33 Ways of developing Khushoo in Salaah 33 سببا للخشوع في الصالة

Transcription

1 33 Ways of developing Khushoo in Salaah {ENGLISH} 33 سببا للخشوع في الصالة )اإلنجليزيت( By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

2 Contents Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Concealment of Khushoo' 4 3. Rulings on Khushoo' 6 4. The means of developing Khushoo' 8 5. Knowing the advantages of Khushoo' in Salaah Warding off distractions and things that adversely affect khushoo When a person suffers a great deal of waswaas Conclusion 41 2

3 In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful Introduction Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Who has said in His book (interpretation of the meaning), and stand before Allah 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 Allah, and on all his family and companions. Salaah is the greatest of the practical pillars of Islam, and khushoo in prayer is required by sharee ah. When Iblees, the enemy of Allah, vowed to mislead and tempt the sons of Adam and said Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left [al-a raaf 7:17, interpretation of the meaning], one of his most significant plots became to divert people from salaah by all possible means and to whisper to them during their prayer so as to deprive them of the joy of this worship and cause them to lose the reward for it. As khushoo will be the first thing to disappear from the earth, and we are living in the last times, the words of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) are particularly pertinent to us: The first thing of your religion that you will lose is khushoo, and the last thing that you will lose of your religion is salaah. There may be a person praying who has no goodness in him, and soon you will enter the mosque and not find anyone who has khushoo. (al-madaarij, 1/521). Because of what every person knows about himself, and because of the complaints that one hears from many people about waswaas (insinuating thoughts from Shaytan) 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 Allah to make it of benefit. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. [al- Mu minoon 23:1-2] i.e., fearing Allah and in a calm manner. Khushoo means calmness, serenity, tranquility, dignity and humility. What makes a person have this khushoo is fear of Allah and the sense that He is always watching. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Daar al-sha b edn., 6/414). Khushoo means that the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission. (al-madaarij, 1/520). It was reported that Mujaahid said: and stand before Allah with obedience [al- Baqarah 2:238 interpretation of the meaning] part of obedience is to bow, to be 3

4 solemn and submissive, to lower one s gaze and to humble oneself out of fear of Allah, may He be glorified. (Ta zeem Qadr al-salaah, 1/188). 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 Shaytan, 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: Concealment of khushoo Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Beware of the khushoo of hypocrisy. He was asked, What is the khushoo of hypocrisy? He said, When the body shows khushoo but there is no khushoo in the heart. Fudayl ibn Ayaad said: It was disliked for a man to show more khushoo than he had in his heart. One of them saw a man showing khushoo in his shoulders and body, and said, O So and so, khushoo is here and he pointed to his chest, not here and he pointed to his shoulders. (al-madaarij, 1/521) Ibn al-qayyim (may Allah 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 Allah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness, so that the heart is utterly humbled before Allah and broken, as it were, with fear, shyness, love and the recognition of the blessings of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah. 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 Allah the remembrance of Him, and tranquillity descends upon him from his Lord. So he has become humble (mukhbit) before Allah, 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 4

5 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. As for overdoing it, and the khushoo of hypocrisy, this is the attitude of a person who tries to make a great show of khushoo, but deep down he is still filled with desires. So on the outside he appears to have khushoo, but the snake of the valley and the lion of the forest reside within him, watching for prey. (Al-Rooh, p. 314, Daar al-firk edn., Jordan). Khushoo in prayer happens when a person empties his heart for it (prayer), and focuses on it to the exclusion of all else, and prefers it to everything else. Only then does he find comfort and joy in it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: and my joy has been made in salaah. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/456. The hadith is in Musnad Ahmad, 3/128 and Saheeh al-jaami, 3124). Allah 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]. One of the benefits of khushoo is that it makes prayer easier for a person. Allah tells us (interpretation of the meaning): And seek help in patience and al-salaah (the prayer), and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for al-khaashi oon [i.e., the true believers, those who obey Allah with full submission, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in His Promise and in His Warnings] [al-baqarah 2:45]. The meaning is that the burden of prayer is heavy indeed, except for those who have khushoo. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/125). Khushoo is very important, but it is something that is easily lost and is rarely seen, especially in our own times, which are the last times. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The first thing to be lifted up (taken away) from this ummah will be khushoo, until you will see no one who has khushoo. (Al-Haythami said in al-majma, 2/136: It was reported by al-tabaraani in al-kabeer, and its isnaad is hasan. See also Saheeh al-targheeb, no He said it is saheeh).... 5

6 Rulings on Khushoo' According to the most correct view, khushoo is obligatory. Shaykh al-islam [Ibn Taymiyah], may Allah have mercy on him, said: Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): And seek help in patience and al-salaah (the prayer), and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for al-khaashi oon [al-baqarah 2:45]. This implies condemnation of those who are not khaashi oon Condemnation only applies when something obligatory is not done, or when something forbidden is done. If those who do not have khushoo are to be condemned, this indicates that khushoo is obligatory (waajib) The fact that khushoo is obligatory is also indicated by the aayaat (interpretation of the meaning): Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness These are indeed the inheritors, who shall inherit the Firdaws (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever. [al-mu minoon 23:1-2, 10-11] Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, tells us that these are the ones who will inherit Firdaws (Paradise), which implies that no-one else will do so Khushoo is obligatory in prayer, and this includes calmness and khushoo [the original says khushoo ; perhaps what is meant is khudoo meaning submission, humility]. Whoever pecks like a crow in his sujood (prostration) does not have khushoo, and whoever does not raise his head fully from rukoo (bowing) and pause for a while before going down into sujood is not calm, because calmness implies doing things at a measured pace, so the person who does not do things at a measured pace is not calm. Whoever is not calm does not have khushoo in his rukoo or sujood, and whoever does not have khushoo is a sinner Another indication that khushoo in prayer is obligatory is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned those who do not have khushoo, such as the one who lifts up his gaze to the sky (in prayer), because this movement and raising of the gaze goes against the idea of khushoo (Majma al-fataawa, 22/ ). Concerning the virtues of khushoo and as a warning to the one who neglects it, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Five prayers which Allah has made obligatory. Whoever does wudoo properly for them, prays them on time, does rukoo properly and has perfect khushoo, it is a promise from Allah that he will be forgiven, but whoever does not do this, has no such promise if Allah wishes, He will forgive him, and if He wishes, He will punish him. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 425; Saheeh al-jaami, 3242). Concerning the virtues of khushoo, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: Whoever does wudoo and does it well, then prays two rak ahs focusing on them completely [according to another report: and does not think of anything else], will be forgiven all his previous sins [according to another report: will be guaranteed Paradise]. (Al-Bukhari, al-bagha edn., no. 158; al-nisaa'i, 1/95; Saheeh al- Jaami, 6166). 6

7 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 Allah 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 Allah as if he sees Him, for when he is standing in prayer, he is talking to his Lord. Ihsaan means that you worship Allah 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 imaan. The means of strengthening imaan are many, and this is why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, In your world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my joy is in prayer. According to another hadith, he said, Let us find comfort in prayer, O Bilaal he did not say, Let us get it over and done with. With regard to the second, weakness of distractions: This means striving to push away all distractions that make you think of something other than the prayer itself, and warding off thoughts that keep you mind off the purpose of the prayer. This is something which differs from one person to another, because the extent of waswaas has to do with the extent of one s doubts and desires and the heart s focus and dependence on what it loves, and its efforts to avoid what it dislikes. (Majmoo al-fataawa, 22/ ) On the basis of this division, we will now discuss some of: 7

8 The means of developing Khushoo' 1 Striving to gain that which gives and strengthens khushoo 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 a 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 Allah, 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 a between the adhaan and the iqaamah; Doing wudoo properly, saying Bismillaah before it and making dhikr and saying the du a after it, Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allah 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 almutatahhireen (O Allah, make me of those who repent and make me of those who purify themselves) ; Using siwaak to cleanse and perfume the mouth that is going to recite Qur an in a short while, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Purify your mouths for the Qur an. (Reported by al-bazzaar, who said: we do not have it with any better isnaad than this. Kashf al-astaar, 1/242. Al-Haythami said: its men are thiqaat. 2/99. Al-Albaani said: its isnaad is jayyid. Al-Sahihah, 1213); Wearing one s best and cleanest clothes, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes) while praying [Al-A raaf 7:31]. Allah 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 8

9 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 Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to move at a measured pace during salaah, allowing every bone to return to its place. (Its isnaad is classed as saheeh in Sifat al-salaat, p. 134, 11th edn. Ibn Khuzaymah also classed it as saheeh as mentioned by al-haafiz in al-fath, 2/308). He commanded those who were not doing their prayer properly to do this too. He said, None of you has prayed properly until he does this. (Reported by Abu Dawood, 1/536, no. 858). Abu Qutaadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The worst type of thief is the one who steals from his prayer. He said, O Messenger of Allah, how can a person steal from his prayer? He said, By not doing rukoo and sujood properly. (Reported by Ahmad and al-haakim, 1/229; Saheeh al-jaami, 997). Abu Abd-Allaah al-ash ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, The one who does not do rukoo properly, and pecks in sujood, is like a starving man who eats only one or two dates; it does not do him any good at all. (Reported by al-tabaraani in al-kabeer, 4/115. In Saheeh al- Jaami it says, hasan). 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 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Remember death in your prayer, for the man who remembers death during his prayer is bound to pray properly, and pray the prayer of a man who does not think that he will pray any other prayer. (al-silsilat al-sahihah by al-albaani, It was reported from al-suyooti that al-haafiz ibn Hajar classed this hadith as hasan). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also advised Abu Ayub (may Allah be pleased with him): When you stand up to pray, pray a farewell prayer. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/412; Saheeh al-jaami, no. 742) meaning the prayer of one who thinks that he will not pray another prayer. The person who is praying will no doubt die, and there is some prayer that will be his last prayer, so let him have khushoo in the prayer that he is doing, for he does not know whether this will be his last prayer. 9

10 Thinking about the aayaat and adhkaar being recited during the prayer and interacting with them The Qur an was revealed to be pondered over. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): (This is) a Book (the Qur an) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. [Saad 38:29]. No one can ponder over its verses unless he has some knowledge of the meaning of what he is reciting, so that he can think about it and be moved to tears by it. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And those who, when they are reminded of the aayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat. [al-furqaan 25:73]. Thus the importance of studying Tafseer (Qur an commentary) is quite clear. Ibn Jareer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I am astonished at people who read the Qur an and do not know what it means. How can they enjoy reading it? (Muqaddimat Tafseer al- Tabari by Mahmood Shaakir, 1/10. For this reason it is important for the reader of Qur an to look at a Tafseer, even if it is abridged, when he is reading. For example, he could read Zubdat al-tafseer by al-ashqar, which is abridged from the Tafseer of al- Shawkaani, and the Tafseer of al- Allaamah Ibn Sa di, entitled Tayseer al-kareem al- Rahmaan fi Tafseer Kalaam al-mannaan. At the very least he could consult a book explaining the unusual words such as al-mu jam al-jaami li Ghareeb Mufradaat al- Qur an by Abd al- Azeez al-seerwaan, which is a compilation of four books of unusual words used in the Qur an). Another way of helping oneself to ponder over the meanings is to repeat aayaat, because this will help one to think deeply and look again at the meanings. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do this. It was reported that he spent a night repeating one aayah until morning came. The aayah was (interpretation of the meaning): If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [al-maa idah 5:118]. (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/271 and Ahmad, 5/149; Sifat al-salaah, p. 102). [Translator s note: Shaykh al-albaani s book Sifat al-salaah is available in English under the title The Prophet s Prayer described by Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen al-albaani, translated by Usama ibn Suhaib Hasan, Al-Haneef Publications, Ipswich, UK, 1993] Another way of helping oneself ponder over the meanings is to interact with the aayaat. Hudhayfah said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) one night he was reciting at length. If he recited an aayah that mentioned tasbeeh, he would say Subhaan Allah; if it mentioned a question, he would ask a question; if it mentioned seeking refuge with Allah, he would seek refuge with Allah. (Reported by Muslim, no. 772). According to another report, [Hudhayfah] said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and if he recited an aayah that mentioned mercy, he would ask for mercy; if he recited an aayah that mentioned punishment, he would seek refuge with Allah, and if he recited 10

11 an aayah that mentioned deanthropomorphism of Allah, he would say Subhaan-Allah. (Ta zeem Qadr al-salaah, 1/327). This was reported concerning qiyaam al-layl (prayer at night). One of the Sahaabah Qutaadah ibn al-nu maan (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed qiyaam at night and did not recite anything but Qul Huwa Allah Ahad, repeating it and not adding anything more. (Al-Bukhari, al-fath, 9/59; Ahmad, 3/43) Sa eed ibn Ubayd al-taa i said: I heard Sa eed ibn Jubayr leading them in prayer during the month of Ramadan, and he was repeating this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): they will come to know, when iron collars will be rounded over their necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along, in the boiling water, then they will be burned in the Fire. [Ghaafir 40:70-72]. Al-Qaasim said: I saw Sa eed ibn Jubayr praying qiyaam al-layl and reciting (interpretation of the meaning): And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned [al-baqarah 2:281], and repeating it twenty-odd times. A man of Qays who was known by the kunyah Abu Abd-Allaah said: We stayed with al-hasan one night, and he got up to pray qiyaam al-layl. He prayed and did not stop repeating this ayah until just before dawn (interpretation of the meaning): and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them [Ibrahim 14:34]. When morning came, we said, O Abu Sa eed, you did not recite any more than this one ayah all night. He said, I learn a great deal from it: I do not glance at anything but I see a blessing in it, but what we do not know about Allah s blessings is far greater. (Al- Tidhkaar li l-qurtubi, p. 125). Haroon ibn Rabaab al-usaydi used to get up at night to pray Tahajjud, and he would repeat this ayah 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 an 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 Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility [khushoo ] [al-isra 17:109]. The following is a moving story that illustrates how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had khushoo, as well as explaining how it is obligatory to think of the meaning of the aayaat. Ataa said: Ubayd ibn Umayr and I entered upon 11

12 Aa ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Ibn Umayr said to her, Tell us of the most amazing thing you saw on the part of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). She wept and said, He got up one night and said, O Aa ishah, leave me to worship my Lord. I said, By Allah, I love to be close to you, and I love what makes you happy. So he got up and purified himself, then he stood and prayed. He kept weeping until his lap got wet, then he wept and kept weeping until the floor got wet. Bilaal came to tell him that it was time to pray, and when he saw him weeping, he said, O Messenger of Allah, you are weeping when Allah has forgiven you all your past and future sins? He said, Should I not be a grateful slave? Tonight some aayaat have been revealed to me; woe to the one who recites them and does not think about what is in them (interpretation of the meaning): Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth [Aal Imraan 3:190 or al-baqarah 2:164]. (Reported by Ibn Hibaan. He said in al-silsilat al-sahihah, no. 68: this is a jayyid isnaad). One example of interacting with the aayaat is to say Aameen after al-faatihah, which brings a great reward. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: If the imaam says Aameen, then say Aameen too, for whoever says Aameen and it coincides with the Aameen of the angels, will have all his previous sins forgiven. (Reported by al-bukhari, no. 747). Another example is responding to the imaam when he says Sami Allaahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him) ; the members of the congregation should say, Rabbanaa wa laka l-hamd (O our Lord, to You be praise). This also brings a great reward. Rifaa ah ibn Raafi al-zirqi said: One day we were praying behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When he raised his head, he said, Sami Allaahu liman hamidah, and a man behind him said, Rabbanaa wa laka l-hamdu hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fih (Our Lord to You be much good and blessed praise). When he finished, he said, Who is the one who spoke? The man said, Me. He said, I saw thirty-odd angels rushing to see who would write it down first. (Reported by al- Bukhari, al-fath, 2/284). Pausing at the end of each ayah This is more helpful in understanding and thinking about the meaning, and it is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) described how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would recite, Bismillah il-rahmaan il-raheem, and according to one report, he would pause, then say, Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabbi l- Aalameen, al-rahmaan, al-raheem. Then according to one report, he would pause, then say, Maaliki yawm il-deen, and he would break up his recitation ayah by ayah. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 4001; classed as Saheeh by al-albaani in al-irwaa, where its isnaads are described. 2/60). 12

13 Pausing at the end of each ayah is Sunnah even if the meaning continues into the next ayah. Reciting in slow, rhythmic tones (tarteel) and making one s voice beautiful when reciting As Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): and recite the Qur an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style. [al-muzzammil 73:4]. The recitation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was clear, with each letter pronounced distinctly. (Musnad Ahmad, 6/294, with a saheeh isnaad. Sifat al-salaah, p. 105). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would recite a surah in such slow rhythmic tones that it would be longer than would seem possible. (Reported by Muslim, no. 733). This slow, measured pace of recitation is more conducive to reflection and khushoo than a hurried, hasty reading. Another way of helping oneself to have khushoo is by making one s voice beautiful when reciting. This is something that was advised by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as when he said, Beautify the Qur an with your voices, for a fine voice increases the Qur an in beauty. (Reported by al-haakim, 1/575; Saheeh al- Jaami, no. 3581). Beautifying it with one s voice does not mean elongating the vowels and giving it a tune in the manner of corrupt people; it means beautifying one s voice with the fear of Allah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Truly, the one who has one of the finest voices among the people for reciting the Qur an is the one whom you think fears Allah when you hear him recite. (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 1/1339; Saheeh al-jaami, no. 2202). Knowing that Allah responds to prayers The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted has said: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for. When the slave says Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Allah says, My slave has praised Me. When the slave says, The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy, Allah says, My slave has extolled me. When the slave says, Master of the Day of Judgement, Allah says, My slave has glorified me. When the slave says, It is You alone we worship and it is You alone we ask for help, Allah says, This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for. When the slave says, Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not the path of those who receive Your anger, nor of 13

14 those who go astray, Allah says, All these are for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for. (Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-salaah, Baab wujoob qiraa at al- Faatihah fi kulli rak ah). [Words in italics are the translation of the meaning of Soorat al- Faatihah Translator]. This is a great and important hadith. 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? This conversation with Allah must be respected and accorded its proper value. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When any one of you stands to pray, he is conversing with his Lord, so let him pay attention to how he speaks to Him. (al-haakim, al-mustadrak, 1/236; Saheeh al-jaami, 1538). 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 Shaytan and keep people from passing in front of you, which causes a distraction and reduces the reward of the prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When any one of you prays, let him pray facing a sutrah, and let him get close to it. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 695, 1/446; Saheeh al-jaami, no. 651). Getting close to the sutrah is very beneficial, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When any one of you prays facing a sutrah, let him get close to it so that the Shaytan cannot interrupt his prayer. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 695, 1/446; Saheeh al-jaami, no. 650). The Sunnah in getting close to the sutrah is to have three cubits between it and the spot where one prostrates, or to allow enough space for a sheep to pass between the two, as is reported in the Saheeh ahadith. (Al-Bukhari; see al-fath, 1/574, 579). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advised the one who is praying not to allow anyone to pass between him and his sutrah. He said: When any one of you is praying, he should not allow anyone to pass in front of him, and he should prevent him as most as he can. If he insists, he should fight him, for he has a companion [i.e., Shaytan] with him. (Reported by Muslim, 1/260; Saheeh al-jaami, no. 755). Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The wisdom in using a sutrah is to lower your gaze and not to look beyond it, and to prevent anyone from passing in front 14

15 of you and to prevent the Shaytan from passing in front of you and trying to corrupt your prayer. (Sharh Saheeh Muslim, 4/216). Placing the right hand on the left hand on the chest The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when he stood up to pray, used to place his right hand on his left hand (Muslim, no. 401), and place them on his chest (Abu Dawood, no. 759; see also Irwa al-ghaleel, 2/71). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, We Prophets were commanded to place our right hands on our left hands in prayer. (Reported by al-tabaraani in al- Mu jam al-kabeer, no Al-Haythami said: Al-Tabaraani reported it in al-awsat and its men are the men of saheeh. Al-Majma, 3/155). Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the meaning of placing one hand on top of the other when standing in prayer. He said: It is humility before the Almighty. (Al-Khushoo fi l-salaah by Ibn Rajab, p. 21). Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The ulamaa said: the meaning of this posture is that it is the attitude of the humble petitioner, it is more likely to prevent fidgeting, and it is more conducive to khushoo. (Fath al-baari, 2/224). Looking at the place of prostration It was reported from Aa ishah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray with his head tilted forward and his gaze lowered, looking at the ground. (Reported by al-haakim, 1/479. He said it is saheeh according to the condition of the two Shaykhs [al-bukhari and Muslim], and al-albaani agreed with him in Sifat al-salaah, p. 89). When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the Ka bah, his eyes never left the place of his prostration until he came out again. (Reported by al- Haakim in al-mustadrak, 1/479. He said it is saheeh according to the condition of the two shaykhs, and al-dhahabi agreed with him. Al-Albaani said, It is as they said. Irwaa al-ghaleel, 2/73). When a person sits for Tashahhud, he should look at the finger with which he is pointing as he is moving it, as it was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would point with the finger next to the thumb towards the qiblah, and focus his gaze upon it. (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/355, no The editor said: its isnaad is saheeh. See Sifat al-salaah, p. 139). According to another report he pointed with his index finger and did not allow his gaze to wander beyond it. (Reported by Ahmad, 4/3, and by Abu Dawood, no. 990) 15

16 Note 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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that was just referred to above. Closing the eyes means that a person misses out on the Sunnah of looking at the place of prostration and at his finger. But there is more to the matter than this, so we should listen to the opinion of an expert, al- Allaamah Abu Abd-Allah Ibn al-qayyim, which will explain the matter further. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not part of the Prophet s teaching to close the eyes during prayer. We have already mentioned how he used to look at his finger during the Tashahhud and the du a, and he would not let his gaze wander beyond his finger Another indication [of the fact that he kept his eyes open] is the fact that he stretched his hand forth to take the bunch of grapes when he saw Paradise, and he also saw Hell and the woman (who had tormented) the cat, and the owner of Stick (al-mihjan). Likewise, he pushed away the animal that wanted to pass in front of him whilst he was praying, and he pushed back the boy, and the young girl, and the two young girls. He used to wave to those whom he saw greeting him (whilst he was praying). There is also a hadith that describes how the Shaytan tried to tempt him whilst he was praying, so he grabbed him and strangled him, as he had seen him with his own eyes. From these ahadith and others we learn that he did not close his eyes when he prayed. The fuqahaa differ as to whether closing the eyes during prayer is makrooh. Imaam Ahmad and others did count it as makrooh, and said: This is the action of the Jews, but others allowed it and did not count it as makrooh. The correct view is that if keeping the eyes open does not affect a person s khushoo, then this is better, but if keeping the eyes open affects a person s khushoo because of decorations, adornments etc. in front of him, which distract him, then it is not makrooh at all for him to close his eyes. The opinion that indeed it is mustahabb in this case is closer to the principles and aims of sharee ah than saying it is makrooh. And Allah knows best. (Zaad al-ma aad, 1/293, Daar al-risaalah edn.) 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. 16

17 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 Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: It is more powerful against the Shaytan than iron (reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/119, with a hasan isnaad, as stated in Sifat al-salaah, p. 159), i.e., pointing with the forefinger during the Tashahhud is more painful to the Shaytan than being beaten with a rod of iron, because it reminds the slave of the Unity of Allah and to be sincere in his worship of Him alone, and this is what the Shaytan hates most; we seek refuge with Allah from him. (al-fath al-rabbani by al-saa idi, 4/15). Because of this great benefit, the Sahaabah, may Allah be pleased with them, used to enjoin one another to do this and were very keen to remember to do this thing which so many people nowadays take so lightly. It was reported that the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin one another, i.e., with regard to pointing with the finger during the du a. (Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah with a hasan isnaad, as stated in Sifat al-salaah, p See al-musannaf, no. 9732, part 10, page 381, Dar al-salafiyyah, India, edn.) 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 (peace and blessings of Allah of upon him) used to recite in his prayer, we will see this variation. For example, with regard to the opening du a, we find examples such as the following: Allaahumma baa id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kamaa baa adta bayn al-mashriqi wa l-maghrib. Allaahumma naqqani min khataayaaya kamaa yunaqqaa al-thawb alabyad min al-danas. Allaahumma ghsilni min khataayaaya bi l-maa wa l-thalj wa lbarad (O Allah, separate me (far) from my sins as You have separated (far) the East from the West. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as white cloth is cleansed from dirt. O Allah, wash me of my sins with water, snow and ice). 17

18 Wajahtu wajhi li lladhi fatara al-samawaati wa l-ard haneefan, wa maa ana min almushrikeen. 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 Allah, 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 Allah, 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 (peace and blessings of Allah of upon him) used to recite during Salaat al-fajr we find a great and blessed number. The longer mufassal soorahs (soorahs from the last seventh of the Qur an), 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 lzaytoon [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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite 200 or 150 aayaat, and sometimes he used to shorten the recitation. 18

19 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 Allah, 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 Allah, Lord of the Worlds). When standing upright from rukoo, after saying Sami a Allah liman hamidah (Allah 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 Allah 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 althanaa 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 Allah, our Lord. O Allah 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 Allah, 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 Allah, 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 Allah, 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 Allah. Peace be upon you, O 19

20 Prophet ) and Al-Tahiyyaat al-mubaarakaat al-salawaat al-tayyibaatu Lillaahi, alsalaamu alayka ayyuha l-nabiyyu etc. (All compliments, blessed words, prayers, pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet ) and Al-tahiyyaat altayyibaat al-salawaatu Lillaahi, al-salaamu alayka ayyuha l-nabiyyu etc. (All compliments, good words and prayers are due to Allah. 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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), such as: Allaahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ala Ibrahim wa ala aali Ibrahim, innaka Hameedun Majeed. Allaahumma baarik ala Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ala Ibrahim wa ala aali Ibrahim innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, 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 Ibrahim, innaka Hameedun Majeed wa baarik ala Muhammadin wa ala aali baytihi wa ala azwaajihi wa dhuriyatihi kamaa baarakta ala aali Ibrahim innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibrahim, 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 Ibrahim, wa baarik ala Muhammad al-nabiyy al-ummi wa ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ala aali Ibrahim fi l- aalameen, innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibrahim among the nations, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory). 20

21 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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught one version rather than others to his Sahaabah when they asked him about it, and so on. (All of the above texts etc. have been taken from Sifat al-salaat al-nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-deen al-albaani, which he compiled from the books of hadeeth). Performing sujood al-tilaawah when reciting an ayah where this is required One of the etiquettes of reciting Qur an is to perform sujood al-tilaawah (prostration for recitation) when one recites an ayah containing a sajdah (place where a prostration is required). In His Book, Allah describes the Prophets and the righteous as follows (interpretation of the meaning): When the Verses of the Most Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping. [Maryam 19:58]. Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars agreed that we should prostrate here [when reciting this ayah] so as to follow their example. (Tafseer al- Qur an al- Azeem, 5/238, Daar al-sha b edn.) Sujood al-tilaawah in prayer is very important because it increases khushoo. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility [khushoo ]. [al-israa 17:109]. It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prostrated when he recited Soorat al-najm [53] in his prayer. Al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported in his Saheeh that Abu Raafi said: I prayed Ishaa with Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and he recited Idhaa al-samaa u inshaqqat [al-inshiqaaq 84] and prostrated. I asked him about it, and he said, I prostrated behind Abu l-qaasim [the Prophet] (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and I will continue to do so until I meet him again. (Saheeh al-bukhari, Kitaab al-adhaan, Baab al-jahr bi l- Ishaa ). It is important to maintain the practice of sujood al-tilaawah, especially since it causes annoyance to the Shaytan and suppresses him, thus weakening his hold on the worshipper. Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When the son of Adam recites a sajdah, the Shaytan goes away weeping, saying, Woe to him! He was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so Paradise is his; I was ordered to prostrate and I disobeyed, so Hell is my fate! (Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh, no. 133). 21