Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem

In the Name of Allaah, Most Gracious Most Merciful

Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, Who has said in His book (interpretation of the meaning), “…and stand before Allaah with obedience” [al-Baqarah 2:238] and has said concerning the prayer (interpretation of the meaning): “… and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for al-khaashi’oon…’ [al-Baqarah 2:45]; and peace and blessings be upon the leader of the pious, the chief of al-khaashi’oon, Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah, and on all his family and companions.

Because of what every person knows about himself, and because of the complaints that one hears from many people about waswaas (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan) during the salaah and the loss of khushoo’, the need for some discussion of this matter is quite obvious. The following is a reminder to myself and to my Muslim brothers, and I ask Allaah to make it of benefit.

The site of khushoo’ is the heart, and its effects are manifested in the physical body. The various faculties follow the heart: if the heart is corrupted by negligence or insinuating whispers from Shaytaan, the worship of the body’s faculties will also be corrupt. The heart is like a king and the faculties are like his troops who follow his orders and go where they are commanded. If the king is deposed, his followers are lost, which is like what happens when the heart does not worship properly.

Making a show of khushoo’ is condemned. Among the signs of sincerity are:

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining the difference between the khushoo’ of true faith and the khushoo’ of hypocrisy: “The khushoo’ of true faith is when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allaah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness, so that the heart is utterly humbled before Allaah and broken, as it were, with fear, shyness, love and the recognition of the blessings of Allaah and its own sins. So no doubt the khushoo’ of the heart is followed by the khushoo’ of the body. As for the khushoo’ of hypocrisy, it is something that is put on with a great show, but there is no khushoo’ in the heart. One of the Sahaabah used to say, ‘I seek refuge with Allaah from the khushoo’ of hypocrisy.” It was said to him, ‘What is the khushoo’ of hypocrisy?’ He said, “When the body appears to have khushoo’ but there is no khushoo’ in the heart.’ The person who truly feels khushoo’ before Allaah is a person who no long feels the flames of physical desire; his heart is pure and is filled with the light of the greatness of Allaah. His own selfish desires have died because of the fear and awe which have filled his heart to overflowing so that his physical faculties have calmed down, his heart has become dignified and feels secure in Allaah the remembrance of Him, and tranquillity descends upon him from his Lord. So he has become humble (mukhbit) before Allaah, and the one who is humble is the one who is assured. Land that is “mukhbit” is land that is low-lying, in which water settles, so the heart that is “mukhbit” is humble and content, like a low-lying spot of land into which water flows and settles. The sign of this is that a person prostrates to his Lord out of respect and humility, and never raises his head until he meets Him. The arrogant heart, on the other hand, is one that is content with its arrogance and raises itself up like an elevated portion of land in which water never settles. This is the khushoo’ of true faith.”

Allaah has mentioned al-khaashi’eena wa’l-khaashi’aat (men and women who are humble (before their Lord)), and described this quality as one of the qualities of those who are chosen. He tells us that He has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e., Paradise). [See al-Ahzaab 33:35].

Rulings on Khushoo'

When we look at the things that help us to have khushoo’ in prayer, we find that they may be divided into two types: things that help you to have and to strengthen khushoo’, and warding off the things that reduce and weaken khushoo’. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) explained the things that help us to have khushoo’:

“Two things help us to [develop khushoo’]: a strong desire to do what is obligatory, and weakness of distractions.

With regard to the first, the strong desire to do what is obligatory:

[this means that] a person strives hard to focus on what he is saying and doing, pondering on the meanings of the Qur’an recitation, dhikr and du’aa’s, and keeping in mind the fact that he is speaking to Allaah as if he sees Him, for when he is standing in prayer, he is talking to his Lord.

Ihsaan means ‘that you worship Allaah as if you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, He can see you.’ The more the slave tastes the sweetness of salaah, the more attracted he will be to it, and this has to do with the strength of his eemaan.

The means of strengthening eemaan are many, and this is why the Prophet

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With regard to the second, weakness of distractions:

On the basis of this division, we will now discuss some of:

This can be achieved in several ways, such as the following:

Preparing oneself for prayer properly

For example:

By repeating the words of the adhaan after the muezzin;

By pronouncing the du’aa’ to be recited after the adhaan: “Allaahummah Rabba haadhihi’l-da’wati’l-taammah wa’-salaati’l-qaa’imah, aati Muhammadan il-waseelata wa’l-fadeelah, wab’ath-hu’l-maqaam al-mahmood alladhi wa’adtah (O Allaah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer to be offered, grant Muhammad the privilege (of interceding) and also the eminence, and resurrect him to the praised position that You have promised)”;

Reciting du’aa’ between the adhaan and the iqaamah;

Doing wudoo’ properly, saying Bismillaah before it and making dhikr and saying the du’aa’ after it, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger)” and “Allaahummaj’alni min al-tawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireen (O Allaah, make me of those who repent and make me of those who purify themselves)”;

Wearing one’s best and cleanest clothes, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes) while praying…” [al-A’raaf 7:31]. Allaah is most deserving of seeing us “take our adornment” for Him. Clean, pleasant smelling clothes are also more comfortable and relaxing, unlike clothes for sleeping or working in.

We should also prepare ourselves by covering our ‘awrah properly, purifying the spot where we are going to pray, getting ready early and waiting for the prayer, and making the rows straight and solid, without any gaps, because the shayaateen come in through the gaps in the rows.

Moving at a measured pace during prayer

The one who does not move at a measured pace in his prayer cannot have khushoo’ because haste is a barrier to khushoo’ and pecking like a crow is a barrier to reward.

Remembering death whilst praying

Thinking about the aayaat and adhkaar being recited during the prayer and interacting with them

Haroon ibn Rabaab al-Usaydi used to get up at night to pray Tahajjud, and he would repeat this aayah until daybreak (interpretation of the meaning): “… ‘Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the aayaat (signs, verses) of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!’” [al-An’aam 6:27], and weeping until daybreak.

Another way of helping oneself to ponder over the meanings is to memorize Qur’aan and various adhkaar to be recited during different parts of the prayer, so that one may recite them and think about their meanings.

There is no doubt that these actions – thinking about the meanings, repeating and interacting with the words – are among the greatest means of increasing khushoo’, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility [khushoo’]’” [al-Isra’ 17:109].

Pausing at the end of each aayah

Pausing at the end of each aayah is Sunnah even if the meaning continues into the next aayah.

Reciting in slow, rhythmic tones (tarteel) and making one’s voice beautiful when reciting

This slow, measured pace of recitation is more conducive to reflection and khushoo’ than a hurried, hasty reading.

Knowing that Allaah responds to prayers

This is a great and important hadeeth. If everyone kept it in mind when he prays, he would attain immense khushoo’ and al-Faatihah would have a great impact on him. How could it be otherwise, when he feels that his Lord is addressing him and giving him what he is asking for?

Praying with a barrier (sutrah) in front of one and praying close to it

Another thing that will help one to have khushoo’ is paying attention to the matter of having a sutrah and praying close to it, because this will restrict your field of vision, protect you from the Shaytaan and keep people from passing in front of you, which causes a distraction and reduces the reward of the prayer.

Placing the right hand on the left hand on the chest

Looking at the place of prostration

There is a question in the minds of some people who pray, which is: what is the ruling on closing the eyes during prayer, especially when a person feels that this increases his khushoo’?

The answer is that this goes against the Sunnah that was reported from the Prophet

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Thus it is clear that the Sunnah is not to close one’s eyes, unless it is necessary to do so in order to avoid something that may adversely affect one’s khushoo’.

Moving the index finger

This is something which is neglected by many worshippers because they are ignorant of its great benefits and its effect on khushoo’.

The Sunnah in pointing with the forefinger is that it should remain raised and moving, pointing towards the qiblah, throughout the Tashahhud.

Varying the soorahs, aayaat, adhkaar and du’aa’s recited in prayer

This makes the worshipper feel that he is encountering new meanings and moving between different topics mentioned in the aayaat and adhkaar. This is what a person misses out on if he only memorizes a few soorahs (especially the short ones) and adhkaar. Varying what one recites is the Sunnah and is more conducive to khushoo’.

If we study what the Prophet

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“Allaahumma baa’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kamaa baa’adta bayn al-mashriqi wa’l-maghrib. Allaahumma naqqani min khataayaaya kamaa yunaqqaa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas. Allaahumma’ghsilni min khataayaaya bi’l-maa’ wa’l-thalj wa’l-barad (O Allaah, separate me (far) from my sins as You have separated (far) the East from the West. O Allaah, cleanse me of my sins as white cloth is cleansed from dirt. O Allaah, wash me of my sins with water, snow and ice).”

“Wajahtu wajhi li’lladhi fatara al-samawaati wa’l-ard haneefan, wa maa ana min al-mushrikeen. Inna salaati wa nusuki wa mahyaaya wa mamaati Lillaahi Rabb il –‘aalameen, laa shareeka lahu wa bidhaalika umirtu wa ana awwal al-muslimeen (I have set my face towards the Originator of the heavens and the earth sincerely and I am not among the mushrikeen. Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds: no partner has He. With this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims (those who submit to Him).”

“Subhaanak Allaahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghayruk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, blessed be Your name and exalted be Your majesty. There is no god besides You).”

And other du’aa’s and adhkaar which the worshipper can use at various times.

Among the soorahs which the Prophet

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The longer mufassal soorahs (soorahs from the last seventh of the Qur’aan), such as al-Waaqi’ah [56], al-Toor [52] and Qaaf [50], and shorter mufassal soorahs such as Idhaa al-shamsu kuwwirat [al-Takweer 81], al-Zalzalah [99], and al-Mi’wadhatayn [the last two soorahs].

It was reported that he recited al-Room [30], Yaa-Seen [36] and al-Saaffaat [37], and on Fridays he would recite al-Sajah [32] and al-Insaan [76, a.k.a. al-Dhahr] in Fajr prayer.

It was reported that in Salaat al-Zuhr, he would recite the equivalent of thirty aayaat in each of the two rak’ahs, and that he recited al-Taariq [86], al-Burooj [85] and wa’l-layli idhaa yaghshaa [al-Layl, 92].

In Salaat al-‘Asr, he would recite the equivalent of fifteen aayaat in each rak’ah, and he would recite the soorahs already mentioned in connection with Salaat al-Zuhr.

In Salaat al-Maghrib, he would recite short mufassal soorahs such as al-teeni wa’l-zaytoon [al-Teen 95], and he recited Soorat Muhammad [47], al-Toor [52], al-Mursalaat [77] and others.

In ‘Ishaa’ he would recite medium-length mufassal soorahs, such as al-shamsu wa duhaahaa [al-Shams 91], idhaa’l-samaa’u inshaqqat [al-Inshiqaaq 84]. He told Mu’aadh to recite al-A’laa [87], al-Qalam [68] and al-layli idhaa yaghshaa [al-Layl, 92].

In qiyaam al-layl, he used to recite the long soorahs. It was reported that he

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He used to vary the adhkaar he recited in rukoo’. In addition to “Subhaana Rabbi al-‘Azeem (Glory be to my Supreme Lord)” and “Subhaana Rabbi al-‘Azeem wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to my Supreme Lord)”, he would say: “Subbooh, Quddoos, Rabb il-Malaa’ikati wa’l-Rooh (Perfect, Blessed, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit),” or, “Allaahumma laka raka’tu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu anta Rabbi. Khasha’a sam’i wa basari wa dammi wa lahmi wa ‘azmi wa ‘asabi Lillaahi Rabbi’l-‘Alaameen (O Allaah, to You have I bowed, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, to You I have submitted and in You I have put my trust. Humbled are my hearing, my seeing, my blood, my flesh, my bones and my nerves for Allaah, Lord of the Worlds).”

When standing upright from rukoo’, after saying “Sami’a Allaah liman hamidah (Allaah listens to the one who praises Him)” he would say, “Rabbanaa wa laka’l-hamd (Our Lord, and to You be all praise),” or sometimes, “Rabbanaa laka’l-hamd (Our Lord, to You be all praise),” or, “Allaahumma Rabbanaa [wa] laka’l-hamd (O Allaah our Lord, [and] to You be all praise).” Sometimes he would add the words: “Mil’a al-samawaati wa mil’a al-ard wa mil’a maa shi’ta min shay’in ba’d ([Praise] filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You wish)”, and sometimes he would add, “Ahl al-thanaa’i wa’l-majd, laa maani’a limaa a’tayta wa laa mu’tiya limaa mana’t, wa laa yanfa’u dhaa’l-jaddi minka’l-jadd (Lord of Glory and Majesty! None can withhold what You grant, and none can grant what You withhold; nor can the possessions of an owner benefit him in front of You).”

In sujood, in addition to “Subhaan Rabbi al-A’laa (Glory be to my Lord Most High)” and “Subhaana Rabbi al-A’laa wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to my Lord Most High),” he would say “Subbooh, Quddoos, Rabb il-Malaa’ikati wa’l-Rooh (Perfect, Blessed, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit),” or “Subhaanak Allaahumma Rabbanaa wa bi hamdik, Allaahumma’ghfir li (Glory and raise be to you O Allaah, our Lord. O Allaah forgive me)” or “Allaahumma laka sajadtu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu, sajada wajhi lilladhi khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu, tabaarak Allaahu ahsaan al-khaaliqeen (O Allaah, to You I have prostrated, in You I have believed and to You I have submitted. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and gave it shape, then brought forth its hearing and its vision. Blessed be Allaah, the Best to create),” and others.

When sitting between the two prostrations, in addition to “Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li (Lord, forgive me, Lord, forgive me),” he would say, “Allaahumm aghfir li warhamni wajbarni wa arfa’ni wahdini wa ‘aafini wa arzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, strengthen me, raise my rank, guide me, pardon me, sustain me).”

A number of versions of the tashahhud have been narrated, such as: “Al-tahiyyaatu Lillaahi wa’l-salawaatu wa’l-tayyibaat al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu …etc. (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet…)” and “Al-Tahiyyaat al-mubaarakaat al-salawaat al-tayyibaatu Lillaahi, al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu…etc. (All compliments, blessed words, prayers, pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet…)” and “Al-tahiyyaat al-tayyibaat al-salawaatu Lillaahi, al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu… etc. (All compliments, good words and prayers are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet …).”

So the worshipper may use one form one time and another at another time, and so on.

There are a number of versions of the prayers sent upon the Prophet

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“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allaah, send blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”

Or:

“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali baytihi wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhuriyatihi kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed wa baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali baytihi wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhuriyatihi kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allaah, send blessings on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”

Or:

“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad al-Nabiyy al-Ummi wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad al-Nabiyy al-Ummi wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem fi’l-‘aalameen, innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibraaheem, and send blessings on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibraaheem among the nations, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”

Other similar versions have also been narrated, and the Sunnah is to vary among them, as stated above. There is nothing wrong with reciting one version more than others, because it is more strongly proven and better known in the books of saheeh ahaadeeth, or because the Prophet

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Performing sujood al-tilaawah when reciting an aayah where this is required

Sujood al-Tilaawah in prayer is very important because it increases khushoo’. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility [khushoo’].” [al-Israa’ 17:109].

Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan

The Shaytaan is our enemy, and one of the aspects of his enmity is his whispering insinuating thoughts (waswaas) to the worshipper at prayer so as to take away his khushoo’ and confuse him in his prayer.

Waswaas is a problem that befalls everyone who turns to Allaah with dhikr and other kinds of worship; it is inevitable, so one has to stand firm and be patient, and persist in the dhikr or salaah, and not give up. His sticking to it will ward off the Shaytaan’s plots from himself. “… Ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan.” [al-Nisaa’ 4:76 – interpretation of the meaning].

The Prophet

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Another of the Shaytaan’s tricks was described as follows. The Prophet

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There is a devilish trick which “Khanzab” plays on some worshippers:

He tries to distract them by making them think of acts of worship other than the prayer that they are performing, by making them think of some issues of da’wah or knowledge, so that they start to think deeply about those matters and stop focusing on the prayer they are performing. He even confuses some of them by suggesting to them that ‘Umar used to make plans for the army whilst he was praying. We should let Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah explain this matter and set the record straight:

“With regard to what was reported, that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said, “I make plans for the army whilst I am praying,” this was because ‘Umar was commanded to engage in jihaad and he was the leader of the believers (ameer al-mu’mineen, i.e., the khaleefah), so he was also the leader of jihaad. So in some respects he was like the one who prays the prayer of fear (salaat al-khawf) whilst also watching out for the enemy, whether or not there is actual fighting. He was commanded to pray, and also to engage in jihaad, so he had to carry out both duties as much as he could. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allaah much, so that you may be successful.’ [al-Anfaal 8:45]. It is known that one cannot achieve the same peace of mind during jihaad as at times of peace and security, so if it happens that a person’s prayer is lacking because of jihaad, this does not mean that his faith is lacking.

For this reason, standards may be regarded as being slightly relaxed in the case of prayer at times of danger as compared with times of peace. With regard to prayer at times of danger, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… but when you are free from danger, perform al-salaah. Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.’ [al-Nisa’ 4:103]. So the one who is commanded to establish prayer at times of peace is not commanded to do so in the same manner at times of danger.

Moreover, people are of varying levels in this regard. If a person’s faith is strong, he will have the proper presence of mind when he prays, even if he thinks of other matters. Allaah had caused the truth to reside firmly in ‘Umar’s heart, and he was al-muhaddith al-mulham (‘the inspired speaker’), so there is nothing strange in a person of his calibre making plans for the army whilst performing the prayer. He was able to do this, whilst others are not, but undoubtedly when he did not have these concerns to think about, his presence of mind in prayer would be greater. And no doubt the prayer of the Prophet

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In conclusion, therefore, if a person who is pressed for time thinks about some obligatory matter whilst he is praying, this is not the same as a person who is not pressed for time thinking during prayer about some matter that is not obligatory. It may be that ‘Umar could not give thought to making plans for the army except at that time, because he was the leader of the ummah with many obligations and responsibilities. Anyone could find himself in a similar situation, according to his position. People always think during prayer about things that they do not think of at other times, and some of this could come from the Shaytaan. A man told one of the salaf that he had buried some money, but he had forgotten where he had buried it. He told him, ‘Go and pray,’ so he went and prayed, and he remembered where it was. It was said [to the salafi], ‘How did you know that?’ He said, ‘I know that the Shaytaan will not leave him alone when he prays without reminding him of something that matters to him, and there is nothing more important to this man than remembering where he had buried his money.’ But the good slave will strive to attain perfect presence of mind in prayer, just as he strives to do everything else properly that he is commanded to do. And there is no help and no strength except in Allaah, the Most High, the Almighty.”

Thinking of how the salaf were when they prayed

They said to ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd al-Qays, “Do you think to yourself during prayer?” He said, “Is there anything I like to think about more than the prayer?” They said, “We think to ourselves during prayer.” He said, “About Paradise and al-hoor (“houris”) and so on?” They said, “No; about our families and our wealth.” He said, “If I were to be run through with spears, it would be dearer to me than thinking to myself about worldly matters during prayer.”

Compare this with what some of us do nowadays, looking at our watches, adjusting our clothes, fiddling with our noses, thinking of deals and counting our money whilst praying, or tracing the patterns of decorations on carpets and ceilings, or trying to see who is beside us. Think of how anyone would behave before some great leader of this world – would he dare to behave in such a manner then?!

These include:

- Only the parts of his prayer where he focused and concentrated properly will be of any avail to him. It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “You will only have from your prayer that which you focused on.”

- The one who prays with khushoo’ will feel lighter when he finishes his prayer, as if his burdens have been lifted from him. He will feel at ease and refreshed, so that he will wish he had not stopped praying, because it is such a source of joy and comfort for him in this world. He will keep feeling that he is in a constricting prison until he starts to pray again; he will find comfort in prayer instead of wanting just to get it over and done with. Those who love prayer say: we pray and find comfort in our prayer, just as their leader, example and Prophet

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- The Prophet

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Striving to offer du’aa’ at the appropriate times during the prayer, especially in sujood

One of the things that he

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“Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min sharri maa ‘amiltu wa min sharri maa lam a’mal (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done and the evil of what I have not done).”

“Allaahumma haasibni hisaaban yaseeran (O Allaah, make my accounting easy).”

He taught Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) to say, “Allaahumma innee zalamtu nafsi zulman katheeran, wa la yaghfir al-dhunooba illa anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indaka warhamni innaka anta al-Ghafoor al-Raheem (O Allaah, I have wronged myself very much, and no one can forgive sin but You. Grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for You are the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful).”

He heard a man saying in his Tashahhud: “Allaahumma inne as’aluka yaa Allaah al-Ahad al-Samad alladhi lam yalid wa lam yoolad wa lam yakum lahu kufuwan ahad an taghfir li dhunoobi innaka anta’l-Ghafoor al-Raheem (O Allaah, I ask You O Allaah, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who begets not neither is begotten, and there is none like unto Him, to forgive me my sins, for You are the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful).” He

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He heard another man saying, “Allaahumma innee as’aluka bi-anna laka’l-hamd, laa ilaaha ill anta wahdaka laa shareeka lak al-Mannaan yaa badee’ al-samawaati wa’l-ard, yaa dhaa’l-jalaali wa’l-ikraam, ya hayyu yaa qayyoom, innee as’aluka al-jannah wa a’oodhu bika min al-naar (O Allaah, I ask You as all praise is due to You, there is no god but You Alone, with no partner or associate, the Bestower, O Originator of the heavens and earth, O Possessor of Glory and Honour, O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, I ask You for Paradise and I seek refuge with You from Hell).” The Prophet

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The last thing he would say between the Tashahhud and the Tasleem was: “Allaahumma’aghfir li maa qaddamtu wa ma akhkhartu wa maa asrartu wa maa a’lantu wa maa asraftu wa maa anta a’lam bihi minni anta’l-muqaddim wa anta’l-mu’akhkhir, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, forgive me what I have done in the past, and what I will do in the future, and what I have concealed, and what I have done openly, and what I have exceeded in, whatever You know about more than I. You are the Bringer-Forward, and You are the Delayer, there is no god except You).”

Memorizing du’aa’s like these will solve the problem that some people have of remaining silent behind the imaam when they have finished the Tashahhud because they do not know what they should say.

Adhkaar to be recited after prayer

These also help to strengthen khushoo’ in the heart and reinforce the blessings and benefits of the prayer.

Without a doubt, one of the best ways of preserving and protecting a good action is to follow it up with another. So the one who thinks about the adhkaar that come after the prayer will find that they begin with seeking forgiveness three times, as if the worshipper is seeking forgiveness from his Lord for any shortcomings that may have occurred in his prayer or his khushoo’. It is also important to pay attention to naafil (supererogatory) prayers, because they make up for anything lacking in the fard (obligatory) prayers, including any failure with regard to khushoo’.

Having discussed things that help us to have khushoo’, we now move on to a discussion of

This also includes avoiding praying in places where people pass through, or where there is a lot of noise and voices of people talking, or where they are engaging in conversations, arguments etc., or where there are visual distractions.

It is better not to pray in a garment that has pictures on it, and we should be especially careful to avoid garments with pictures of animate beings, like many garments that are widely available nowadays.

Not praying when there is food prepared that one wants to eat

Not praying when one needs to answer the call of nature

Not praying when one feels sleepy

- because one who is talking will distract the worshipper with his talk, and one who is sleeping may expose something that will distract the worshipper.

If there is no risk of that happening, then it is not makrooh to pray behind someone who is sleeping. And Allaah knows best.

Not occupying oneself with smoothing the ground in front of one

The reason for this prohibition is so as to maintain khushoo’, and so that a person will not make too many extra movements in prayer. If the place where one is going to prostrate needs to be smoothed, it is better to do this before starting to pray.

Just as a worshipper should avoid anything that will distract him from his prayer, by the same token he should avoid disturbing others. This includes:

Not disturbing others with one’s recitation

Turning away during prayer is of two types:

The turning away of the heart to something other than Allaah.

The turning away of the eyes.

The one who turns away with his heart or his eyes during prayer is like a man who is called by the ruler and made to stand before him, and when the ruler starts to address him, he turns away, looking to the right and the left, not listening to what the ruler is saying and not understanding a word of it, because his heart and mind are elsewhere. What does this man think the ruler will do to him?

If the mosque is furnished with carpets and so on, as is the norm nowadays, if a person needs to spit, he can take out a handkerchief or whatever, spit into it, and put it away again.

Trying not to yawn when praying

Not putting one’s hands on one’s hips when praying

Not resembling animals

This is what we were able to mention about the means of attaining khushoo’, so that we may strive for them, and about the things that detract from khushoo’, so that we can avoid them.

There is another issue that has to do with khushoo’, to which the scholars attached so much importance that it is worthy of mention here:

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:

“It was said: what do you say concerning the prayer of one who has no khushoo’, does he have to repeat it or not?

With regard to whether it will count for the purposes of reward, it will not be counted, except for [the parts] where one is focused and has the correct attitude of khushoo’ towards one’s Lord.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: ‘You will gain nothing from your prayer except the parts where you were focused.’

In the Musnad it is reported that the Prophet

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Allaah has made the success of the worshipper in prayer dependent on his khushoo’, and has indicated that the one who has no khushoo’ will not be among the successful, but if it is counted for him for the purpose of reward, he will be one of the successful. With regard to the matter of whether it counts in terms of worldly rulings and exempts him from having to repeat it, if he focused with proper khushoo’ for most of the prayer, it is OK, according to scholarly consensus. The sunnah prayers and adhkaar recited after prayer make up for anything that is lacking.

But in the case where there was no khushoo’ or proper focus for most of the prayer, there is a difference of opinion among the fuqahaa’. Ibn Haamid, one of the companions of Ahmad, thought it obligatory to repeat the prayer. The fuqahaa’ also differed with regard to khushoo’ in prayer, and there are two scholarly opinions on this point. They are to be found in the Hanbali madhhab and others.

These opinions differ as to whether it is obligatory to repeat prayers in which one encountered a great deal of waswaas. Ibn Haamid among the companions of Ahmad said that it was obligatory, but the majority of fuqahaa’ do not share this view.

They take as evidence the fact that the Prophet

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There is no dispute regarding the fact that there is no reward for the prayer except for the portion in which a person had proper presence of mind, as the Prophet

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It was reported in al-Saheeh that the Prophet

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They said: The Prophet

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If you say that the prayer has to be repeated, so as to gain the benefits and rewards, then that is up to the individual. If he wants to gain those benefits, he can, and if he wants to miss out, he can.

If you say that we have to force people to repeat the prayer and punish them if they do not, applying to them the rulings on those who forsake prayer, then this is not right.

This is the more correct of the two opinions. And Allaah knows best.

Those who have khushoo’ are of varying levels or degrees. Khushoo’ is an action of the heart that may increase and decrease. Some people have khushoo’ as great as the clouds of the sky, and others may finish their prayer without having understood anything at all.

“When it comes to prayer, people are of five levels:

The first is the level of the one who wrongs himself and is negligent. He does not do wudoo’ properly, or pray at the right time or make sure he does all the necessary parts of prayer.

The second is one who observes the outward essentials of prayer, prays on time and does wudoo’, but he has lost the battle against his own self and is overwhelmed with waswaas.

The third is one who observes the outward essentials of prayer, prays on time and does wudoo’, and also strives against his own self and against waswaas, but he is preoccupied with his struggle against his enemy (i.e. the Shaytaan), lest he steal from his prayer, so he is engaged in salaah and jihaad at the same time.

The fourth is one who when he stands up to pray, he fulfils all the requirements of the prayer, and his heart is fully focused and alert lest he omit anything, and his concern is to do the prayer properly and perfectly. His heart is deeply immersed in his prayer and worship of his Lord.

The fifth is one who does all of that, but he takes his heart and places it before his Lord, looking at his Lord with his heart and focusing on Him, filled with love and adoration, as if he is actually seeing Him. That waswaas and those thoughts diminish, and the barriers between him and his Lord are lifted. The difference between the prayer of this person and the prayer of anyone is else is greater than the difference between heaven and earth. When this person prays, he is preoccupied with his Lord and content with Him.

The first type is punishable; the second is accountable; the third is striving so he is not counted as a sinner; the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is drawn close to his Lord, because he is one of those for whom prayer is a source of joy. Whoever finds their joy in prayer in this life, will find their joy in being close to Allaah in the Hereafter, and will also find his joy in Allaah in this world. Whoever finds his joy in Allaah will be content with everything, and whoever does not find his joy in Allaah, will be destroyed by his feelings of grief and regret for worldly matters.”

Finally, we ask Allaah to make us among those who have khushoo’ and to accept our repentance. May He reward with good all those who helped to prepare this book and may He benefit all those who read it; Aameen. All praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.