I pray but my mind wanders off to things like football, TV, work etc. So is there any point of praying then?

Prayer is judged based on action as this is what a person can control. Of course a person's mind should be focused on what they are doing especially when it is worship.

However, Allah is the most Merciful and is fully aware that Shaitaan will try and discourage you from praying and therefore he will use all types of distraction.

Therefore a person should stick to their actions as this means you are worshipping Allah even though your desires are telling you otherwise, and InshaAllah you will be rewarded for your patience.

Slowly, these distractions will start to go away and one will obtain satisfaction, so one must not give up.

In this first series of 'Back to Basics' we will cover the second pillar of Islam - Salah. Many of us read it without knowing the importance, the benefits and even the rulings of salah. So sit back and relax and increase your knowledge and understanding of salah.

Why pray?

The answer shouldn't be 'because my dad said so!' After believing in the shahada (declaration of faith), the most important worship and also a pillar of Islam is salah. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The link between a Muslim and disbelief, kufr, is his or her neglect of prayer." [Muslim].

Q. I have a room to pray at work but no particular Wudhu (ablution) facilities. I don't feel comfortable washing my feet in the sink or in the toilets at work because I look silly and plus my non-Muslim colleagues look at me funny and say its unhygienic, so what should I do?

A. In the name of Allah the most Beneficent and Merciful.

Q. If someone misses the Khutba, but makes the Jama'ah, is the Jummah prayer still valid or should the person then pray Dhuhr to make up?

A. In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

The Khutba is an obligation for the Jummah prayer to be valid. However, it is not an obligation for the person attending Jummah to have taken part in the Khutba.

Q. What is the ruling on reading Jummah when you're at work because depending on your job/employer it’s not always possible to read Jummah Salah in this country? So what should one do?

A. In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Jummah prayer is only an obligation if it fits the following six qualifiers:

1. An Islamic State or ruler (sultan) has allowed the Jummah to be prayed.
2. It has to be a city or town where the Jummah is to be prayed (i.e. not a village).
3. It must be prayed during Dhuhr time on a Friday.
4. It must be prayed in congregation with a minimum of 1 Imam and 3 followers. (According to the Shafi'i Madhab it must be 40 followers as a minimum.)

Khushoo means devotion. Khushoo is when one's complete attention during Salah is to Allah (swt). Yes, that is more than normal. Only thing is that the devil does not want you to do that. That pesky little bugger would rather that you concentrate on other important things. Like what you will have for lunch or thinking about the last EastEnders episode or you might be re-playing the last United game in your head.... Goal!!!! Oops, what was I doing? Anyway, time for the third Sajdah...

Anyway, you're probably wondering what the big deal is. Some of the sahaba asked "What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah (swt) as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you." (Bukhari 2:47)

Can a person wear perfume/aftershave that contains alcohol? If so can they pray with that on?

Answer by Shaykh Salim Ghiza

In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Alcohol as a form of intoxicant is not only Haram to drink but is also impure (Najis). This means that when it contacts something pure then the pure item will absorb the impurity and all will become impure. However, the question remains as to whether the alcohol that is used in perfumes is the same alcohol that is used in liquor.

Shaykh Muhammad Salim Ghisa is a prominent young scholar in the UK. He has studied Islam in India, UK and Jordan.

After submission to the faith of Islam, Salaah is the most important form of worship for the believers. The purpose behind the Salaah is to remember the creator within regular intervals during the day. This will lead to a believer putting his/her full trust in Allah for all their day to day necessities. There are many Hadith advising the believers of the true benefits of Salaah and the beauty it holds for both this world and the hereafter.