Prayer is a lifeline, a moment for us to plug back into our source.

Sure, it connects us to Allah, but it also connects us to ourselves.

The Prophet ﷺ didn’t just come to teach us how to build communities or spread peace (though he was a master at both).

He showed us how to find clarity within, know who we are, why we’re here, and what matters.

When we drift away from what grounds us and slip into habits that pull us from Allah and our fitrah (true nature), we start to lose touch with ourselves.

It’s like looking in the mirror and thinking, “Wait, who even is that?”

Sin, in its sneaky way, doesn’t just distance us from our Creator; it makes us strangers to our own souls.

Over time, that unfamiliarity grows.

Suddenly, being alone with our thoughts feels awkward, even unbearable.

We reach for noise, distractions, anything to avoid facing ourselves.

Psychologists at the University of Virginia ran experiments with over 700 people.

The task?

Sit alone in a room for fifteen minutes and just be.

No phone, no distractions.

Most people hated it.

Around eighty percent of the participants even chose to give themselves electric shocks rather than just be alone with their thoughts.

Our Inner Being

At our core, we’re souls.

And souls are nourished by connection to the Creator.

When that connection is strong, everything else falls into place.

We gain a sense of self, a clarity of purpose.

We know who we are and are comfortable in our own company.

That’s the foundation for every other relationship in our lives.

There’s a reason the Prophet ﷺ was able to connect with every kind of person, rich or poor, young or old, friend or stranger.

He understood himself more deeply than anyone else.

His heart was settled, his mind clear.

When he listened, he wasn’t distracted by his insecurities or preconceptions.

He was like a still lake, perfectly reflecting the person in front of him.

Imagine if we could do that, quiet our inner noise long enough to hear the people we love truly.

Your inner voice matters.  

If your inner voice is always critical, you’ll probably hear criticism in other people’s words, even when it’s not there.

If you constantly blame yourself, you might assume others are also blaming you.

Conversely, if you’re gentle with yourself, you’re more likely to give others the benefit of the doubt and have compassion.

Research shows that more self-aware people, who pay attention to their emotions and recognize when their own fears or hopes are coloring their conversations, connect much more quickly and deeply.

They’re less likely to jump to conclusions or misunderstand others.

You can only be as close to someone else as you are to yourself.

So, what does all this mean for us?

It means that nurturing our connection with ourselves isn’t selfish,

it’s essential.

It’s the foundation for every other relationship we have, from our families to our Creator.

When we reflect, pray, or just sit with ourselves (awkward silences and all), we’re building the kind of self-awareness that makes us better friends, partners, parents, and believers.