#solat

-bukankah terdengar familiar, jangan - jangan kamu hanya menunda kebenaran

I'm not sure of any other Muslims who needs to hear (or read) this atm but I sure wish I myself had realized/understood/found out about these sooner...

If you have problems with praying full five times a day and staying punctual (praying as soon as possible after the adzan), here's my advice:

You shouldn't force yourself to immediately try to pray five times a day if you've never been able to do that properly in the past. Instead, try to aim small first. For example, pray for the times that you have least difficulty of performing and perhaps set up to maintain istiqomah for at least a week. After you've succeeded with that goal, you increase it to become four times a day and until you succeed with that, you increase it to five times a day. During this period, you have to focus on performing the prayers only and not too critical of yourself about punctuality. If you missed, then try qada'. If not,reset the progress.

Next, once you have succeeded to pray five times a day and not skipping any (or if you missed any you managed to qada'), or that you've never had problem with it, set another goal which is to be punctual. As soon as you hear the azan for example, you head straight to get your wudhu'/ablution and prepare to pray (be it at the mosque for jemaah or at home). If you can't do that, then perhaps you can select a specific time span for you to immediately get up from whatever you're doing to pray. An example of that would be, if the time of Isyak azan is delivered at 8.15pm, then you set the time for you to drop everything at 8.20-8.25pm. Personally, I find this very effective to help with making me feel more practised and disciplined of performing my prayers early on and not too late anymore.

Lastly, if you keep on failing to better your solat, then you need to start identifying the factors. In other words, you have to find ways to accommodate yourself better. See if it's the environment that's making you feel reluctant or hesitant. Or perhaps it is the clothes you wear for prayers that needs a change or adjustment. Or could it be the praying may itself? The texture or the ground feels too hard? There are soft and fluffy praying mats available out there. Oh, perhaps you prefer to pray alone and feel very, odd, when others know that you're praying? Or you feel anxious with the presence of others? For Muslimin, I'd suggest making friends/finding a friend/someone in your usual jemaah that is comfortable to be with to ease it. At least there's some sort of assurance, yknow? For Muslimah, if you pray alone, find a place where you can have privacy for at least four to six minutes.

(If it's hard, or your home situation is difficult, then I have not much advice on that -- if you ask, please DM because I think what I do have to say is not suited for public sharing like this)

All in all, these are the three points that I made above simplified:

Small steps, don't jump (force) yourself to immediately perfect the five obligatory prayers.

After succeeding in not skipping any prayers, focus on improving punctuality -- set a time span for yourself from the time of azan.

Keep improving your prayer in ways you can. Accommodate yourself to what you can.

Solat/Performing prayers is obligatory and I understand the guilt from not being able to perform them as perfect/complete as others around us do (and they do it so easily too -- how?) but remember, Allah is Merciful and ever so understanding.

He knows if there's guilt in you. He knows if you want to keep on trying, or that you feel hopeless over yourself.

We perhaps even believe that He is angry at us for not being able to do it.

But no. Actually no. As I have said, He is Merciful and understanding. He loves us. He Knows that deep down we try to try. What matters is that we keep on trying to better ourselves. Just like how it is best if we can achieve khusyu' in our prayers, it is acceptable when one keeps on trying to redirect their thoughts and hearts to the ibadah. It's okay if you got distracted for a few moments, but if you pull yourself back in and you do that consistently every time, Allah sees your effort. We may fall, but remember, the more we try the more Allah sees our efforts to better ourselves. Maybe we think that we fall or fail because He is rejecting us, but no. Actually, try to consider your environment, your mental state, you spiritual state even -- perhaps there are things that needs resolution, like perhaps a debt to someone, owing an apologies to our parents or our friends/teachers, our heart still has so much resentment over something, it could be anything!

Don't blame yourself too much. And honestly, nothing much is to blame. It's okay if you've tried and tried but you still can't make it. Perhaps there are other chances in the future to better ourselves insyaAllah. That's why we need to remember to be grateful -- at the very least you can say is alhamdulillah. Once you get the next chances, try again and ask from Him.

This is also very important to remember: Ask, pray to Allah to help you. If you want to be specific, go ahead. If you're not sure, ask Him to give clarity. Just, ask. Our prayers are always heard of, just the matter of unresolved things I've mentioned above (the debt and apologies etc.). Even if you don't get it now, as I have also mentioned before, perhaps it is reserved for a better chance in a better future.

That is all from me. I apologize if anyone finds this offensive, feel free to point it out to me. Jazakumullahu khair to those who chose to read this till the end. I hope my words helped even in the slightest bi iznillah.

Wallahualam.