Khushu' in Salaah

Translation of a lecture by Sheikh Saleh Al-Maghamsi

The lord of might said: [ Those who are during their prayer humbly submessive (Khushu). ] When praying, the believer senses that he is standing before the lord of might and honor. The prayer would make him busy from anything else other that it. And he is not to be distracted by anything other that it. And everyone asks, and people used to ask their scholars... How to get Khushu' in prayer.

But what appears to my, and Allah knows best.. That glorifying Allah before standing before him would make a servant fortunate in getting Khushu' for whoever glorifies Allah in his commands and prohibitions before standing him. Allah will privilege him with Khushu' once he stands to pray. As for who lately pray, disobeyed his mother, or hurt his father, beat his wife, repelled a poor or chided the needy... it is far for such people to stand in Khushu' during prayer, and if one here that beguiled a man in selling or buying, or attacked and honor of someone as the foolish do, or anything from inequities and bad deeds. Those people are not likely to be fortunate by khushu' and Allah knows best... also one of the reasons of a man to get Khushu' is that he comes to prayer aspiring the mercy of his creator and protector, bless him..

 And to know that he has sins none will forgive except his creator, and that he has defects non will conceal except his lord. And he has desire that non will fufill except Allah. So he would come with these desires and when he stands before his lord and raises his hands for the takbeer and positioned in prayer and heard the recitation of his imaam or if he was an imaam, or if he was single reading in his house for Voluntary prayer ( Nafilah ),or obligation that he missed in mosque, or so on... All this would help the servant to get Khushu' in prayer by Allah's mercy...

 قال الله تعالي :

[ Certainly will the belivers have succeeded *Those who are during their prayer submissive.(Khushu').*].. And since Khushu' is mentioned in it, a fortiori, it is to be known that prayer is one of the greatest act in worship. And it says in Authentic حديث: { Indeed, what Allah loves the most from your deeds,is praying, and non persists in Wudu وضوء except a believer }. So let's say if there is an disagreement between - especially - a learner and his brother in some secondary issue, so before he raises his voice and judges his brother, and this happens to everyone, before we raise our families and judges our families, brothers or neighbours, if it was probable that we always see him praying, then he is doing Wudu.. So the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم who does not speak of his inclination, had told that none persists in Wudu except a believer.

And the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم when two captives came to him and he wanted to give of the servants to serve him, so the companion said: O Messenger Of Allah, choose me: means one of them. So the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم said, Take him -and he pointed at one of them- for i have seen him praying a lot...

 And when the Commander of the Faithful Omar Bin AbdulAziz became a successor at the time of Banu Umaya after Suleyman Bin AbdulMalik, he wanted to take concierge, a keeper which in known today in the formal term, as a Commander of the Presidental Guard or a Commander of the Royal Guard....

So when he chose one, he said: Do you know why i chose you? He said no O Commander of the faithful. He said I have seen you praying in a place where it is probable to your thinking that no one sees you at - Means i have passed by you and i saw you praying in a place which you yourself believed that no one sees you that time- .

 Whoever fears Allah like this is more deserving to be a trustworthy in guarding the throne of successor or his place.

The aim of this is to know how great praying is in this religion, which no believer doubts in.

 And indeed, a great blessing for a man is when Allah makes him love to go to mosque.

The Messenger صلي الله عليه وسلم said: (and my comfort has been provided in prayer). And when Allah mentioned his pure prophets, which all of them are. He said: [Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace-of the posterity of Adam. And those who we carried (in the ark) with Noah and of the posterity of lbrahim and Israel and of those whom we guided and chose.

Whenever the Signs of Allah most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostate adortion and in tears] And, about their posterity, Allah said: (But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Destruction. Then to say about the believers even though they have sins, but they are included under Allahs mercy, Allah said: [ Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for those who will enter Paradise and will not be wronged in the least] Gardens of Eternity, those which Allah the most Gracious has promised to His servants in the Unseen: for His promise must (necessarily) come to pass. They will not hear any vain discourse, but only Salutation of Peace: And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.

Translation by: Umm Yasmynah