1Returning to Prayer

After a few moments of prayer in the mosque, Fawzooz felt something he hadn’t felt for a long time: real rest. It wasn’t the temporary relief he used to find when trying to escape reality, but a rest that came from somewhere deep inside him, from the certainty that God hears him and knows what he is going through. Those moments in the mosque were a turning point, and he began to ask himself how far he had drifted from his daily worship and how it had affected his soul. When he got home that night, he thought deeply about his relationship with prayer. Prayer had been a core part of his life since childhood, but in recent years it had become one more burden on his daily to-do list, performed without real feeling.

He realised he had been praying as if it were a mere routine, without reflecting on its meanings or living its moments deeply. In that moment, Fawzooz made a decision: to return to prayer with a new spirit. It wasn’t only about praying on time, but about returning to prayer as a way of connecting with God, a way to the inner peace he was seeking. He wanted to live each prayer as a private meeting with God, a meeting that opened his heart and gave him a chance to put his thoughts and priorities back in order.

“Prayer is not a burden, but a blessing and a chance to renew the soul.”

The next day, Fawzooz woke to the call to the dawn prayer. He felt something different as he rose to pray, a real longing for this moment. He made his ablutions slowly, savouring the water on his skin as if it were washing away all his worries. When he stood to pray, he wasn’t focusing only on the movements, but trying to live every word of the opening chapter deeply. “All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds…” He said it from his heart, grateful for all the blessings God had poured upon him, despite every difficulty. With every unit of prayer he felt closer to God, as though prayer had become the rope binding him to the heavens. When he finished, he sat for a long time in his place, absorbed in supplication.

This time his prayer wasn’t limited to the requests of daily life; it came from his heart, asking for guidance, tranquillity and inner peace.

Over the following days, prayer became not only a way of connecting with God but also a way for Fawzooz to find emotional balance. Each prayer gave him a chance to stop and reflect on his life, to remember what truly mattered, and to gather strength for his challenges. He knew life wouldn’t be free of difficulties, but with prayer he felt he held the strongest weapon to face anything. He felt prayer’s spirit spreading into the rest of his day. At work he was calmer and more patient. In his relationships he was more understanding and supportive. He felt God was with him in every step, and that every challenge was part of a test of his faith and patience.

This new experience of prayer gave him an inner strength he hadn’t felt for years. Prayer, once a duty he performed reluctantly, had become a source of calm and strength. He made sure no prayer passed without his living it in every detail. Even in times of pressure and hard work, he found a refuge in prayer, a place to retreat, reorder his thoughts and draw strength from God.

This was a new beginning in Fawzooz’s spiritual journey. His return to prayer wasn’t just a return to a religious routine, but a return to God, and to himself. He realised prayer is not a burden to be endured, but a blessing, a chance to connect with God and renew the soul. This journey was only the beginning, and much awaited him on the road to inner peace and spiritual tranquillity.