How To Be Consistent As A Muslim

How to be consistent as a Muslim

When asked which actions are most beloved to Allah SWT, Prophet Muhammad SAW responded ‘Consistent ones, even when they are small.’ (1)

This highlights the importance of being consistent as a Muslim, as well as the ease Allah has placed upon us to help us get good deeds.

As long as you are consistent with your actions, even if they are small, they are considered most beloved to الْقُدُّوسُ (The Most Sacred).

Allah isn’t trying to make things harder for you. In fact, He SWT is helping you get easy points!

How To Build A Connection With Allah SWT

How to Balance Deen and Dunya

Dunya and Deen – How to Balance Both (Part 2)

How to be consistent with your Salah

Some practical tips for how to be consistent with Salah include the following:

Understand the importance of Salah

The first thing to understand is the great importance of prayer.

The first thing you will be asked about on the day of Judgement is your prayer. (1)

Just like you would be on time for a meeting with your manager or punctual to your doctor’s appointment, you should be the same with your Salah. It is more important than any worldly activity you would ever have to do.

Prioritising your prayer shows that you prioritise Allah.

Pray in a calm environment

As well as this, conduct your prayers in an environment that inspires peace so you can focus completely in your Salah.

Pray in a quiet space, away from the TV and from others.

Any prayer could be the last one you ever do so cherish this time and give your entire attention to Allah SWT.

Schedule your prayer into your day

The times of the prayer are no shock to us. We know what time every prayer is well in advance.

Plan your day around your Salah, rather than trying to fit Salah into your day. If you have plans, make sure you have a suitable space to pray or if you don’t, re-schedule the plan to a better time.

Prioritise your prayer above all.

Habit stack with your prayer

Use your prayer times to be extra productive by doing things like assigning your Fajr prayer as the time to read the Qu’ran and do Adhkar. Or, doing your skin care straight after you pray Isha.

This will help you maximise your time by getting in other good deeds/ productive actions in during the day.

Make du’a to Allah

If you find it hard to pray Salah at all, make du’a to Allah SWT and ask Him to help you.

Turn to Allah in every instant, whether good or bad, and make Him your constant counsellor.

Speak to him out loud or in your head and know that He is always listening.

Visit the mosque

The most beloved place to Allah SWT is the masajid. The Masjid is the house of Allah SWT and therefore, you should also make it your home too. (2)

The mosque is also a space that fosters harmony, unity, mercy and tranquility. It is a place where you pray and interact with your fellow brothers and sisters as well.

Make Salah your biggest priority

If I haven’t expressed the point enough, make Salah your biggest priority in life!

Your prayer is more important than anything in this world. Make it your non-negotiable duty every day and don’t delay it.

As you become more consistent with your prayer, also learn to discipline yourself if there any sudden distractions that take you away from it. Guard your Salah completely from any worldly distractions.

Part of the Adhan states ‘hasten to prayer, hasten to real success’ – therefore, view prayer as your key to success!

How to be consistent with learning about Islam

Use free resources to study

Go to your local mosque to listen to lectures, seminars, khutbahs etc.

Watch videos on Youtube or borrow books from the library.

You can also check if there are any free courses online (from verified scholars).

Allah has provided you with so many ways to get to know Him – so take advantage of it!

Have good company

A common saying states that you are the average of the five people you spend most time with.

Reflect on your life right now, quickly.

Who are the people you hang out with most? Can you notice any behaviours or ideas that have influenced you that you picked up from them?

Having good company is important because just by being around these people, it will make you a better person too.

Even if they are completely different to you, some sort of influence will inevitably occur.

Having a good set of Muslim friends will influence you to maybe visit the Mosque more, do Halal activities, speak about Islam and learn from each other. You get so used to doing these things, that you enjoy them or it becomes a habit and then you start wanting to learn/ do more yourself.

Repent

If you have sinned badly in the past, feel sincere guilt for it, repent for it and vow to never do it again. Be consistent with your repentance.

Having guilt is good if you know it’s because you did something bad. That guilty feeling makes you feel accountable for your actions. (3)

Despite this, never let your guilt go to a point of desperation where you doubt in Allah SWT’s mercy. Allah loves you! He will always want to help you. Even if you sin a thousand times and repent every single time for it genuinely, He will forgive you.

Posts on repentance:

How To Repent A Sin (As a Muslim)

How To Repent Our Sins (Including a Step-by-Step Guide)

Assign ‘study’ time every week (and every day!)

Set a day/ time where you will sit down and focus on Islam.

Simply saying it won’t help you with being consistent. You need to put your ideas into a plan and then into action.

If you find it too hard to do intensive study, start small and build it up. This could be as simple as watching/ listening to an Islamic lecture every week and then slowly building it up to every day.

Get a study buddy/ group

Having a study buddy/ group makes the process more enjoyable as you can teach others and they can learn from you too.

Replace unnecessary conversations, especially if they include backbiting/ slander, with conversations about Islam that are interesting, useful and productive.

Break your study down into sections

Just wanting to learn more about ‘Islam’ is too broad of a category. What do you want to learn exactly? Individual Prophet stories? The creation of the Qu’ran? Prophet Muhammad SAW’s life? Who the four promised women in Jannah are?

Make a list of all the things you want to learn and then break it down so that it is easier to learn.

Start a course

This is probably the easiest way to be consistent as you will be given a schedule, course material, and work to follow. But it also requires commitment and dedication. Be disciplined if you undertake a course, and give it your all.

Visit the places you have learnt about

If possible, visit the places that you have learnt about (e.g. Mount Uhud, Al Masjid An-Nabawi etc.). This will make you feel even more connected to these past events and encourage you to delve further into your faith.

How to be consistent in Ramadan

Use Ramadan as a time to start good habits and learn how to be consistent. Use these 30 days to perfect your Salah, get consistent with reading Qu’ran daily and getting involved in charitable causes etc.

Dedicate yourself completely to worship and do the best that you can.

Give it your all

Do things that you don’t typically do in a normal day. If you don’t wear hijab currently, wear it during Ramadan. If you miss prayers due to social activities, focus on getting the prayers done first.

Give it your all as any day could be your last. And, don’t feel self-conscious about suddenly being ‘religious’ in Ramadan when you don’t usually do these things outside of Ramadan. Who knows? Doing these actions in Ramadan could inspire you to continue once it is over.

Discover yourself even more in Ramadan

Thinking about food, going to places to eat, and eating can take quite a bit of time out of your day when you think about it!

Use this time of the year to discover yourself more as a Muslim. Don’t sleep the day away – engage in more worship, start a Ramadan journal and speak to Allah if you don’t already.

Allah SWT is your greatest therapist and counsellor – speak to Him before anyone else!

Take one good deed from Ramadan and continue it in the next year

For how to be consistent after Ramadan ends, take just one new habit you’ve formed in Ramadan and continue it.

If you are able to do more than one habit, that’s great. But if consistency is your issue, stick to just one habit and make sure you are consistent with it.

Don’t feel like just one isn’t enough – some people have lists of things they want to do and never get round to doing it because it is so overwhelming/ they haven’t planned it well.

Taking it step by step but maintaining consistency will give you a higher chance of success.

How to be consistent with making Du’a

Ask Allah to allow you to make du’a and make du’a often

Call out to Allah SWT often and make du’a to Him. One thing people also take for granted is the fact that Allah allows you to make du’a and call out to Him. Imagine if you never felt the need to? How lost would you be as a person?

Ask for His constant and consistent guidance and reach out to Him always, and know that whatever the outcome, it is what is best as Allah has chosen it.

Call to Allah with His names

Did you know that just by learning Allah’s 99 names, you have a chance to enter Jannah? In this post, I go through some tips that will help you memorise the 99 names of Allah!

Memorise du’as

There are so many du’as out there to learn that will help you in this life as well as the afterlife. Be consistent with making du’a and keep memorising more.

Understand Allah will do the best for you

Believing in the Divine Decree will help you to stop overthinking as you realise that whatever happens in your life is meant to happen.

Whatever happens in your life was meant to happen, and whatever you didn’t get, you weren’t meant to have it. Allah SWT will ALWAYS give you the best. Trust in Him and keep making du’a.

If overthinking has a debilitating effect on your life, read this post.

KEY TAKEAWAYS – How To Be Consistent As a Muslim

Prioritising your prayer shows that you prioritise Allah
Any prayer could be the last one you ever do so cherish this time and give your entire attention to Allah SWT.
Plan your day around your Salah, rather than trying to fit Salah into your day. If you have plans, make sure you have a suitable space to pray or if you don’t, re-schedule the plan to a better time.
Use your prayer times to be extra productive by doing things like assigning your Fajr prayer as the time to read the Qu’ran and do Adhkar. Or, doing your skin care straight after you pray Isha.
If you find it hard to pray Salah at all, make du’a to Allah SWT and ask Him to help you.
The Masjid is the house of Allah SWT and therefore, you should also make it your home too.
Use free resources to study – Make a list of all the things you want to learn and then break it down so that it is easier to learn.
Having a good set of Muslim friends will influence you to maybe visit the Mosque more, do Halal activities, speak about Islam and learn from each other. You get so used to doing these things, that you enjoy them or it becomes a habit and then you start wanting to learn/ do more yourself.
If you have sinned badly in the past, feel sincere guilt for it, repent for it and vow to never do it again. Be consistent with your repentance.
Set a day/ time where you will sit down and focus on Islam.
Replace unnecessary conversations, especially if they include backbiting/ slander, with conversations about Islam that are interesting, useful and productive.
If possible, visit the places that you have learnt about (e.g. Mount Uhud, Al Masjid An-Nabawi etc.). This will make you feel even more connected to these past events and encourage you to delve further into your faith.
For how to be consistent after Ramadan ends, take just one new habit you’ve formed in Ramadan and continue it.
Ask for His constant and consistent guidance and reach out to Him always, and know that whatever the outcome, it is what is best as Allah has chosen it.
Call to Allah with His Blessed Names
Whatever happens in your life was meant to happen, and whatever you didn’t get, you weren’t meant to have it. Allah SWT will ALWAYS give you the best. Trust in Him and keep making du’a.

SOURCES:

(1) Allah Loves… by Omar Suleiman (2020)

(2) Allah Loves The Mosques | Episode 23 | Ramadan 2019

(3) How Can I Be Consistent In Islamic Lifestyle? | Mufti Menk

OTHER SOURCES:

How To Be CONSISTENT in Prayer | 5 Practical Tips NEW | Do you struggle to pray? Practical steps with Mufti Menk

How To Be Consistent As A Muslim

How To Be Consistent As A Muslim