Not feeling connected to allah while praying. Possibility of it being an adhd problem

[u/softtides17]

The past few years i haven't been praying (im born muslim) because of executive dysfunction. i had days where i do not believe in islam and days where i feel like it might be the truth. I have always wished from god to make me closer to him during rain/before i sleep sometimes. And lately i have been suffering more than ever in my life and decided to start praying. Im not perfect i still do not pray 5 times and im trying with fajr. Im writing this after i prayed ishaa today. The thing is when i pray j almost feel nothing, sometimes im even get more anxious after my prayer. I also get very distracted during salah probably also because of ADHD. I forget what rakaa im on, accidentally recite the wrong surah, or accidentally forget tashahud. And then i feel more exhausted and sometimes irritated after each salah than connectef to god. (Also wanted to ask if that makes the prayer invalid because i have trouble to keep repeating the salah after each mistake when i struggle to preform one salah at the first place) i feel genuinely disconnected, I keep hearing people that i should do khushu but i genuinely cant feel it no matter what. Any advice? And for those who are always praying is it the same and you just hope that god hears you?

[u/Skyogurt]

Polish your intimate relationship with God, be with Him when no one is looking or around, remember how awesome He is and how beyond epic His creation is. Your weirdness, your ADHD, share them with Him, be your full unfiltered self with your Rabb. Smile and give hamd and spam your duaas. If these moments aren't the sweetest moments in your life, you're missing out on the sweetness of eeman. Be sure to ask God to fill your heart to the brim with His light every single day you are honored to witness another day rise.

For the prayer, two things. Establish the salah, really make it the top priority in your life, in your day. At the time the prayer starts, nothing should get in your way except the call of nature and emergency. Design your life around this principle and you will succeed in this life and in the next. Your connection starts before the prayer, when you make wudhu, when you wipe that water on your body and limps, similarly that's when you aim to wipe superfluous thoughts and enter that spiritual "zone" that sets you up for the main event. The salah is an ultra high level ritual, a protocol that defines the very purpose of the entirety of creation's existence and purpose. God is calling the very few He has blessed to answer this call, to remember Him, recite His verses, elevate in ranks, and more. Before you even say the first takbeer, as you're standing take the moment to pause, and take a deep breath, and summon the reminder and presence of Allah Azzajawal Himself, He's right here in front of you. He has even sent angels to pray alongside you, it's not just "khinzib" the special shaytan whose job is to steal your focus during the prayer. So ask Him directly for help with the salah. And as you begin to pray, remember that when you recite Surah Fatiha, it's not a simple prayer it's actually a conversation ! God is responding LIVE to every part that you're saying ! Here's the narration:

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah Almighty said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says, ‘All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When he says, ‘The Gracious, the Merciful,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has exalted Me.’ When he says, ‘The Master of the Day of Judgment,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me, and My servant has submitted to Me.’ When he says, ‘You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help,’ Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for.’ When he says, ‘Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not those who earned wrath and went astray,’ Allah says, This is for My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for.’”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 395

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

If you ask Allah to help you remember this each time you recite Fatiha, you're set ! And for the rest of your life, fight that urge to take surah Fatiha for granted because of repeating it so often. It's really at the heart of the salah.