Peace be upon you. How can I commit to praying on time when I feel hesitant and reluctant to perform the prayer due to a sense of heaviness and anxiety caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding purity and prayer?
[AR_ID:3288]
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Your question addresses the issue of not committing to prayer on time, which can have various causes. However, as you mentioned, the apparent reason for your hesitation is your struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding purity. While your question specifically asks about how to commit to prayer on time despite this obsession, the solution remains the same: it is essential to make an effort to overcome this obsession. One should not overlook this or consider it impossible. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not an incurable or chronic illness. Yes, the difficulty may vary in intensity depending on the situation, but the challenge of treating something should not be an excuse to avoid seeking help, especially since this condition prevents one from enjoying many benefits. It is clear that this obsession not only hinders your ability to pray on time but also affects many daily and life matters. It may threaten marital relationships or social interactions, such as visiting others or traveling. Those afflicted with this obsession often avoid these important activities due to the anxiety it causes, leading them to disregard their significance and value. For instance, one might hesitate to invite people over due to the stress of judging their actions regarding bathroom use or minimal water usage. Some may avoid intimacy due to the exhaustion they feel during purification, while others may excessively use water for cleansing when only a small cup is needed. This is in addition to the general anxiety that arises if there are young children in the house, as one must consider their purity practices when using the bathroom. Therefore, the issue is not just about committing to prayer on time; prayer is a daily obligation that, if we focus on certain aspects, such as feeling a connection to it through specific means, can encourage us to pray on time. However, the key is to maintain this commitment and to disregard the obsession that extends beyond just prayer.
Thus, we recommend reading the following question, which discusses obsessive-compulsive disorder in general and how to confront and overcome it:
How to Deal with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Regarding Purity
Additionally, in response to your specific issue regarding committing to prayer while disregarding the state of obsession, one way to achieve this is to feel a connection to worship, which will, in turn, lead you to anticipate it for that sense of connection. For further exploration of this topic, we recommend reading the following question:
How to Reach a State of Connection with Worship
May you be successful in all that is good.