Hi, I’m a new muslim, I have strong faith in Allah, I pray, and I read the Quran sometimes. This might sound bad, but I don’t feel connected to Allah like I did before. I’m actually praying more and trying to not to sin more than I did before so I don’t understand. Does this mean Allah doesn’t care about me?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, praise be to Allah Who guided you and enabled you to embrace Islam, the religion of the truth.

You should know that enjoying acts of worship and being familiar with them is only achieved after striving oneself in performing them and being patient in doing so.

Some righteous people said: “I struggled for one year to observe the prayers, then I enjoyed performing them for twenty years so much so that when I start the prayer, I become grieved that (it will end and) I must leave it!.”

Therefore, you have to be patient and persevere in the goodness that you are doing while expecting the reward from Allah.

What would help you becoming familiar and accustomed to acts of worship, and enjoying them, being comforted by them and having one’s heart reassured, is to earnestly supplicate Allah in humbleness as the hearts of the people are between two fingers of the Fingers of Allah, and He turns them over as He pleases.

You should also observe frequent mention of Allah, by saying the Thikr (mention of Allah) such as the Tasbeeh (saying ‘Subhaan Allah’ [Glory be to Allah]); the Tahmeed (saying ‘Al-Hamdu Lillaah’ [All praise is due to Allah]); and the Tahleel (saying ‘Laa ilaaha illa Allah’ [none is worthy of worship but Allah]); as Allah Says (what means): {Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.} [Quran 13:28]

You should also befriend righteous Muslim women who are devotedly performing acts of worship to Allah so that you can benefit from them, and recite the Quran while pondering over it and trying to understand its meaning, and think about the Hereafter, Paradise and Hellfire. All of this will remove your attachment to this worldly life and increase your attachment to and relation with Allah.

We ask Allah to enable you to achieve your aspiration, which is to restore your relation and connection with Allah.

For more benefit about enjoying the prayer and other acts of worship, please refer to Fataawa 413548 and 343654.

For more benefit on supplications against depression and grief, please refer to Fataawa 343300, 377509, 213715, 88282, and 13277.

For more benefit on the religion of Islam, please refer to Fataawa 81979, 88906, 88051, and 111063.

For more benefit on seeking Islamic knowledge, please refer to Fataawa 89059 and 101478.

Allah knows best.