I just carry on with my salaat even though I am not certain whether I missed a farz or not? Should I follow as imam Nawawi mentions that doubt does not affect the status quo? Offcourse if I am certain then I know what I should do, but I am not certain either way. Should I just give myself the benefit and not break my salaat even though I am not 100% certain if I have completed all the farz? Should I think that Allah knows my intention that I am trying so I shouldn’t break my salaat and start again, even though I think to my self am I really trying my best? Please expand upon this issue as it is causing me a lot of distress and I often don’t enjoy my salaat because of the fear that I will have to repeat it again.
 

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Salah is most important aspect in our lives. Umar رضى الله تعالى عنه wrote to his governors:
عن نافع مولى عبد الله بن عمر أن عمر بن الخطاب كتب إلى عماله إن أهم أمركم عندى الصلاة فمن حفظها وحافظ عليها حفظ دينه ومن ضيعها فهو لما سواها أضيع. موطأ مالك - (ج 1 / ص 3) مكتبة تهانوى
“Verily the most important matter to me is salah. Whosoever performs his salah and is steadfast thereupon has protected his deen. And whoever neglects his salah then he shall be more neglectful in other matters besides salah.”
(Muwatta Malik 1/3 Maktaba Thanwi)
 
It is necessary for he who desires perfections in any field that he trains himself. Similar is the case for perfection in salah. One has to train ones mind in order to gain concentration. The mind can be controlled if an effort is made. We find that it is the nature of a dog to eat of a hunted animal but even a dog could be trained not to eat from the hunted animal. In the same manner is the nafs. However, an effort and sacrifice is required. Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi رحمه الله تعالى mentions that one should ponder over the words one is reciting. If after making an effort, one still has difficulty in concentrating then it could possibly be shaitan trying to distract one from his salah.
عن أبى العلاء أن عثمان بن أبى العاص أتى النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فقال يا رسول الله إن الشيطان قد حال بينى وبين صلاتى وقراءتى يلبسها على. فقال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « ذاك شيطان يقال له خنزب فإذا أحسسته فتعوذ بالله منه واتفل على يسارك ثلاثا ». قال ففعلت ذلك فأذهبه الله عنى. صحيح مسلم
Abu al Ala رضى الله تعالى عنه narrates that once Uthman bin abi al As  رضى الله تعالى عنه came to Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم and said: O Messenger of Allah verily shaitan intervenes in my prayers and confuses me. Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم replied: that shaitan is called “khinzab” so when you perceive him (disturbing you) then seek protection in Allah from him and sputter on your left side three times. Uthman رضى الله تعالى عنه mentions that I done this and Allah caused him to leave me. (Muslim)
If these thought persist than one should ignore such thoughts and continue with ones salah. Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم :
حدثنا أبو سلمة بن عبد الرحمن أن أبا هريرة حدثهم أن رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال « إذا نودى بالأذان أدبر الشيطان له ضراط حتى لا يسمع الأذان فإذا قضى الأذان أقبل فإذا ثوب بها أدبر فإذا قضى التثويب أقبل يخطر بين المرء ونفسه يقول اذكر كذا اذكر كذا. لما لم يكن يذكر حتى يظل الرجل إن يدرى كم صلى فإذا لم يدر أحدكم كم صلى فليسجد سجدتين وهو جالس «.
صحيح مسلم
“When the adhan is called shaitan flees away whilst passing wind to such a place where he cannot hear the adhan. When the adhan is over he comes back until the iqama is called. When the iqama is called he flees until the iqama is complete then he comes and intervenes between a person reminding him of things he forgot. He continues until a person does not know how much of his salah he performed. So if any of you does not know how much he performed then he should perform two sajdas whilst sitting. ” (Muslim)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ishaq E. Moosa,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah