From the lens of Islamic psychology, the act of prayer (ṣalāh) is not a behaviour that naturally emerges from desire or emotional inclination. As Imam al-Ghazālī explains in Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn, the soul must first be disciplined (riyāḍat al-nafs) before it can experience serenity in worship. For the adult beginner, prayer thus becomes a field of mujāhadah — a conscious struggle to overcome the inertia of the nafs ammārah (the commanding self) and to awaken the qalb (heart) to divine presence. Through sustained effort, patience, and repetition, this struggle transforms into mujāhadah al-nafs, wherein the lower self is trained to find peace in remembrance and to align with the higher will (irādah rūḥiyyah).
Ibn al-Qayyim, in his Madarij al-Sālikīn, similarly describes prayer as a journey of ascent, in which the believer moves from mechanical obedience to spiritual intimacy (uns) with Allah. This transformation, however, requires perseverance and self-regulation — psychological qualities that are refined only through disciplined engagement. As Dr. Malik Badri highlights in his writings on Contemplation: An Islamic Psychospiritual Study, the purification of the self is both a spiritual and therapeutic process, harmonizing the cognitive, emotional, and volitional dimensions of the person toward divine consciousness.
In contrast, the developmental approach for children must be rooted not in obligation but in maḥabbah (love) and shukr (gratitude). Spiritual awareness in childhood emerges naturally through joy, curiosity, and play. Allowing children to play freely and teaching them to link their happiness and wonder to Allah — to “play in gratitude to Allah” — nurtures a sense of tawḥīd that is experiential and heartfelt. This early association of joy with divine remembrance creates a secure emotional foundation upon which the discipline of prayer can later grow without resistance. As al-Ghazālī advised in his educational writings, spiritual guidance should always begin with targhīb (gentle encouragement) before taklīf (obligation), so that love precedes duty and reverence is born from joy.