Prayer: How do I prevent myself from forgetting where I am in the prayer?

I often find myself forgetting where I am in my prayer, which causes me confusion and frustration while I''m praying. How do I keep a count of the number of
prostrations I have performed? How do I keep track of the number of rak`as I have performed?
,

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh Sidi

Remembering the number of rak`as that one has prayed or the number of prostrations that one has performed is a simple task for someone who has presence of heart in his prayer. We normally only forget such matters when our mind wanders in the valleys of daydreams, forgetting that we are standing in prayer before the Lord of the worlds. If you find that you constantly forget where you are in your prayer, then you should address the problem at its root by taking the means to improve your focus in prayer. This normally involves a process of spiritual purification.

I once heard Shaykh Nuh Keller (Allah preserve him) say that one can improve one''s presence of heart in prayer by taking measures that prevent it from becoming a routine and habitual activity. His recommendation ran along the following lines:


(1) Memorize a number of different suras and make an effort to recite these different suras in your prayer. Always reciting qul huwa allahu ahad or other extremely short suras in the prayer will make the prayer an automatic activity, which will encourage the mind to wander.


(2) Memorize a variety of supplications for the prostration position. Here are two prophetic supplications that you can memorize and use in your prayer. If you make it point to recite the first supplication in the first prostration of every rak`ah and the second supplication in the second prostration of every rak`ah, it''ll help you remember which prostration you just performed.

Transliteration: allahumma laka sajadtu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu sajada wajhee lilladhee khalaqahuu wa sawwarahuu wa shaqqa sam`ahuu wa basarahuu tabarakallahu ahsanul khaliqeen

Translation: "O Allah, I prostrate myself to You, believe in You, and surrender to You. My face prostrates to Him who created it and gave it form, who opened its hearing and vision by His Power and strength. Allah is exalted in perfection, the Best of Creators.". (Reliance f 8.35)

Reference: Sahih Muslim

Transliteration: allahumma a`uudhu bi riDaaka min sakhaTika wa bi mu`aafaatika min `uquubatika wa a`uudhu bika minka la uHSee thanaa''an `alayka anta kamaa athnayta `alaa nafsik

Translation: "O Allah, I seek refuge in your pleasure from your anger and in your forgiveness from your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I am unable to praise You: You are as you have praised Yourself."

Reference: Sahih Muslim


(3) Memorize a variety of supplications for the sitting that comes in between the two prostrations. Here are two prophetic supplications that you can memorize and use in your prayer. If you make it a point to recite the first supplication in the odd rak`ahs and the second supplication in the even rak`ahs, it''ll help you remember which rak`ah you are in.

Transliteration: rabbighfir lee rabbighfir lee

Translation: "My Lord, forgive me! My Lord, forgive me!"

Reference: Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa''i, and others.

Transliteration: rabbighfir lee warHamnee wajburnee warfa`nee warzuqnee wahdinee

Translation: "My Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, set me right, raise me, sustain me, and guide me."

Reference: Bayhaqi


(4) The general rule is to bring variety to your prayer. Imam Nawawi''s Kitab al-Adhkar is an excellent reference for prophetic supplications at various parts of the prayer. It shows that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) recited a variety of supplications at different parts of his prayer and that his prayer was always fresh and focussed.

And Allah Most High knows best.

Hamza.




,