ACHIEVING KHUSHOO‘ IN PRAYER WITH PROPER FOCUS AND HUMILITY

 

ACHIEVING KHUSHOO‘ IN PRAYER WITH PROPER FOCUS AND HUMILITY

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

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Tuesday 22 Ramadan 1442 AH and 4 May 2021 CE

Reminder Day 22

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.

Help us Answer the Ummah! Every second, everywhere someone needs an answer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A person who leads others to doing what is good will earn the same reward as those who do it.” (Muslim, 1893).

“Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith.” And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran Ayah 139]

“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”

[Holy Quran Chapter Imran Ayah 160]

Preamble

Is it true that if a prayer is lacking in complete khushoo‘ (focus of mind and humility before Allah), He will not accept it from us, or not?

We have all heard about the importance of inculcating Khushu in our prayers. It refers to a state of mind when we stand in front of Allah and fully direct our minds and hearts towards Him.

Ibn al-Qayyim defined Khushu as a state “. . . when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness . . .” (Al-Rooh, p. 314).

Anything less not only diminishes the rewards of our worship and Ibadah but we should consider it as a sign of our disregard for our creator, as well as a lost opportunity for our spiritual rejuvenation. After all, what good is being in front of anyone – let alone our creator and sustainer – when our minds and hearts are not focused on “the moment”?

KHUSHOO‘ (PROPER FOCUS AND HUMILITY) IN PRAYER

What is required of the worshipper is to show humility [khushoo‘] in his prayer and to have complete focus of mind, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Certainly will the believers have succeeded: They who are during their prayer humbly submissive [khaashi‘oon]”[Quran al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2].

Focusing on prayer and being humble therein are among the most important issues, and this is the essence of the prayer. Therefore we must pay attention to focusing with proper humility in the prayer and performing it in a tranquil and unhurried manner, when prostrating and bowing, between the two prostrations, and after bowing when standing up again; it should be done in a tranquil and unhurried manner.

If the worshipper fails to focus his mind and show humility in such a way that it is as if he is pecking his way through the prayer and is too hasty, then his prayer becomes invalid.

But if he is at ease and performs his prayer in an unhurried manner, but sometimes his mind wanders and sometimes he forgets, this does not render his prayer invalid, but he will not have any reward for his prayer except inasmuch as his mind was focused and he showed proper humility and mindfulness of Allah; he will have the reward for that, but as for the parts in which he was not focused, he will miss out on the reward thereof. Therefore he should focus on his prayer and do it in an unhurried manner, showing humility towards Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, so that he will have the reward thereof in full. But his prayer is not rendered invalid unless he prays in a hasty manner, such as if he bows but does not take the time to do it properly, so he does it in a hasty manner and the movement does not reflect proper humility. What he should do is move with ease, so that he adopts the right posture with every vertebra in place and so that he will have enough time to say Subhaana Rabbiy al-‘Azeem (Glory be to my Lord the Almighty) when bowing and to say Rabbana wa laka’l-hamd (my Lord and to You be praise) when standing up straight after bowing, and to say Subhaana Rabbiy al-A‘la (Glory be to my Lord Most High) when prostrating, and to say Rabb ighfir (Lord forgive me) between the two prostrations.

When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man who did not pray in a calm and unhurried manner – rather he pecked his way through the prayer – he instructed that man to repeat his prayer, and said: “Pray, for you have not prayed.” Praying in a calm and unhurried manner is one of the most important aspects of khushoo‘, and this is something that is required in the prayer, when bowing and prostrating, between the two prostrations, and when standing up straight after bowing. This is called tama’neena, which means being calm and at ease, proceeding in an unhurried manner. It is also called khushoo‘, which means having proper focus and humility when praying. It is essential to pray in this calm and unhurried manner, so that at every stage of the prayer, the vertebrae may settle into place. So when the worshipper bows, he should do so in an unhurried manner, so that every part of his body may settle into place, and when he stands up from bowing, he should do it in such a manner that every vertebra will settle into place when he is standing after bowing; and when he prostrates, he should do it in a calm and unhurried manner, and should not be hasty, so that every bone may settle into place (as he prostrates). End quote. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).

Source: Islam Q&A 132081

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/132081/khushoo-proper-focus-and-humility-in-prayer

Achieving “Khushu” and a Positive State of Mind

Prayers (Salat) – One success Criterion for the believers

قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ (١) ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِى صَلَاتِہِمۡ خَـٰشِعُونَ (٢)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٲتِہِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ (٩)

 “Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness” [Holy Quran Surah al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]”.

And who (strictly) guard their prayers (23.9)

Khushu – A Positive State of Mind

In psychological terms, we can liken this state of mind to a single-minded immersion of oneself with deep focus on the activity at hand and one that leads to maximum performance. We know that our state of mind, directly or indirectly, impacts almost everything that we do in life. A bad state of mind can have a debilitating effect on our overall performance, shows its effects on our outward appearances, and in general becomes a hindrance to bringing out the best in us. On the other hand, we also know the good feelings associated with being in a good state of mind. It makes us feel livelier and more productive, and life generally seems more fulfilling.

Needless to say, we must find ways to get in the right states of minds to maximize our performance for any given activity or else we can expect subpar results. The activity of “Prayers” or salat is no exception to that rule. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alluded to something similar in that we get only a portion of the reward for our prayers depending on the level of our efforts. He said: “A slave may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1626).

 

The Tendency to Get Distracted in Prayers Salat

However, voluntarily getting in a focused state of mind and staying there is easier said than done. Many a time we tend to get sidetracked by our own thoughts. As for prayers, the reality is that as soon as we enter the state of prayers, various thoughts rush into our minds distracting us from the state of worship. These distractions also include satanic whispers, also referred to as “waswaas” (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan) and sometimes reach to a level where the act of worship fails to deliver any notable spiritual value.

Sadly, this lack of control on our thoughts and states of our minds not only deprives us from establishing a relationship with our creator but also prevents us from bringing calm to our jittery nerves and lives in general. Among other things, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) relied on prayers to provide him comfort and mental calm. He once said, “The source of my delight is the prayer” (authenticated by Al-Albani). He also used to ask Bilal to give the Adhan for the prayer by saying: “Give us comfort by it, O Bilal.”

Stepping towards Khushu and a Positive State of Mind

Inculcating Khushu in our prayers, therefore, is about getting in the right state of mind where we are fully guarding our thoughts from any distractions and focused on Allah and the various prayer invocations. Besides spiritual rejuvenation, the practice of Khushu also teaches us to induce a positive state of mind for any other moment or activity by teaching us to keep distracting thoughts at bay and enabling us to focus on the task at hand with the heart and mind fully immersed.

So, what can we do to get in the right state of mind to help us perform optimally? The following are some tips that can come in handy:

Get passionate about the activity: One way to get in a positive state of mind so you may excel at a task is to ensure that you develop a passion for it. The more passionate you feel about doing something, the less likelihood there is to get distracted from that activity. We know this from our hypnotic interest in the many TV shows, movies, and numerous other entertainment episodes that occupy our minds on a daily basis. So, if you complain about reduced khushu levels in your prayers, you ought to assess your passion and level of interest in prayers and your relationship with your creator. How does it compare with your life’s other passions and interests? A reduced interest drives you to rush through prayers so that you can get back to your other activities of interest. The reason behind your poor khushu levels, therefore, may be rooted in your lack of interest to pray in the first place.

For some of us, this may be a harsh reality check but until our behavior proves otherwise, our priorities may be skewed.

You can get over this problem by spending time (when you are not praying) to learn and internalize the merits and rewards of prayer. That can help you go a long way in raising your passion for prayers and other forms of worship, thus minimizing the likelihood of getting distracted. In this context, we should remind ourselves of what Allah said about developing the right khushu in prayers. He said in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning),

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness” [Surah al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]”.

Remember, the more passion you fill in your mind and heart about anything, the less vacuum you leave for the distracting thoughts to fill the void when you are involved in that activity.

Ibn al-Qayyim defined Khushu as a state “. . . when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness . . .” (Al-Rooh, p. 314).

Prepare for the activity before the activity:

Another sure method to help one perform optimally in any activity is to get mentally ready for that activity beforehand. Athletes do it regularly. We do it too before getting ready for any challenging activity (taking an exam, for example). This preparation before the actual event helps clear the clutter from our minds that maybe lingering from previous activities. As far as prayers are concerned, performing ablution, the high value associated with making dua before obligatory prayers in congregation, Sunnah prayers, and so on are some of the things that can get us in the right state of mind before we start the obligatory prayers.

Be mindful of the activity: To ward off distracting and negative thoughts, psychologists and psychotherapists also recommend the use of “mindfulness”. Mindfulness helps in directing your consciousness to what you really want at the moment rather than letting negative thoughts pull your mind from one distraction to another. Being mindful in prayers can help you consciously guard your state of mind from being poisoned by negative thoughts as well as satanic whispers (waswas). While praying, be mindful of the meanings of the invocations of your prayers. Done repetitively, this voluntary control can gradually help you control your state of mind and achieve high levels of Khushu.

In Summary…

Khushu, therefore, is an ideal practice to help you increase the quality of your prayers that, as the prophet told us, can bring delight and calm to your lives and help bond with your creator and sustainer. The psychological underpinnings of this practice can also help you master the art of getting in the right state of mind for other activities too. It can also help keep unpleasant thoughts from the past at bay and also to stop related feelings of anxiety. That can come in quite handy in your relationships, at work, and in other aspects of your lives.

To get the ebook “33 Ways of developing Khushoo’ in Salaah”click here…

https://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_33_Ways_of_developing_Khushoo_in_Salaah.pdf

— End

Sources https://www.iqrasense.com/islamic-topics/achieving-khushu-and-a-positive-state-of-ind.html?awt_a=8lp.&awt_l=IkMk4&awt_m=3.t0vrxIEdBWmp.

 

He Feels Khushoo’ When On His Own But Not In The Mosque

You feel khushoo’ when you pray on your own but not when you pray in jamaa’ah, is the temptation of the Shaytaan which we are told not to fall prey to. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy” [Quran al-Baqarah 2:168]

Prayer in jamaa’ah is obligatory and the Shaytaan wants to distract you from fulfilling this obligation by making you doubt about your khushoo’. He makes the idea of praying alone so that you can have more khushoo’ appear attractive, but in fact he wants to keep you away from the house of Allaah and from the jamaa’ah of your Muslim brothers who pray in the mosque, so that you will be alone. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that the Shaytaan has control over those who neglect praying in congregation. According to a hasan hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (may Allaah have mercy on him), Abu’l-Dardaa said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘There are no three people in a town or in the countryside who do not establish (congregational) prayer, but the Shaytaan has gained control over them. You must adhere to jamaa’ah, for the wolf eats the sheep that wanders off alone.’” (Sunan Abi Dawood, 547; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’. Zaa’idah said, al-Saa’ib said, jamaa’ah refers to praying in jamaa’ah).

With regard to praying in jamaa’ah, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (mayAllaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah has given prayer in jamaa’ah a high status in His Book, and His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also gave it a high status. Allaah commanded us to establish regular prayer, and to do prayer in congregation. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Guard strictly (five obligatory) As‑Salawaat (the prayers) especially the middle Salaat (i.e. the best prayer ‑ ‘Asr). And stand before Allaah with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salaat (prayers)][Quran al-Baqarah 2:237]

What indicates that it obligatory to pray in jamaa’ah is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And perform As-Salaat (Iqaamat-as-Salaat), and give Zakaat, and bow down (or submit yourselves with obedience to Allâh) along with Ar‑Raaki‘oon [Those who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allaah].”[Quran al-Baqarah 2:43]

At the beginning of the aayah, Allaah commands us to perform prayer, then He commands us to join other worshippers in their prayer, by saying (interpretation of the meaning), “bow down … along with Ar‑Raaki‘oon [Those who bow down …].”

Allaah has enjoined us to do the prayer in congregation (jamaa’ah) with others even at times of war, so how about at times of peace? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“When you (O Messenger Muhammad) are among them, and lead them in As‑Salaat (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salaat (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which have not yet prayed, and let them pray with you taking all the precautions and bearing arms…” [Quran al-Nisaa’ 4:102]

If anyone were to be permitted to not pray in jamaa’ah, it would be those who are engaged in combat.

It was narrated in al-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I was thinking of ordering the prayer to be called and the iqaamah to be given, then I would appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, whilst I went out with some men carrying bundles of wood, to go to people who did not attend the prayer and burn their houses down around them.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 2/852, no. 2288; Muslim, 1/451, no. 651). In Saheeh Muslim (1/453, no. 654) it is narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever would like to meet Allaah tomorrow as a Muslim, let him uphold these five prayers whenever the call to prayer is given. Allaah has prescribed for you the ways of guidance, and these prayers are among the ways of guidance. If you pray in your houses like this man who stays behind in his house, you have abandoned the Sunnah of your Prophet, and if you abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet, you will go astray. There is no man who purifies himself and does it well, then sets out for one of these mosques, but for every step he takes, Allaah will write down for him one hasanah (good deed) and raise his status by one degree, and wipe out for him one sayi’ah (bad deed). There was a time when no one stayed away from (the prayers) but the hypocrites who were known for their hypocrisy. A man would come supported by others on each side, so that he could stand in the rows (of worshippers)…”

In Saheeh Muslim (1/452) it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a blind man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I do not have anyone to guide me to the mosque. Can I have a dispensation to pray in my house?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Can you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then answer it.”

Praying regularly in congregation brings a number of benefits, such as getting to know one another, cooperating in righteousness and piety, advising one another with the truth and to follow it patiently, teaching the ignorant, manifesting the symbols of Islam, annoying the hypocrites, keeping away from their path, knowing who keeps away from praying in jamaa’ah, advising him and teaching him if it is because of laziness on his part or he has no excuse, visiting him if he is sick, and other benefits. Keeping away from praying in jamaa’ah may lead – Allaah forbid – to giving up prayer altogether. It is well known that not praying is kufr and misguidance which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All that stands between a man and kufr and shirk is his giving up prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 1/88, no. 82, from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him)).

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that separates us from them is salaah; whoever neglects it is a kaafir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan, 4/305, no. 1454).

Know, my brother that Allaah cannot enjoin a ruling upon His slaves and then goodness is to be found in something else. Allaah has enjoined prayer in jamaa’ah so this is what has to be done and we have to strive to feel khushoo’ in it. But it may so happen that sometimes a person feels more khushoo’ when he prays alone than when he prays in the mosque, as many worshippers feel during qiyaam al-layl, when they weep in their own houses in a way that they do not do in the mosque. This does not mean that they should not pray in the mosque. What is required of us is that we should strive to implement the means of feeling khushoo’ when we pray in jamaa’ah and in other prayers, and we should do all the prayers as commanded by Allaah.

And Allaah knows best, and He is the Guide to the best Way. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A, 6295

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/6295/he-feels-khushoo-when-on-his-own-but-not-in-the-mosque

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid