UNSCATTERED

How to turn your robotic prayer into a

fountain of inner-peace & connection

USMAN ‘UNCHAINED’ ALI

 Introduction
You’re standing in prayer, but your mind is
elsewhere.

You’re not here, although you know you should be.

Rather than being intimate with your Lord you’re

with matters of the world.

Desires... worries... concerns...

The body is here yet the mind is not.

Scattered, unstable, and never upon the moment.

The sacred act of worship has become a robotic

routine, repeated 5 times daily for the sake of
obligation.

It no longer moves your heart as it once did, or

perhaps it never moved you at all.

That is, aside from those times where you have

suffered this life greatly and called upon your Lord in
desperation.

Yet like most people, once the red flag descends and
the crisis is no longer, you return to empty ritual.

Pray for the sake of getting it done. Not for you, not
to be close to your Lord, but for nothing more than
duty and fear of The Fire.
 You have forgotten your purpose as a Muslim.

You say you worship The One God, but is that to who
or what you are most obedient?

The Nafs, The Ego... this is now your master.

The voice in your head that you confuse for yourself.

It asks for more, and more you give. It commands

haste, and quickly you move. Unaware of the illusions
cast upon your perception.

“Just 5 more minutes, ” it whispers, as you indulge in

comfort, pleasure or mind-numbing stimulation.

The Black Mirror is now your direction of worship. The

screen is where you place most your attention.

How much longer will you delay?

You assume you will make it to the next prayer so

you can “catch up” on what you have missed.

But there is no guarantee.

Yet again you take this moment for granted. Lacking

heed and therefore absent in life.

Without knowing you consider yourself immortal.

But how wrong you are... for every soul shall taste
death, and the time is likely closer than you think.
 Khushu’... The Lost Art of Presence.

The skill of remaining utterly present not only in

salah(prayer) but in every corner of your life.

You punish yourself for lacking concentration, just as

your teachers and parents did before.

Realising not that Khushu’ is a metaphysical ability

that atrophies when neglected and untrained.

You are not present in your prayer and life because

you are not practicing.

You do not practice for you know not how to.

The purpose of this short book is to revive The Art of

Presence (Khushu’) within the Islamic community.

It is for you who are dissatisfied with robotic,

scattered-minded prayers and are seeking a deeper
connection to Allah.

It is for you plagued by darkened thought, wishing to

rekindle the fire of peace within your heart.

It is for you whom Allah has chosen to suffer most in

the realm of mind, necessitating the urgent seeking
for stillness and mental mastery.

May this book satisfy the yearning for calm,

concentration and closeness to Your Creator.

Perfect your prayer and you will perfect your life.

 How To Not Waste This Book

This book is designed not to be simply consumed for

the sake of acquiring knowledge.

Without application knowledge is a waste and no

benefit to you or others.

Apply what you learn. Do not simply read.

Do not rush to finish yet another book so that you

might attain a false sense of accomplishment.

One book applied fully yields more benefit than 100

books consumed for the sake of sport.

Throughout the book there are links to online

resources/ tutorials. Use them.

More advanced techniques require proper

instruction and training.

When a training is offered, do not continue reading

until it is integrated into your being through practice.

These teachings are not exclusive to salah, they are

to be applied in all aspects of life.

Take notes and teach what you learn to others, for

teaching is the best mode of learning.

Wastefulness is a form of disgraceful behaviour.

 The Revival of Khushu’

What is Khushu’?

Loosely translated into english it means to be

attentive and present.

To have concentration, sincerity and grace in one’s

acts and life.

“Assalaamu Alaykum” you say to a brother or sister in

the masjid.

“How are you? How is you family?” you ask,

appearing to have sincere intentions.

Yet before this person can respond to your questions

you are already engaging with somebody else.

The hard truth you won’t accept yet is that you

honestly don’t care as much as you pretend to.

You aren’t in your heart.

You live a life centred in the mind.

This is a problem not only for you but for every aspect
of your life and every person with whom you interact.

You are not present. Your mind is scattered. Your

body is here yet your attention is not.

Why? Because you lack Khushu’

 Personalised Guidance

If the teachings in this book do not grant you the

serenity, concentration and stillness you seek,
childhood trauma is likely the cause.

Childhood trauma is real, although taboo in the

wider Islamic community.

Early life experiences left unresolved remain within

the body and nervous system, influencing our adult
lives in ways that often go overlooked.

Signs you have unresolved childhood trauma:

Trouble sleeping
Poor concentration
The tendency to disassociate
Obsessive, compulsive behaviour
Repeated relationship challenges
Severe emotional dysregulation
Unresolvable health conditions
Chronic shame & guilt
Anxious overthinking
Low self worth

This list is not exhaustive.

Training of the mind will always yield benefit. For

some of us however (as in my own journey), spiritual
and psychological healing are essential.
It is near impossible to walk this life without coming
out with some scars.

There is nothing wrong with you for having wounds.

In fact, the gifts Allah wants you to have and share

with the world are within the pain you are avoiding.

Life happens for us, not to us. Everything Allah allows

to happen is with our best interests at heart.

Allah invites us closer to him through suffering. For it

is through pain that we desire to be closer to Him.

Within each wound lays a medicine that is healing

for both ourselves and others.

I say this from experience, for such was true for me,
which is why I now write to you.

Your brother Usman has been on the journey of

healing his own traumas for almost a decade now.

This path is only for those with courage. You must

step forth, despite the feelings of fear and doubt.

Now, by the mercy and guidance of Allah I am

helping others heal and grow.

I will invite you to book a free video consultation with

me here and only twice more throughout this book.

[Link]
 The Yogi Mathematician

In school I was the pupil always lost in daydreams.

“Usman, what’s the answer?” I would be asked,

having not registered the question at all.

A sarcastic guess or joke was often my response. This

is how I saved myself the shame of having no idea.

Do not be mistaken, I excelled in school, particularly

in the subject of Mathematics which I went on to
study at University level at the age of 18.

My decision to study Mathematics was never fuelled

by career aspirations.

I didn’t care about money, a job-title that would

boost my reputation or impressing people with
accolades.

In fact, my childhood dream was to be a doctor, but I

didn’t get the grades to study medicine.

Mathematics was just something I was great at, and

so I decided to pursue it further.

“If you have a degree in Maths you can get a job in

anything”...

How false this turned out to be in the end.

In my second year of study i became incredibly

dissatisfied.
My peers were talking about internships and career
paths.

“I’m going into finance”, “I’m going into school

teaching”, “I’m going to into auditing”...

In honesty I couldn’t have cared less about any of

these. I wanted to change the world!

But how was I going to do that?

I was clueless...

At that time, one thing was certain for sure.

Most of the people around me were not happy in

their lives.

No matter how much wealth or status they

accumulated, there was still an emptiness in their
eyes and tone of voice.

Allah blessed me with an eye to see through facades.

Success for me at that time was not about material

gain. It was about being happy and at peace.

And so I set out on a quest to study the matter.

What does it take to lead a happy life?

How does one attain the mystical “inner-peace” my

mother still says is the only thing she wants when I
ask her what she would like for her birthday present?
 This marked the beginning of a new chapter.

The study of the mind...

At the time I was not a devout “practicing muslim”

which lead to me seeking answers from other
cultures and philosophies around the world.

For the mind, according to Eckhart Tolle, author of

The Power of Now is “the” obstacle between us and
the peace we so desire.

He said that the key to finding inner-peace, bliss and

happiness was to be present in the moment.

I became obsessed with psychology, philosophy

buddhist teachings, meditation, happiness, yoga and
the implementing the advice from Eckhart Tolle.

The more I practiced meditation, being present, and

attempting to accept all things as they were, the
more it became apparent how poor my mental
health was.

Never was I present...

My mind would wander constantly between the past

and the future, almost never in the here and now
unless I specifically intended for it to be so.

This awareness was as though a light, shining on the

unconscious parts of my psyche that I had
unknowingly been ignoring
“I think this meditation thing is making me worse”, I
thought fearfully.

“I want to go back to how things were before!”

But fortunately, self awareness can not be reversed.

Once you “wake up” to the truth that you are not the
voice in your head, and that this present moment is
where the inner-peace and joy you seek resides, you
can not go back.

In fact, if you do begin receding back into ignorance

after being illuminated, the suffering is only greater.

Ignorance is not bliss... it is blind.

Once the candle was lit, I faced one psychological

challenge after another.

I may have finished my University degree at this

point, however now it was time for my “real
education.”

Trial by fire...

OCD, Anxiety, Depression, Existentialism, Inadequacy

and Addiction to name a few.

The more I suffered, the more I sought internal

solutions. It was through these processes that I am
now able to share so much benefit with you.
Refusing to accept “quick fixes” and the prison of life-
long psychiatric diagnoses I relentlessly went to war
with my mind.

To my surprise I learned to win not through force but

rather the opposite.

It was not in killing my mind that I would achieve

victory but rather in “befriending him”.

Tame the beast, make it work for you.

For the mind is a terrible master and a loyal servant.

The Path of Doing Things Alone is not meant for

everyone.

I would argue in fact that it is incredibly dangerous

and somewhat foolish to try and solve all of ones
problems without help from others.

I am one of those fools. Or at least, I was until I

realised the importance of accepting help from those
who have walked the path we tread upon before.

Those with direct experience hold within their hands

a map of the territory you feel so plagued by.

Therefore, if the challenges you face are complex

enough to render this book’s teachings insufficient,
you are welcome to arrange a free consultation call
with me. Perhaps you require personalised guidance:

[Link]
Intent
 Principle 1: Intention

Why are you praying?

Why were you instructed to stand in salah 5 times

per day?

Was it so that your parents may congratulate you?

Or that others may see your pious character?

Is prayer purely an act of obedience?

Or is it a process through which we can open our

hardening hearts to Allah day after day?

I am not here to tell you the purpose of salah.

I am no scholar.

What I will say however is that if you’re reading this

book, you most probably have fallen into the habit of
robotically moving through the motions of salah.

The sacred act of worship has for you become a set of

mindless movements.

Perhaps you think this is sufficient, for the prayers

are still complete.

My question to you is, if your heart is not sincere, will

this not effect how much of your prayer is accepted?
 The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬stated, “The first thing to be lifted
from this ummah will be khushū, until you will not
find anyone with khushūʿ” (Ṭabarānī).

We have been warned about this.

Praying with our heads and not with our hearts.

Performing salah only through obedience and the

fear of Hell rather than our love, gratitude and
appreciation for Allah and life itself.

When you live a life void of presence, you have

nothing to be grateful for.

You’re always chasing some end, some goal, some

desire, never stopping to be still and thankful.

If you’re not thankful now, you will never be.

And it you’re not present now, you will never be.

For there will always be another stress, another

pursuit, and another reason to rush and worry.

Depth in salah begins with intent.

Here I am not asking you to come up with some

intricate, poetic reason for praying your salah.

What I am suggesting is that you at least set some

intention for your prayer as opposed to no intention.
 Intention setting for salah begins during wudhu.

While performing the sacred wash, infuse intention

into each part of the body being touched by water.

“Oh Allah, forgive these hands and let these hands

speak of the good things I chose to do with them”

“Oh Allah, forgive me for my poor use of this mouth

and may is testify to the good I used it for in kind
speech and conscious consumption”

“Oh Allah, forgive me for committing harm with

these arms to both myself and others, let them be
used for acts of good moving forward”

Take your time in wudhu, do not rush...

Request for each body part to be forgiven and make

intent to use that body part in the name of good.

Perhaps it would aid you if I offered more examples:

“Oh Allah, forgive this face for lying and let it be used
to smile sincerely even in times of difficulty”

“Oh Allah, forgive me for subjecting these ears to

impurity and gossip, let them only receive what is
good for the heart and reminding of You”

“Oh Allah, forgive me for using these feet to walk

away from you, may they testify to how I used them
to enter places that brought me closer to you”
 Be sincere about these intentions and make them
your own.

We have all sinned with our limbs and sense organs.

Wudhu is the perfect place to seek repentance and

set intention for using them better moving forward.

As you perform wudhu, be mindful of where you’re

going. You’re about to stand in prayer.

You’re about to be intimate with yourself and Allah.

Know this as you perform wudhu and have it at the

forefront of your mind.

Give gratitude for the water that is used and be

sparing with it. Intending to use only that which is
necessary.

Every step after performing wudhu is a step towards

your place of prayer.

Let each step be infused with the intention of

repentance, thankfulness and desire to know Allah.

Place some oud on your prayer mat at the point

where your nose will touch the ground.

May Allah bless the brother who shared this beautiful

detail with me.

With every entry into sujood you will be graced with

a pleasant scent. Take your time in sensuality.
To the degree that you can, prepare yourself to meet
Allah by smelling good and wearing nice clothing.

Choose clothes that you wear exclusively for prayer.

Apply oud to your body so you feel fresh, clean and

pleasant as you stand in prayer.

Make sure your place of prayer is clean, tidy and that

your prayer mat is also clean.

Make your salah into a ritual that has depth,

meaning and honour weaved into it.

Put an end to the robotic routine of “just getting it

out of the way”.

What a terrible waste and tragedy this is.

Adding more intent to your salah will increase your

tendency to do so in other areas of life.

Start setting intention in everything you do and your

life will dramatically increase in quality.

When you lay in bed, what is your intention?

Is it to scroll mindlessly on your phone or is to rest,

regenerate and revive your body?

When you consume food or drink, what is your

intention for doing so?
Is it to cause harm to your body and mind, scattering
the attention and breeding sluggishness?

Or is it to fuel your body with goodness, to preserve

this vehicle Allah has blessed you with and adhere to
the Fitra (natural way) we were created to follow?

When you speak to a dear friend on the phone or in

person, what is your intention?

Is it to simply pass the time, indulging in sense

pleasures and attempting to escape from loneliness?

Or is it to build genuine, sincere connection, to listen

and share goodness and to bring out the best in
each other?

Be intentional in as much of your daily choices.

Remind yourself regularly to be intentional.

I have this set as my iPhone wallpaper.

Do the same or write a reminder to be intentional on

a small piece of paper and carry it around with you.

However you choose to do this, know that you are

more likely to remember something upon seeing it
as opposed to keeping it held in your mind.

In fact, you’re probably so forgetful because you do

just that and don’t write down your ideas!

Screenshot the next page if you wish.

Intent

Breath
 Principle 2: Breath

Are you aware of your breath?

Yes, I’m talking to you.

In this moment right now, are you breathing with

quality or are you breathing robotically?

Through your mouth or through your nose?

From your neck and upper chest or your diaphragm?

Your mind is scattered because you’re breathing is

poor.

When the breath is scattered and shallow, the mind

is both scattered and shallow.

When the breath is centred, deep, slow and mindful,

the mind follows and is brought back into order.

A human being can go over forty days without food,

seven days without water but only three minutes
without breath.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Breath is so closely knit to life itself.

Therefore if your life is out of order, your life mind and

experience of life will surely be in chaos.
How can you apply this practically in salah and life?

Pay attention to how you usually recite verses of the

Qur’an during your prayer.

You’re likely not reciting out loud, which is

something we will speak about more later.

If you were to be reciting out loud however you

would notice that it is impossible to recite and inhale
simultaneously.

The first step to increasing your concentration in

prayer is to recite on your exhale only.

This will force you to slow down. The ego won’t like it.

For it means more time in prayer, more time in

worship, and less time with worldly activities.

Secondly, breathing in between each ayaat in prayer

is a sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

Finish a verse, breathe in slowly, then recite the next

verse, breathe in slowly again, recite the next verse
and repeat the process.

Third, synch your breath with the movement

through postures.

As you transition from standing to ruquh (bowing)

exhale slowly through the movement.

Inhale slowly on the transition back to standing.

 There is no perfect way to do this.

Just harmonise postural transitions with slow, deep

breathing. This will surely grant you more presence.

As far as using breath in salah, this is enough.

What most people fail to do is maintain quality

breathing outside of the intentional pracitce.

Whether it be in meditation or prayer, once the

practice is finished, it’s back to scattered, shallow,
mindless breathing again.

The final word of advice here regarding breath is to

breath mindfully and deeply throughout all of your
life.

Be ever-aware of your breathing, drawing attention

back to it repeatedly throughout the day.

In moments of high stress, remember your breathing

and bring it back to slow depth.

Do this in times of impatience, frustration, boredom,

anxiety, worry, irritation and the whole spectrum of
internal human experience.

Before moving on to the next chapter it is also key to

mention that proper breathing requires training.

You may have never in your whole life taken a full,

functional diaphragmatic breath.
This is a sad reality. Nevertheless, I am here to help.

Diaphragmatic breathing is something I learned

through the practice of Yoga.

They call it Ujjayi breathing.

This style of breathing maximises oxygen intake and

carbon-dioxide output.

It utilises the diaphragm which is our primary

breathing muscle as opposed to the shoulders, neck
and scalines.

With just one deep, diaphragmatic breath your

entire nervous system can be re-balanced.

This will bring you instantly out of a stress response

and into a more grounded, peaceful state.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the superior breath.

Sufis use their diaphragm in Dhikr (remembrance),

allowing them to enter deep states of inner stillness.

I’ve made a free video tutorial on how to breathe

diaphragmatically. This is your first quest.

Do not continue reading until you are somewhat

comfortable using your diaphragm in breath.

Here is the link: [Link]

Intent

Breath

Recitation
 Principle 3: Recitation

When I returned to Islam at age twenty-eight I

began by deepening my relationship to the Qur’an
and salah through melodious recitation.

It was a pain-staking, difficult yet healing process.

Painful because each and every time I sat to recite

the Qur’an out loud my body would begin sweating
profusely.

This internal heat was the by-product of incredible

frustration.

While attempting to read one day a memory

presented itself to me.

Being laughed at in Madrasa (Islamic school) as a

child for my stuttering and slow recitation of the
Qur’an and feeling deeply ashamed.

I was never the best at reading or speaking n front of

others.

Self judgement and being overly self-concerned

were programmed into me from a young age.

Each time I read the Qur’an out loud as a twenty-

eight year old I was forced to revisit the same I once
felt for lacking confidence and fluency.

Over time I improved and the sweating stopped.

 Consider this a form of exposure therapy.

You most likely struggle with the same shame I felt.

Why? Because most of us have been judged for our

inability in some way or another.

Perhaps you were singing one day as a child and

somebody made fun of your voice.

You then subconsciously vowed never to sing in

public again and grew deeply ashamed of being
heard by both yourself and others.

Or it could be that you were asked to present an

answer or point of view in front of others at one point
and were heavily judged for making a mistake.

Or you may have even experienced the same as I did.

Reading Qur’an in front of your peers and being
laughed at or judged for reading very slowly.

Unconscious adults and children can be quite heavily

judgemental.

The long term affects this has on our confidence is

often significant.

Melodious, heart-felt recitation of The Qur’an will heal

the wounds you have associated with your voice.

The wounds of performance, making mistakes and

imposing perfectionism upon yourself.
After all those years of being ashamed I now lead the
prayer on a regular basis.

Although it is not the point, I have been

complimented on the beauty of my recitation on
several occasions.

Anything you find difficult you will one day find easy.

That has been the story of my life. It will be yours too.

Here’s what I practically recommend.

Read The Qur’an out loud with attention on your

heart, perhaps even while listening to a recitation
you feel deeply connected to and inspired by.

There are countless recitations on the internet.

Find one you love and recite along with it. This is also
an effective approach to learning new verses of The
Qur’an. Combine listening with recitation.

Keep in mind however the most important point.

Your personal, unique voice in its full expression may

in fact be significantly different to others.

As your confidence builds up and you stop feeling so

self-concerned while reciting, begin adding your own
melodies.

This isn’t singing, this is melodious recitation.

 It is from the heart, not the head.

It is for you and Allah, not for others to compliment.

If your voice is constricted and locked in your throat

it is likely due to shallow breathing and disconnect
from the diaphragm.

Make sure to use the video guide in the previous

section on breath to re-establish that connection.

This will make you more familiar with summoning

your voice from deep within the abdomen.

If you’re very ashamed of your recitation or using

your voice in general it’s likely because your voice is
trapped.

Unlock it once and for all.

Learn to breathe diaphragmatically.

And most importantly with everything said on the

principle of recitation, practice.

Interestingly, if you attempt recitation of The Qur’an

in its proper way your diaphragm might unlock itself.

Listen to some recitations of The Qur’an and notice

how much is recited within a single exhale.

Train the length and depth of your breath by reading

as much as possible in one breath.
This will surely awaken your diaphragm and increase
fluency over time.

May you learn to love the medicine of Qur’an

recitation.

May you re-awaken your voice if it has been locked

away due to shame of the past, whether conscious or
unconscious.

May your confidence flourish and have a positive

influence on all areas of your life.

This is the wisdom of Islam we are not taught about.

Use Qur’anic recitation to unlock your authentic

voice.

In Sha Allah you will be leading the prayer soon

enough and hear those standing behind you crying
heartfelt tears.

One last thing on this topic. There’s another resource

that will benefit you greatly in this practice.

It’s a video that’s taken from one of my programs,

The 5 Element Yoga System.

This video takes you through a process of re-opening

your voice and is especially helpful if you have locked
it away do to feeling ashamed and judged.

WARNING - This will trigger you:

[Link]
Intent

Breath

Recitation

Awareness
 Principle 4: Awareness

Your eyes are open, but are you seeing?

Your ears can hear, but are you listening?

Just because you have sensory organs doesn’t mean

you’re aware of what they sense.

Rather in fact the opposite is most often the case.

Although the physical eyes may see, the inner eye

may be blind.

This chapter calls for practicality more-so than any of

the others.

There is little use philosophising and speculating on

the matter of awareness.

You must know what it means to be aware.

Aware of what you might ask?

To “this”... what is in front of you right now in this

moment. Not “that”... in some other place or time.

The modern mind is chronically wandering.

This affliction affects most of humanity.

The result? Mass suffering.

The first point of call for increasing awareness to the
moment is the physical gaze.

When the eyes are scattered, so is the mind.

When the mind is scattered, so are the eyes.

Notice this pattern in your life, that attention and

awareness begin with centring your eyes.

Right now in this moment, do not move your eyes

from this...

Keep your eyes fixated upon the bold text until you
feel a sense of stillness wash over you.

As the eyes focus on a single point, all else is blurred.

By connecting breath to this visual focus you

instantly become more present.

This is step number one. Start centring your eyes in

and out of prayer.

In prayer, fix them upon your point of sujood (where

your head will meet the ground in prostration).

Do this or rest your gaze upon the nose.

Keep them fixed and make a practice out of not

moving them from throughout your entire salah.

Outside of prayer practice the same.

 When walking, look straight ahead.

When shopping (especially if you are easily tempted)

keep the eyes direct and forwards.

The more you practice, the more you will become

aware of the mind-gaze connection.

When you’re in daydreams, spirals of overthinking or

battling negative thoughts, pay attention to where
your eyes are situated.

It is likely they are not direct and straight on but

rather somewhere else.

“But then images keep popping into my head” you

might say.

Yes... Now let us understand the inevitable process of

drifting and how to respond correctly to it.

The physical eyes see what is before you. For

example in this moment, these words.

The inner-eye sees images and mental movies cast

by the mind. These often grab our attention.

Nevertheless, the inner eye is stabilised through

centring the physical gaze.

What are the chances that your gaze will remain fully
fixed without deviating in the slightest?

Of course... minimal.
 It is both normal and inevitable that your eyes will
lose focus and your mind will begin to wander.

This is similar to driving a car on the motorway.

You’re driving at speed and trying your best to stay

perfectly within your lane.

You begin to drift over to one side a little without

realising.

Suddenly the bumps at the boundary to your lane

send a loud, vibrating sound throughout your car.

Knowing you have drifted off centre, you return back

to proper alignment.

In a single journey this may happen several times.

It would be abnormal if this did not happen.

Drifting is natural and normal.

The important question however is, how long does it

take you to realise you have drifted and to therefore
return back to centre?

This metaphor applies to the mind when attempting

and training concentration.

You focus your physical gaze upon a fixed point.

The mind presents you with a mental image or

sound.
 Your attention wanders without you realising.

All of a sudden you realise what has happened.

Then you return to the point of focus.

Over time and practice you begin to realise sooner

rather than later that you have drifted.

You reduce the time between drifting unconsciously

and returning back to your point of attention.

Each time you do this you are in a sense

strengthening your attention muscle.

This is like mental strength training where the

repetitions are the number of times you return back
to your focal point.

The resistance is how heavy a particular thought,

mental image, sound or any other sense stimuli is
fighting for your attention.

The stronger you get, the more able you are to hold
your position without being moved much at all.

An effective way of strengthening your attention

muscle is with the use of a candle flame.

Rest your eyes upon a flame for a set period of time.

Make this a daily habit. Here is another video guide:

[Link]
 Your attention wanders without you realising.

All of a sudden you become aware of what has

happened.

Then you return to the point of focus.

Over time and practice you begin to realise sooner

rather than later that you have drifted.

You reduce the time between drifting unconsciously

and returning back to your point of attention.

Each time you do this you are in a sense

strengthening your attention muscle.

This is like mental strength training where the

repetitions are the number of times you return back
to your focal point.

The resistance is how heavy a particular thought,

mental image, sound or any other sense stimuli is
fighting for your attention.

The stronger you get, the more able you are to hold
your position without being moved much at all.

An effective way of strengthening your attention

muscle is with the use of a candle flame.

Rest your eyes upon a flame for a set period of time.

Make this a daily habit. Here is another video guide:

[Link]
“I keep getting a lot of negative thoughts” you might
complain.

It is absolutely essential that you consider the

following guidance, especially if you tend to fight a
lot with your mind.

The more you deem a thought as unwanted and

therefore push against it, the more it will return.

That which you resist, persists.

Therefore when performing the candle practice or

practicing khushu’ within salah via a fixed gaze, take
note:

Stop labelling your thoughts as good or bad.

Stop engaging with your thoughts altogether.

When a thought begs your attention, do the

following:

Notice the thought.

Acknowledge it’s occurrence.

Then gently draw your attention back to the point of

focus. Note the word “gently” here.

The only fight that exists within the mind is the one
you start. Move your attention gently.
 Allow thoughts to arise and pass in their own time.

Do not try to control them.

Just come back to the eyes on your point of focus.

Let the surroundings become blurred again.

Breathe gently and connect your breath to the gaze,

and most importantly keep practicing.

Let me say that one more time...

Do not try to control your thoughts. Just observe

them.

Do not label your thoughts as good or bad, pleasant

or unpleasant. Just notice them.

Prioritise awareness on the gaze and breath.

Another, slightly more advanced practice for training

your attention muscle is to place awareness upon
your physical body.

Paying attention to sensations throughout your body

for a prolonged time is an effective method in
bringing awareness to the present.

To make this simple and practical, let’s do another

short exercise.

Stop moving your right hand. Keep it still...

Notice how even as you’re reading these words, you
can feel your right hand where it is.

Notice how your right hand has a weight to it, and

that weight has a feeling.

Notice how in your right hand if you pay even closer

attention you can feel some subtle sensations.

Maybe you can even become aware of a smaller part

of your right hand like your right thumb.

What about your right index finger? Can you feel

that also by paying really close attention to it?

Your eyes are upon the page or screen, yet your

awareness is on your right hand.

This shows that your awareness is separate to your

inner and outer eyes, along with your other senses.

Awareness is like a spotlight. Shine it where you wish.

One of my deepest experiences in salah came from

placing my hands at the top of my abdomen,
beneath the pectorals.

As I recited each verse of The Qur’an I could feel the

reverberation of my voice through my hands and
body.

Placing attention upon this vibration is something I

now do regularly for deep connection in salah.
 Outside of prayer there is a practice I would
recommend you make into a regular habit.

It is better done laying down and even better, after

intense physical exercise, sauna or a hot bath.

I used this practice for my first year of meditation. It

is another extract from my course “Alpha-Mind”.

Here’s how to do it:

Scan your body with your spotlight of awareness as

another attention strengthening practice.

Begin by (as done before) closing your eyes and

placing awareness on your right hand.

Feel into the sensation and weight of the hand and

slowly begin to move your awareness up the arm
towards the shoulder.

Be aware of as much sensation as possible

throughout each part of your arm.

Repeat this principle throughout the left arm and

shoulder, the head and face, the neck, chest,
abdomen, pelvis and both legs down to the tips of
the toes.

When the mind drifts (which it will) gently draw it

back and continue scanning through your body

The Conscious Flood: [Link]

Intent

Breath

Recitation

Awareness

Tempo
 Principle 5: Tempo

Slow down...

You’re rushing in and out of prayer because you’re

focused on the end.

Draw your attention back from the future and into

the now.

How? Through applying what you have learned so far

and... slowing down.

Just notice how your movements are frantic.

If you feel anxious in activity it is most likely due to

being fixated upon the outcome.

Eating, speaking, travelling, whatever it might be

.
You move with haste, overly-eager about getting to
your destination.

This burns your nervous system and costs you more

energy than if you were to slow down and be more
graceful in life.

The result? Mistakes, forgetfulness and unnecessary

repetition.

Paradoxically, the fastest way to get to where you

want to go is slowly.
 When reciting The Qur’an slow down.

When offering salah, slow down.

When in ruqu’ slow down.

When in sujood slow down.

When transitioning through each position, slow

down.

When breathing slow down.

When eating slow down.

When speaking slow down.

When driving slow down.

I hope you get the point.

This will likely lead you to the challenge of time

management.

You delay your prayer, rush your wudhu, then rush

your prayer. Is this not insanity?

You’re hurry to get to prayer, then you’re hurrying to

get it over and done with.

If the destination you were hurrying towards was

your prayer, you would surely slow down upon
initiating salah.
 However this is not the case.

The sense of hurry is within your bones.

The haste is never ending.

You rush to one end, then rush to the next.

This pattern continues indefinitely until you either

choose to slow down or like most, are forced to.

Forced how? Through falling sick or going through

deep suffering.

In sickness and pain our prayers increase in sincerity.

Our prayers are genuine when circumstance is dire.

Perhaps that is what you need in order to learn the

importance of slowing down and maintaining grace
in your life.

Or hopefully these words will serve as a sign to heed,

preventing future pain if possible.

Slow down or you will one day be forced to.

Operate with grace or you will be disgraced.

Remember this next time you pray salah. Let every

detail be graceful in nature.

Apply this principle across all of your life.

 Intent

Breath

Recitation

Awareness

Meaning Tempo
 Principle 6: Meaning

Most muslims have no idea what they have read

when reciting The Qur’an

Does this void their prayers or recitation of benefit?

Of course not. There are many physical and

metaphysical benefits to reading Qur’an and praying
salah even without comprehension.

However...

When one recites with meaning (having studied and

memorised translation) deeper feeling can not be
helped.

Born muslims tend to fall short on this.

Failure to understand the meaning of arabic words is

one contributor to the onset of robotic prayer.

Understand what you are saying.

Does that mean you must memorise the entire

Qur’an and it’s translation?

Of course not.

Start by understanding the translation of phrases like

Alhamdulillah, Subhan-Allah, and Bismillah
Hirahman Al-Raheem for example.
 In my case I began with studying the english
translation of Surah Al-Fatiha.

For an entire month I examined the translation and

contemplated it deeply.

I noticed something interesting.

When I would stand in salah and recite a particular

verse, I would then hear the english translation in my
mind immediately after reciting the arabic.

My mind was translating each verse me as I slowed

down my tempo and prayed with sincere intent.

I would say “Ihdhinas-siraat Al-mustaqeem” and my

mind would then say “Give us the strength to stay on
the straight path!”

Even now when i recite this verse I feel the meaning

in my body.

I mean what I am saying, for I do truly wish to stay on

the straight path, especially having deviated in times
before.

After Al-Fatiha I studied the translation of An-Nas,

then Al-Falaq, Al-Ikhlas and other small surahs.

Understanding the meanings really has had a

deepening effect on my salah.

Studying arabic language has been a big help also.

 Get honest with yourself.

Most of your prayer you do not understand.

How is this possible?

Do you not have the world of information at your

fingertips?

Is your lack of understanding then not purely down

to ignorance and laziness?

How can one pray salah 5 times a day and not

understand a single translation when living in the
age of knowledge and accessibility?

I challenge you to steadily learn the meanings of all

that is said in the standard salah.

From Allah-Huakbar to Asalaamu Alaykum Wa-

Rahmatullah.

Apply this to everything including also Assalaamu-

Alaykum.

When you know the translation and then choose to

remember that translation when uttering such
words, you will be more mindful.

“Do I really mean what I am saying?”

When you say salaam to your brother or sister,

remember that you are wishing peace upon them
These sacred, arabic words have become empty due
to unconscious and habitual repetition.

Bring consciousness back by infusing the words

once again with meaning.

Is it not interesting how a word uttered can either

feel empty to both the utterer and the uttered-to,
depending on whether it is spoken with or without
meaning?

Meaning makes all the difference.

Meaning is grounding.

Meaning reminds one that these words are not

habitual sayings.

They are words that are better spoken with sincerity

and intent.

A lot of muslims say the word Wallahi as though they

are punctuating a sentence.

Every two to three words and Wallahi comes again.

May Allah forgive our ignorance.

If you said this with meaning and intent infused, you

would never utter such words.

Wallahi means “I swear by Allah”. Preserve this only

for severe matters of life and death situations.
 Intent

Breath

Recitation

Relaxation Awareness

Meaning Tempo
 Principle 7: Relaxation

Relax your shoulders.

Soften your jaw.

Loosen up your frowning eyebrows.

Do you notice how you’re holding tension?

You do this unconsciously without realising most of

the time.

A scattered and wandering mind often creates a

tight and constricted body.

A tight and constricted body continues scatters the

mind and makes one emotionally unhinged.

A core message within this book is that the mind and

body are one.

To centre your mind you must work with the body.

Establishing the habit of relaxing tension from your

body increases your presence in the moment.

Why?

Because the tension we carry is often unconsciously

held and a by-product of auto-pilot functioning.
 Notice in salah how your shoulders and legs are
tense.

Soften the knees and drop the shoulders.

In ruqu’, soften your spine, shoulders and neck

muscles.

Voluntary relax in the same way.

Sujood will be the position within which you realise

this most.

The neck gets tight, the spine is constricted and your

whole body is engaged as you intend to finish your
prayer as fast as permissible.

Are you not convienced?

A reference from our beloved prophet ‫ ﷺ‬might help.

“O assembly of Muslims! Verily, the prayer is not valid

of the one who does not settle his spine in Rukoo’
and Sujood.” [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ibn Maajah and
Ahmad]

Settle your spine.

Soften yourself in prayer.

This will take away your sense of urgency and haste.

Relaxing tension leads to naturally slowing down.

 Apply this across your life like all these principles.

A relaxed body makes you less easy to move both

physically and emotionally.

Studies have shown that anger and a relaxed body

simply do not exist together.

This is not to say that anger is bad. That is another

discussion for another time.

What it means is that if you do enter a state of anger,

the solution is in your breath and bodily relaxation.

When you are relaxed, you’re far less easily triggered.

A scattered mind is an irritable mind.

A tense body is an irritable body.

Relax the tension in your body as you walk, converse

with others, work, wait, lay in bed, or any other
context.

This will reveal your unconscious, neurotic holding

patterns.

These are habits of tightening the body when

exposed to particular scenarios.

In other words without realising, you associate fear

with particular situations and it shows up in your
body.
 One example I can offer from my own experience is
feeling unsafe around certain people.

Whether it was an attractive woman or an aggressive

male, I noticed that my glutes and rectum would
tighten up and contract.

When I first noticed this I was astonished.

“Why am I squeezing my bottom?” I wondered.

Because subconsciously I felt unsafe.

This lead back to unveiling aspects of my past that

were still affecting my present at that time.

Tightening up in such scenarios would push me into

a state of unconsciousness were I would then
become more reactive, anxious and less authentic.

Those states only generate more pain and fear

moving forward.

In order to deal with the situations in your life skilfully

and break old behaviour patterns you must learn to
be present within the situations that challenge you.

How do you do that?

Through noticing where your body has become

tense, then relaxing that tension.

The positive by-products of this habit are too many.

 Creating long term behaviour change.

Centring more frequently into the present.

Ridding yourself of unconscious fear that is most

likely running on auto-pilot in the background.

Becoming a better communicator and speaker.

Standing firm in being your authentic self.

Dealing better with high pressure situations.

Eliminating self-destructive and self-sabotaging

behaviour patterns.

Attracting less conflict and drama into your life by no

longer projecting out a frequency of fear.

Inviting opportunities and abundance to your life by

radiating a vibration of ease, grace and confidence.

And most importantly in relevance to this book,

experiencing a level of depth, orders greater than
what you have experienced before in salah.

It is for these reasons that I speak so highly of Yoga.

This audio guide will help you in creating more body

awareness than most people on Earth today:

(Best used after exercise, sauna or a hot bath)

[Link]
 Intent

Breath

Stillness Recitation

Relaxation Awareness

Meaning Tempo
 Principle 8: Stillness

Do you realise you’re fidgeting like a child?

Rocking yourself back and forth as you stand in

prayer, rubbing your eyes, scratching every itch.

You’re impulsive, reactive, and unaware of how

unsettling being still makes you.

When the mind commands you to move, you do so

without realising, making the mind your master.

As you lose power to the unconscious ego, you begin

to lose your sense of self and personal agency.

“It’s only fidgeting, is it really that serious?”

In essence, the habit of fidgeting is the habit enemy

of impulse control.

Without control over your impulses you are

vulnerable to cravings and other acts of self-betrayal.

Your tongue will be loose and you will say things in

the heat of emotional eruption only to later regret.

Impulsive fidgeting in prayer and in life make you

significantly more vulnerable to harmful addictions.

The solution is to increase your capacity for impulse

control. How do you do that?
Your first avenue for improvement is body stillness.

Practice being dead-still in or out of salah.

Sensations on the body arise, an itch or a tickle for

example. Do not react by scratching or fidgeting.

Your body deceives you just as your mind does.

The mind presents to you intriguing or frightful

thoughts, tempting your attention and engagement.

The language of the mind is thought. The language

of your body is sensation.

Instead of attempting to ignore or control these

communications, learn instead to just observe.

Impulse control can surely be improved no matter

how weak or enslaved you currently are.

Treat sensations in and on your body as you would

treat thoughts in meditation or salah.

Notice, but do not engage. Don’t take the bait.

Centralise the physical and non-physical gaze.

React not in attempt to impose control.

Just observe the urge to fidget (in or out of prayer),

be mindful of the sensation, and draw your attention
back to your breath, gaze or recitation.
 Each and every time you answer to an impulse of
mind or body, you scatter your attention.

Become familiar with the practice of being still.

With a still body, place attention on breath, sense or

recitation.

When the mind drifts, notice and draw back.

When the body wants to fidget, notice and return.

It helps to establish the practice of sensation

awareness outside of prayer.

This is another object for you to “meditate” upon.

Your coming and going bodily sensations.

Learn to witness them without reacting or

attempting to impose control.

The best for this body awareness practice is the same

as detailed above in Principle 7: Relaxation.

Draw attention to each part of your body, noticing

the subtle sensations present within each moment.

Scan your body with the spotlight of attention piece

by piece from head to toe.

Here is an audio guide for the practice once again.

The Conscious Flood: [Link]
 If you find impulse control extremely difficult, there
are two contributing factors you must be aware of.

The first is overstimulation of the senses.

Consuming un-natural, ultra-processed “foods” will

confuse your internal drive and reward systems.

Why does this happen?

Because the body was never designed to deal with

such high concentrated, processed consumables.

Take refined sugar for example.

The amount of work required by man in order to

extract syrup from sugar cane and then turn this into
crystallised sugar is immense.

When machines and factories are doing the work for

us, we are able to access incredible rewards with so
little of our own input.

So much reward, with such little effort.

Work towards eating a more natural diet. This will

reduce craving, centre your mind, and eradicate urge
to act impulsively.

Similarly, through the internet and our smart-phones

we have access to more information in one day than
our ancestors had access to over a lifetime.
When the brain/body receives so much data through
simply tapping one’s thumbs on a screen or swiping
a finger, this majorly offsets our sense of balance.

An expectation for such high levels of stimulation

through consumption and technology takes over.

A few moments without sensory stimulation and you

enter a strong state of either craving or aversion.

This makes you reactive, impulsive and scattered.

Overstimulation is remedied through fasting and

self-management.

In a world where so much information and

stimulation are accessible through such little work,
we need to assert boundaries.

Restricting our use of technology.

Restricting our access to ultra-processed foods and

addictive compounds like nicotine and caffeine.

Creating a structure and code of conduct within

which we can thrive once more.

Fast regularly and establish rules that are designed

to regulate balance in your lifestyle.

Poor concentration is a by-product of poor health.

Make healthier choices and your focus will improve.

 The second cause of poor impulse control is
childhood trauma held within the nervous system.

If you’re still reading this likely applies to you.

But perhaps until now you have lacked the

knowledge or courage required to take a deeper look
into the condition of your psyche.

Childhood abuse, hearing your parents repeatedly

shout at each other, physical or emotional neglect,
natural disasters, witnessing your parents’ divorce,
the sudden loss of loved ones, being bullied, or
consistently feeling left out...

These are just some of the early life experiences that

lead to trauma.

Traumatic experiences during the ages of 0-7 deeply

engrain the belief of “i’m not safe” within the nervous
system.

Meaning, your body is constantly in a state of fight or

flight, as though there is some physical or non-
physical threat waiting to cause you pain.

The reason you can’t stop overthinking or get

sudden hits of overwhelming anxiety may very well
because deep down you don’t feel safe.

I know, everyone has been through something...

And there are people who have been through worse.

 Nevertheless, for a child it does not matter.

You do not need to qualify your pain as (worthy of

being affected by).

The nervous system of a young child knows not the

difference.

If you were made to feel deeply unsafe, that will stay

with you for the rest of your life.

Unless...

Unless you decide to embark on the healing journey

of self-discover and self-actualisation.

Allah knows that such childhood experiences were

too intense to process at that age and therefore
stores them within us for a later date.

A later date where we are more mature, aware and

emotionally intelligent to handle and work through
the pain we once felt.

What a mercy this is.

For without such a design, such experiences would

snap the psyche into irreparable psychosis.

Apply what you have learned in this book,

particularly the practice of diaphragmatic breathing.

These tools will help you make a start in your healing.

For more complex cases however, you might need
more intimate guidance.

Do you suspect or know that your scattered mind,

addictive behaviour or unsettled body is rooted in
childhood trauma?

If the answer is yes, I encourage you to take action.

Learn to breathe diaphragmatically as explained in

Principle 1: Breath.

This practice is so effective because it shifts your

nervous system from fight or flight into a state of
rest, digest and recover.

Feeling ever-unsafe and repeatedly overthinking or

zoning out from reality are trauma patterns.

Re-balancing your nervous system through

diaphragmatic, deep breathing is the best thing you
can do to begin the healing journey.

I have worked closely with countless people, helping

them heal and work through often overlooked
traumas from the past.

It is a great honour to do this work, for these trauma

patterns are often generational, healing them
therefore heals generations to come.

Use this link to book a free consultation with me:

[Link]
 Intent

Vision Breath

Stillness Recitation

Relaxation Awareness

Meaning Tempo
 Principle 9: Vision

Every time you worry, you’re using your imagination

without realising.

The mind knows not the difference between thought

and reality.

If this is the case, then what in fact is “real”?

You imagine yourself in an argument and feel the

frustration that comes with it.

You picture yourself hanging off a cliff and feel a

wave an anxiety wash over you.

Imagination without your own intentional input

often works against you by default.

Such power can and should be used for good. How?

During salah, imagine being among countless souls

on The Day of Judgement standing before Allah.

When in ruqu’, imagine the rows of angels

witnessing you as you glorify your Lord.

In sujjod, imagine the vastness of space and the

multidimensional, perfect geometry of the universe.

Let your imagination be used to generate not states

of fear, worry and anxiety but rather the opposite.
 Let your imagination be used to create the
embodied sensation of awe, wonder and reverence
for Allah.

Use it during your duahs outside of salah or during

sujood to visualise your prayers being answered and
coming true.

The following Hadith sheds light on this principle.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace

and blessings be upon him, said:

“Call upon Allah with certainty that He will answer

you. Know that Allah will not answer the
supplication of an unmindful and distracted
heart.”

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3479

If the mind can conceive it and the heart can believe

it, then surely it can be achieved.

Adding visual imagination to your duah is an

incredible way to deepen the feeling it gives you.

Take special note however that this is not all alone for
the sake of “feeling good”.

When you see your duah being answered and enter

a deep state of gratitude and appreciation, this gives
power to your duah.
 And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If
you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But
if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is
severe.’” - Qur’an 14:7

Most people do not know that The Law of Attraction

is based upon this guidance from Allah.

The difference between that and the Islamic

approach however is that we do not accredit The
Universe for accepting our prayers and granting our
wishes.

We accredit only Allah, who is indeed the creator of

The Universe, The Heavens and The Earth.

Nevertheless the principle remains the same.

Use your imagination to visualise yourself

experiencing a future event you dream of.

Witness yourself in deep gratitude at that future

moment, perhaps celebrating or sharing the good
news with a significant other.

Embody the sense of gratitude in the present

moment throughout your entire body and heart.

Imagine also moments of victory and success from

the past that can generate this state of gratitude.

Re-visit this state as frequently as possible. As a result

Allah will give you even more to be grateful for.
SUMMARY
Even according to our prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, salah
is not supposed to be an empty, robotic ritual.

The word salah comes from the arabic root sa-la-ha

which means to “link together” or “connect”.

If salah is our way of establishing connection to Allah,

is it not then problematic if it’s performance yields no
alteration in state for the one worshipping?

The missing key in our connection to Allah as

modern muslims is Khshu’.

That is, to be self-aware and present within this

moment, here and now.

I pray through the application of these teachings,

this book can help you deepen your connection to
Allah both in and out of salah.

May it become clear to you that every moment can

be a moment of salah.

For within every moment, through re-connecting to

our awareness we are drawn closer To Allah The Most
Merciful.

Remember that knowledge without application is a

waste and that waste is a disgraceful act.

You now have the responsibility to put this new-

found knowledge to action, with the permission of
Allah.
So dear one, here are the 9 keys to Khushu’, in other
words, being deeply present in and out of the
context of salah.

Intent
Breath
Recitation
Awareness
Tempo
Meaning
Relaxation
Stillness
Vision

If you feel a longing to be closer to Allah and are

failing to experience this through a traditional,
orthodox approach to Islam, these 9 keys will change
your life. In sha Allah

To deeper your salah, begin setting your intention

while you perform wudhu or ghusul.

Breathe slowly, reciting verses out loud and upon

each exhale. Notice your mind as it drifts away and
tempts you into believing that time is scarce.

Do not fight such thoughts, just notice them and

draw awareness back to the act of salah and
sensation of recitation in your body.

If you find yourself rushing the prayer away or

reciting quickly due to habit, slow right down.
 Study the translation of each recitation and
supplication, patiently learning over time and
remembering these translations during prayer.

Relax your shoulders, jaw, hands, knees and face

within each posture. A relaxed body is a calm body.

Do your best to practice body stillness, standing still

in prayer without rocking, fidgeting or scratching
when an itch arises.

And finally, use your imagination during postures

where quranic recitation is not used (sujood and
ruku’ especially) to visualise that which may remind
you of Allah’s Greatness.

Super-charge your personal duah by imagining the

fulfilment of your prayers. See the moments of
success and relief you long to experience.

As you see the moment of fulfilment allow yourself to

feel what it would be like to experience that right
now in the moment.

Let this state of being act as an antenna through-

which Allah will grant you even more to be grateful
for, if Allah wills it.

These principles are not only to be practiced in salah.

In fact, if you do so you are missing the point.

Salah should alter your state positively, translating

further into a more graceful existence on Earth.
 A Final Offering

If you have the courage to work closely with me and

receive 1:1 guidance in learning to control your mind,
behaviour and destiny, this will be my final invitation.

Book a free consultation call with me via this link:

[Link]

I’ll help you break your addictions, find inner-peace,

live a disciplined life and deeper your connection to
Allah, In sha Allah.

If you enjoyed reading this book you will surely find

value in my free weekly newsletter.

Every week a post a new essay, diving deep into

different aspects of life and sharing more about my
own personal journey.

You can sign up free here:

[Link]

Meditation was the skill that took me from a robotic

religious follower (insincerely) to a lover of Allah.

If you want to learn the secrets I extracted from 10

years meditating and wish to develop a consistent,
daily practice, you can get my 6 week course here:

[Link]
BEGIN