I think it would be fair to assume that most mothers experience heightened fatigue in the period immediately after giving birth; with the baby waking up every few hours at night (or less!), trying to do what you can around the house and trying to sleep as well. I know I was tired. Due to this, when I prayed, as I was tired, I felt I wasn't as focused as I would like to have been. During those early days as well, it was winter in the UK - November, December times, and so Dhuhr, Asr and Maghrib salah times were very close together, so I didn't always want to catch much needed sleep between those three salahs as I didn't want to risk missing them. I'd mostly set an alarm for the next salah though and try and sleep, but when I would sleep, I'd find I still wasn't happy with my salahs (as I didn't feel rested so I was struggling with khushuu).
So I was speaking to a sister on the phone, who's a mother to two very young children, and I asked her how she maintained her khushuu in salah and if she has any tips/ibaadaat that I could incorporate into my day that have worked for her as a Mum. And she gave me a really good tip masha'Allah, may Allah reward her, so I thought I'd share it. She said that she struggled with praying her sunnahs in the day with two young children but what she, at times, did do was make wudu and pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer at the end of the day, after putting her kids to sleep. Two rak'ahs of salah for tawbah, as per the hadith of the Prophet, sallaahu alaihi wa sallam:
''If anyone performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two rakat prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.'' [Bukhari]
I thought this was just what I needed to be reminded of subhan'Allah. A salah where I could seek forgiveness, when I felt otherwise busy/tired/preoccupied. It gave me hope the times I prayed it as well, as it brings to mind the hadith qudsi whereby Allah says that if you take one step towards Him, He will take many towards you...and I hoped He would look upon this act as a small step towards Him, SWT...
Do you have any acts of worship that you feel work really well for you as a Mum, or any khushuu reminders? Please share.
Jazakum'Allahu Khairan,
Muslim Mums.
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