My child rushes through Salah or Quran time to return to screens. How do I make faith moments feel alive again? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child rushes through their prayers or Quran recitation to get back to a screen, it is often a sign that these sacred moments feel like an interruption to their day, rather than a meaningful highlight. The aim is to transform these acts of worship into engaging and spiritually rewarding experiences that naturally hold your child’s interest and earn their respect. This involves adjusting the atmosphere around worship and helping them connect personally to the beauty within these acts.

 

Prepare a Tranquil Environment 

Before prayer or Quran time begins, help your child transition away from the high-stimulation world of screens. Gently turn off background noise, dim bright lights, and prepare a peaceful, dedicated space. A clean prayer mat, soft lighting, and a quiet room all send a powerful, non-verbal message that this is a special time, set apart from the normal rush of the day. This simple preparation helps to calm the mind for worship. 

Connect the Heart Before You Begin 

Connect with your child emotionally before you expect them to connect spiritually. Share a very short, relevant story from the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a beautiful insight about a verse they are about to read, or a personal reflection on gratitude. Even two or three heartfelt sentences can warm their heart towards the act, reminding them why they are praying or reading in the first place. 

Make It Engaging and Age-Appropriate 

For younger children, shorter but more frequent and consistent Quran sessions are often more effective than long, infrequent ones. Introduce an element of gentle fun, such as creating a family memorisation challenge or allowing them to take turns leading the family in prayer. A sense of involvement turns them from passive observers into active participants in their own spiritual life. 

Frame the Order of Priorities, Don’t Bribe 

Let your child know that once Salah or Quran time is completed with care and attention, they can return to their other activities. It is important that this is framed as a natural ordering of the day, where faith comes first. The tone should be one of respectful prioritisation, not a transactional bargain where prayer is just a task to be completed for a digital reward. 

By making Salah and Quran time feel inviting, personal, and part of their core identity, you foster a genuine connection that will, over time, prove far more compelling than the temporary pull of a screen. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, faith is intended to be lived with a present heart (hudur al-qalb), not performed as a rushed obligation. When we approach our acts of worship with love, mindfulness, and a sense of anticipation, they become moments of profound rest and spiritual joy, not mere interruptions to our worldly schedule. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Mu’minoon (23), Verses 1–2: 

‘Indeed, success is for the believers; those people who are focused in their prayers with true humility….’ 

This verse reminds us that true success in Salah is found through khushu, a state of humble, focused, and sincere attentiveness before Allah. 

It is recorded in Sunan An Nasai, Hadith 1137, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so increase in supplication.’ 

This beautiful hadith teaches us to view these moments not as something to be rushed through, but as a precious opportunity to be as close as possible to our Creator. By helping your child see Salah and Quran time as a source of peace and closeness to Allah, you shift their focus away from what they are missing on a screen and toward the immense beauty they are gaining in worship.