By
Imama Mufti
Salah, our most intimate act of devotion is more than a ritual. It is an act that, when performed with conscious attention, has the power to transform our life. By truly engaging in it, we can experience its sweetness in this world and reap its rewards in the afterlife.
Remember why we exist? Our fundamental reason to exist on earth is to worship and serve Allah, the Creator. This involves appreciating His countless blessings and glorifying Him through praise.
At the heart of this connection lies Salah, the action that allows us to remember Him, turn to Him and show Him how much He means to us.
It is common to find ourselves uttering words in Salah we may not fully mean or understand despite believing that Allah (swt) hears and responds. This disconnect results in experiencing uninspiring or monotonous prayers because we fail to vary the words that we say in them.
Interestingly, the word ‘Salah’ is linguistically connected to ‘Dua’. Many of us are accustomed to raising our hands for Dua after the prayer is complete. However, the most effective time to call upon Allah is actually within the prayer itself.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“Every individual must stand before Allah twice: when he stands before Him in prayer and when he stands before Him on the Day he meets Him. Whoever stands before Him as he should in the first instance, the second standing will be made easy for him, but whoever is heedless with regard to this standing, and does not stand before Him (in prayer) as he should, that standing (on the Day of Resurrection) will be made difficult for him.”
Understanding what Khushu really means
“Certainly will the believers have succeeded: They who are during their prayer humbly submissive.” (Al Muminun 23:1–2)
Khushu does not simply mean the stillness of the limbs, it is the presence of the heart, which means the heart is, soft, gentle and yearning for Allah (swt), awareness of Allah’s (swt) greatness.
Khushu means as if we are seeing Allah (swt), or at the very least, that He is seeing us. This awareness elevates the prayer from a ritual to an intimate dialogue and being humble before Him (feeling a profound sense of awe, reverence, and even fear of Allah’s (swt) greatness and majesty leads to humility and submission).
Developing profound Khushu is a journey of transformation and not an instant state. It can be developed with intention, reflection and consistency.
Khushu is not confined to Salah alone, it extends to every part of a believer’s life. It influences the heart before prayer, during it, and continues shaping one’s actions and mindset afterward, lasting until the day he meets Allah (swt).
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Khushu’ is like a seed that grows with constant watering.”
The Exemplary Khushu of Hatim Al-Asamm
Hatim Al-Asamm known for his exceptional humility in prayer lived around 200 years after Prophet Muhammad (sa) passed away. His meticulous approach to Salah involved several key steps:
- Perfect Wudu (Ablution): Ensuring ablution was flawlessly performed.
- Settling the Body: Remaining still at the prayer spot until complete bodily composure was achieved.
- Profound Visualization before Prayer
- Envisioning the Kaaba directly in front.
- Imagining standing on the Sirat (bridge over hellfire), described as incredibly narrow.
- Placing Jannah to the right and Hellfire to the left, acknowledging prayer as the determinant of his ultimate destination.
- Visualizing the angel of death behind him, emphasizing that each prayer could be his last.
The Prophet Muhammad (sa) instructed:
“Pray as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then know that He sees you.” (Bukhari)
Practical steps to cultivate Khushu in Salah
Cultivating Khushu in Salah is a continuous journey that requires effort, mindfulness, and a sincere desire to connect with Allah (swt). It is not about achieving perfection overnight, but about consistent striving.
“When any one of you stands to pray, Satan comes to him and confuses him until he does not know how much he has prayed.” (Bukhari)
- Clearing the mind and setting intentions: Disconnecting from the worldly tasks (the two minutes before the Salah decide the rest of the Salah), take 15 seconds to solidify intentions, calm yourself down and stop thinking about whatever you were doing before prayer. During this time, you can also plan out what you will be reciting in the prayer. Give Salah its full attention. Never give up if your mind wanders. Each time you gently bring your thoughts back, you are cultivating the soil of your heart.
- Mindful ablution: As you wash each limb, try to clear your mind of distractions and make the intention that you are purifying yourself physically and spiritually for standing before Allah (swt).
- Change your deeds: Abandon sins that create barriers and actively increase the good deeds.
- Immerse yourself within Salah: Slowdown in your Salah, learn the meanings of the words that you are uttering. When you know what you are saying, your heart is more likely to connect with the words, transforming recitation into a conversation. Even if you do not know Arabic, reflect on the translations. Also pay close attention to your physical movements.
- Layer your Salah with Sunnah prayers: Engage in voluntary prayers, as they can compensate for any deficiencies in your obligatory prayers on the Day of Judgment.
“Your salah can be your relief, your refuge, your meeting with Allah—if you let it.”
May Allah (swt) grant us the sweetness of Khushu and acceptance of our prayers.
(Partially adapted from Dr.Omar Sulaiman’s series)
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