Concentration and Staying Focused while reciting Quran, doing Zikr and Offering Namaz

In the Name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful

When you have your plate full, keeping focused isn’t always easy. And when we can’t give our full attention to a task, we can’t give it our best. This can start a cycle of demotivation and non-productivity, unless we pull in the reins and turn it around.

It takes a strong resolve to focus, good motivation, and working smartly to beat distractions.

Attention is like a muscle. Initially, when you try and hold your attention on something, it may feel that you are using more and more energy and it is fatiguing. That perception is sound, as you have to use energy to maintain attention. However, the more you flex your attention the stronger it becomes, and easier to hold.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) tells us the first thing that the servant of Allah will be questioned on the Day of Judgment is prayer, Salat, if it’s good, then, all of the other deeds will be accepted regardless if you have missing few things here and there; Allah will accept them. But if your prayer is bad Allah will reject all of your deeds even if you have good fating, good Zakat, Umrah, but your prayer is awful, there is no Khushu

Strategies for Concentrating In Prayer

You should burn incense to perfume your Prayer room. There is significant evidence on the practical applications of burning incense, as this is one major way to relax one’s nerves and emotions, and through deep breathing and meditation, a high inner state of purity is attained.

Cleanliness is part of faith, and faith leads a person to Paradise.

It is, therefore, a good idea to brush your teeth, perfume yourself, and observe some kind of uniform, preferably white, and stand in-front of Allah (SWT), fresh and clean. Cleanliness is a weapon of a believerand evokes inner enlightenment.

Performing wudhu slowly and contemplating on the words in the invocation recommended during every wash would help you a great deal to think about your life, death and the Creator.

Allah's says in hadith Qudsi : One of my followers gets up at night pushing himself to perform ablution (for prayer). On him there are several knots of the Satan. When he washes his hands, a knot loosens. When he washes his face, another knot loosens. When he passes his wet hands over his head, yet another knot loosens. When he washes his legs, the last knot loosens. Then Allah says to those beyond the eyes (angels): Look at this slave of Mine who cures/his inner-self and asks Me forgiveness. So, what he asks is given to him.

Allah's presence is one way of bringing humility into your heart and humbling yourself in Prayer, performed with attention and concentration. It is only He Who looks at you Mercifully during your Prayer, and you ought to keep this in mind every time you say your Prayer. Piety, perseverance and appreciation of The Lord and His Mightiness are effective ingredients in developing and maintaining your attention in Prayer. This way, you can willingly humble yourself in Prayer.
When you want to perform the Prayer, do not go to it lazily, sleepy, hurriedly, or unmindfully. Approach it calmly, solemnly and slowly. You should display submission, imploringly and humbly to Allah (SWT). You are to show awe and signs of fear and hope, with caution and apprehension. Thus, you are to stand before Him, as an escapee and sinful slave stands at attention before his master; on the alert, with joined heels, erected trunk, not looking to right and left, reckoning as if you see Him. If you do not, He certainly does see you…

It is clear that if you strive to learn and appreciate the meanings of the verses and glorification you proclaim in your Prayer, you stand every chance of developing and maintaining the concentration you need to focus in Prayer. Focusing on the meanings of what you recite would generally keep your mind busy and involved in Prayer.

Perform every part of your prayer with care and in a relaxed manner. The Qur'an says that the successful believers are those "who are humble in their prayers"..

Arabic language is considered one of the sweetest of all the languages. So, reciting Prayer with proper Makhaarij (proper pronunciation) and Tajweed (following the rules of the Arabic Language) and learning the rules of reciting The Qur’an, would make your efforts in maintaining attention a lot easier.If one does not succeed in the very first attempt, instead of getting disappointed, he should become more determined and serious in trying again, until attaining domination over the self gradually. The mind should be cleansed thoroughly from scattered thoughts and should be motivated to pay attention towards God Almighty. If attaining such a kind of attention is not possible within a day, few weeks or even few months, he should not be disappointed because, after all, such kind of devoted attention is possible.

To have firm intention and belief that whatsoever the case, you will never be mislead in Prayer, you need to be confident and accept with full heart that Shaytan’s forces are weaker than what you have been endowed with by your loving Lord, The Most High. Allah (SWT) states in The Qur’an:

Indeed! The cunning of Shaytan is feeble. (Qur’an - Chapter 20, Verse 125)

Moreover, it is only you who will be in turmoil on The Day of Judgment when Shaytan will exclaim:

... I only invited you to evil, and you accepted on your own volition. Therefore (On this Day of Judgment), do not blame me but blame your own selves. (Qur’an - Chapter 14, Verse 22)

Great Scholars have advised you to keep busy reminding yourself of death as a way to fear Allah (SWT) and maintain vigilance in your daily Prayer and communication with Allah (SWT). The idea is to develop piety and fear in you and to convince your soul the importance of Prayer.

Allahumma a 'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husn 'ibadatika

"O Allah, help me in remembering You, in thanking You and in worshipping You in the best way."

By (the Token of) time (through the Ages). Verily Man is in loss. Except such as have Faith and do righteous deeds and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth and of Patience and Constancy.” [Qur’an: Chapter 103, Verses 1-3]