399. Khushoo

By Asma Bint Shameem

Khushoo is the presence of the heart during an act of ibaadah. 

When your heart is fully occupied with what you’re  saying or hearing, and you’ve blocked out everything else, you're in a true state of Khushoo. 

TIPS TO INCREASE KHUSHOO 

General tips:

1. Educate yourself and learn how the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam prayed. 

Try and pray as close to the Sunnah as you possibly can. 

2. Learn the meaning of the Surahs, the duaas and adhkaar you normally read during Salaah. 

3. Memorize new surahs. And understand their meanings. 

4. Memorize new and different adhkaar of the rukoo’, sujood, tashahhud etc. 

There’s much more to rukoo’ than just “Subhaana Rabbi al-Adheem”. 

And “Subhaanakallaahumma wabihamdika...” is *not* the *“only”* opening duaa for Salaah. 

(Where to find more Sunnah adhkaar of the Salaah? 

I recommend” Hisnul Muslim”)

5. Learn the rules of Tajweed and how to pronounce everything correctly in your recitation. 

6. Stay away from sin. 

The farther someone is from Allaah, the harder it is for them to have khushoo in their Salaah. 

7. Stay away from things that will affect your heart and consequently your concentration in Salaah, like music, movies, TV dramas, wasting time, excessive involvement in the dunya, etc 

Preparation BEFORE the Salah. 

1. WAIT for the next prayer in the TRUE sense of the word. 

2. Reply to the adhaan. Then say the Sunnah duaa at the end. 

This mentally prepares us for the Salaah. 

3. Make wudhu well, concentrating on each part when washing. 

The better the wudhu, the more the khushoo. 

4. Use the siwaak, make sure your breath (and YOU!) smell fresh and clean. 

5. Wear nice, clean clothes. NOT your pajamas! 

Would you meet someone important in your crumpled up clothes? 

Then what about standing in front of the Lord of the Worlds?

6. Find a place that’s away from disturbing noises and sounds. 

If you’re praying at home, turn off the TV. 

Put away your phone. 

Take care of distractions. 

7. If you’re praying in the masjid, go early and wait. And engage in dhikr, Qur’aan or nawaafil while you wait. 

8. Try not to use a prayer mat that has bright colors and designs that could distract you. 

Actually you don’t even need a prayer mat. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam didn’t use one. 

9. Pray on TIME. 

If you wait till the last moment, you’ll rush through the Salaah and there’s no way you’ll have any Khushoo. 

During the Salaah 

1. Clear your mind as you say Allaahu Akbar. 

2. Reflect on your position, standing with your hands folded on your chest, eyes downcast, head bowed low.... a sinful, insignificant, little slave standing in front of his Almighty Master...Allaah, Lord of the Heavens and Earth. 

Subhaan Allaah. 

3. Reflect. 

Reflect on the meanings of Allaahu Akbar, the meanings of your recitation, the meaning of your Tasbeeh, the meanings of your Tashahhud. 

Say it with your heart; not just your tongue. 

Reflect. And then reflect some more. 

4. Vary what you read in Salaah. Vary the surahs that you recite, the  adhkaar that you read, the duaas that you make. 

Varying what you recite will help in concentration tremendously. 

5. Recite everything SLOWLY, beautifully, taking care to pronounce the letters well, perfecting your tajweed.

6. Recite everything, while moving your tongue and lips, so you can hear yourself read, ever so slightly. 

And pay ATTENTION to what you’re reading. 

7. Move from one position to another with ease, deliberation, calmness and at a measured pace. Don’t be in a rush or move through positions too quickly. 

And don’t start the dhikr until your bones have settled in the new position. 

8. Try to be still and not make too many unnecessary movements. 

9. Concentrate on the different positions and make sure they’re correct. 

For example, when bowing, make sure your hands are firmly placed on the knees and your back is straight. And when making sujood, make sure you’re prostrating firmly on all seven bones. 

10. Prolong your sujood. 

Know that you are closest to your Rabb in this position. 

Take advantage of this closeness and make long duaas, for they’re most likely to be answered in this situation. 

11. If the Shaytaan distracts you during Salaah, say Aa’oodhu billaah, spit dryly to your left, and then re-focus. 

AFTER the Salaah 

1. Don’t just get up right away after saying the salaam. 

Rather, remain sitting and say the adhkaar proven from the Sunnah that are to be said at this time. 

2. Again reflect on what you’re saying and say it like you mean it.  

3. Make an honest assessment of your Salaah and look at how you did. 

See when you lost khushoo and why. Then set yourself on fixing it the next time. 

4. Remember practice make perfect. 

It’s obvious you won’t get to that level of khushoo you want, right away. 

The key word here is perseverance. Keep at it. 

Keep refocusing and keep practicing until you *train your mind* to think of nothing but Allaah...until you have the perfect khushoo, 

Bi idhnillaahi Ta’aala. 

May Allaah give us Khushoo in our Salaah and all our ibaadaat.

And Allaah knows best