By Shaykh Rashid Khan
21 November 2025

﷽ 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once held the hand of his beloved companion Muʿadh ibn Jabal (RA) and said, “I love you.” And then he gave him a gift:

Do not forget to say at the end of every prayer:

    اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ

(O Allah, help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You with excellence).

That duʿa doesn’t come after the prayer. It completes it. It tells us that remembrance, gratitude, and devotion are not self-sustaining. We need Allah’s help even after the prayer is done. Even after we’ve bowed, prostrated, and made salaam.

Because worship isn’t just about the motion. It’s about what it builds. And most of us, if we’re honest, are still building.

Our worship has cracks. Sometimes it’s distraction. Sometimes it’s rushing. Sometimes it’s bad habits. But whatever the reason, we begin mending by recognising the flaws in our worship and seeking Allah’s help to improve.

And that journey starts before takbir.

Perfection doesn’t begin in the masjid. It begins in the heart. Before wuduʾ, before leaving the house, before putting on perfume or clean clothes, we check our niyyah (intention). Are we doing this for Allah? Are we ready to connect?

The Prophet ﷺ taught that even wuduʾ must be done properly. That means isbagh al-wuduʾ – washing every limb fully, not leaving dry patches, not rushing. Especially now, in winter, as it’s easy to give in to laziness due to the cold whether. But that discomfort, when embraced for Allah’s sake, can be a source of reward and blessing.

Yes, the Shariʿah seeks ease not hardship. Wiping over socks is not laziness, it is sunnah – when done correctly. As Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241H/855CE) said, “I feel no guilt in wiping over them.” We shouldn’t invent strictness where Allah has given ease. But let us also make sure those socks meet the conditions: they must be thick, cover the ankles, and have no tears.

Even this act, too, returns to intention. If you’re taking the easy route that Allah has given, let it be for His sake and not just out of convenience.

And when we come to the masjid, we come prepared. Allah says:  

This is about outer cleanliness and inner reverence. Come groomed. Come perfumed. Don’t carry in the scent of food or smoke. Don’t wear dirty clothes or come straight from sleepwear. Respect the angels, respect the people, and most of all, respect the space.

Let’s not reduce the masjid to a social hub. Too often, the conversations from the coffee shop carry into the prayer hall. If you were talking football or online orders before, the masjid is where it stops. Even if we chat and connect with others, let’s carve out time to sit, recite Qur’an, or make duʿa.

The Prayer Itself: Not Just Motion

When the Prophet ﷺ began prayer, he would ensure the rows were straight, the shoulders connected, the gaps filled. Shaytan enters through the gaps. And we let him in when we don’t take care to close them.

Straightening the rows is more than just closing the gaps; it’s unity. The Prophet ﷺ described how two people could stand side by side, doing the same actions, and yet one prayer rises to the heavens while the other is thrown back at his face. One came ready to meet Allah. The other just came out of habit.

Takbir can’t just be felt. It has to be said. If the lips don’t move, if the tongue doesn’t speak then nothing has been recited. And if nothing’s been recited, there’s no prayer. The scholars are clear on that.

How many people fall into this? They stand in salah. But their lips don’t move. Their tongues don’t utter even a sound. That’s not khushuʿ. That’s just silence. And silence isn’t recitation.

From takbirat al-ihram to taslim, both body and tongue must testify. And when it’s over, we don’t walk away like it’s done. We say Astaghfirullah – not because we disobeyed, but because we know we could have done better.

We return to the duʿa of Muʿadh (RA):

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ

“O Allah, help me remember You, thank You, and worship You beautifully.”

Because even in worship, we’re needy.

Don’t skip the small sunnahs. Enter the masjid with your right foot. Say the duʿa. These aren’t extra details, they’re part of how we prepare ourselves for prayer. They help use to be present, perfect our intention and ultimately to elevate our worship.

Bring Children

Come to the masjid at Fajr. Look around. How many kids do you see? Maybe five. Maybe less. Then step outside at 7:30am. Muslim families everywhere. Hundreds of children heading to school. But almost none in the masjid.

Yet the Prophet ﷺ said:

Command your children to pray at seven.

[Abu Dawud]

This isn’t just tarbiyah. This is obedience.

Bringing children to the masjid isn’t forcing religion. It’s giving them a place in Allah’s house. It’s showing them, by your action, that worship isn’t something for “later in life.” It starts now. 

If we don’t give them a home here in the mosque, they’ll find home somewhere else.

The Masjid Isn’t a Studio

One last thing. The masjid is not a studio. Don’t film. Don’t pull out your phone to record a moment for your social media content. The Prophet ﷺ said even fiddling with your hands during the khutbah takes away its reward, so what then of filming? What then of posting?

Respect the space. Let some things stay just between you and Allah.

O Allah, help us to worship You with sincerity, beauty, and mindfulness. Make us from those who mend what is broken, who pass this dīn to our children, who honour Your house, and who remember You in every moment.

Ameen.

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