Salaam Minara Family,
.A few weeks ago, I was thrown off a galloping horse.
It happened quickly, and then not quickly at all - there was that moment of disorientation, that feeling of being completely airborne, and then the impact, sharp and absolute. Alhamdulillah, I was okay, but I was also not okay. Bruised, sore, a little broken [three fractures eeek 🫥] and suddenly unable to do something I never thought I’d miss so poignantly until it was taken from me: I couldn’t make sujood.
It’s such a simple movement - something that’s become part of my muscle memory - yet suddenly, it was out of reach. And in that absence it dawned on me, in the silence of those missed sujood, that Allah doesn’t need our salah.
We do.
He is beyond our movements, beyond our rituals, beyond our gestures. He gains nothing from our bowing, our whispering, our standing still in lines. But we - fragile, distracted, wandering beings that we are - we need those moments like we need oxygen. We need to return to that stillness, to that rhythm, to that whispered nearness five times a day, not because He commanded it for His sake, but because He knows we’d fall apart without it.
In this period of injury and recovery, I am consciously comprehending just how easy and merciful Allah has made salah, in both routine and flexibility.
Can’t stand? Sit.
Can’t sit? Lie down.
Can’t move at all? Use your eyes or intention.
Travelling? Shorten and combine.
Tired? Pray. Sick? Pray. Busy? Still pray. But it’s made doable.
SubhanAllah.
In almost every situation, there’s a concession. A way to keep that line open. A door left ajar.
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear…”
[Qur’an 2:286]
There it is: clear, comforting, and comprehensive. Islam isn’t a religion that punishes you when life gets hard. It adapts with you. It recognizes your human limits and works within them, without removing the connection you have with Allah Almighty. That’s our first reflection.
And the second one?
Well, this verse isn’t just about emotional burdens. It’s also about physical ones, spiritual ones, logistical ones. It’s about the moments when you feel like you should be doing more. But the simple truth is, Allah already made the religion easier for you than you’re making it for yourself.
Did You Know? Practical Salah Tips for When Life Happens:
Here are a few reminders that might surprise or comfort you:
🧳 1. Travelling? You can shorten AND combine prayers.
Qasr: Shorten 4-rakah prayers (Dhuhr, ‘Asr, ‘Isha) to 2.
Jam’: Combine Dhuhr with ‘Asr, and Maghrib with ‘Isha [according to some schools of thought].
Even if you're stuck at an airport gate or in a car park, this is your right, a built-in ease gifted by Allah.
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah… and establishes prayer…”
[Qur’an 2:177]
🛏️ 2. Injured or unwell? You can pray sitting or lying down.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot, then [pray] on your side.
[Bukhari]
Even blinking can be a form of ruku' and sujood. The mercy is unreal.
There is no shame in adapting your salah. There is no guilt in doing what your body allows. There is only a path made wide enough for every believer to walk [or crawl] or lie down on, and still arrive at the prayer. SubhanAllah.
🧼 3. Can’t do wudhu? Tayammum is your backup plan.
Just clean earth (or even dust), and a simple wipe. Done.
Don’t skip salah waiting for a shower when you’re ill. Allah provided a dry way too.
🧦 4. Wiping over socks [masah] instead of washing feet in wudhu
When certain conditions are met, you don’t need to remove your socks to wash your feet every time you make wudhu. Instead, you can simply wipe over them, making your purification quicker, easier, and still fully valid.
“The Prophet ﷺ commanded us to wipe over the khuffayn (leather socks) during travel and at home.”
[Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and others – Sahih]
✅ Basic Rules (Simplified):
What counts as "socks"?
In classical fiqh, it referred to khuff (leather socks), but many scholars also permit thick, durable fabric socks that cover the ankles and can be walked in without slipping off.
Conditions to wipe over socks:
You must put them on in a state of full wudhu.
They must be pure, cover the area required, and be intact (no large tears).
How long can you wipe?
Resident: 24 hours from the time you broke your wudhu after putting them on.
Traveller: 72 hours (3 days and nights).
How do I do it?
After making wudhu, instead of washing your feet, simply wipe the top of each sock once , starting from the toes up just above the ankle. with your wet hands [right for the right foot and left for the left foot]. That’s it!
All these concessions!
The most beautiful part? These aren’t exemptions made for the weak. These are built-in. They are part of the default design of our faith.
💬 A Thought to Hold Close:
It’s wild how performing salah might sometimes feel like a duty…
…but missing salah feels like loss.
And maybe that’s the point.
The moment we feel our connection slipping, we remember that salah is our grounding, our reset.
Salah is not about how it looks from the outside, but about what it does to you on the inside. It's not about how low your forehead touches the ground, but about how low your soul bows in recognition of the One who made you and who made your prayer not for Him, but as a gift for you.
💡 Heart Check-In: Ask Yourself
Have I been seeing salah as a burden or a balm?
Do I allow myself to adapt it when life changes or guilt myself into neglect?
Am I making it hard on myself in a way Allah never intended?
A prayer for you before we sign off:
May we always return to that gift, no matter how broken or far or unworthy we feel. And may we remember: Allah is never measuring the form of our prayer. Only the direction of our hearts.
Aameen Ya Rabb 💜
Oh and PSA. The horse is fine.
Love and du’as,
The Minara Team
