Baby Steps Toward Allah

Sometimes, when we don’t feel like praying or reading Qur’an, taking baby steps really helps. You don’t have to go all in at once — just start. Start with wudu. Start with one ayah. Just start.

These were my thoughts last night. It was 10 p.m. (which, for me, is late) when I suddenly realized I hadn’t prayed my Isha and man was I exhausted. My body wanted to sink into bed, and honestly, a small part of me whispered, “It’s okay… you can pray later.”

But then another voice inside me spoke louder: What if I don’t get a later?

Because when we all die, the first thing we’ll be asked about is our prayer. And what if tonight is the night my soul returns to its Creator?

Those thoughts hit deep. I remember repeating to myself, “Baby steps, baby steps — just go do your wudu and see from there.” So up I got. Step by step. One small act at a time.

And subhanAllah, once I did my wudu, everything felt lighter. My heart softened, and before I knew it, I was standing in prayer.  Alhamdulillah — all praise belongs to Allah — I prayed my Isha on time.

It reminded me that sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the prayer itself. It’s taking that first tiny step. That first tiny step towards Allah. And once you take it, Allah makes the rest easy for you. After all its like Allah tells us: 

"and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' " 

Sahih Al Bukhari 7405