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Attaining khushoo in Salah

AAnsarii

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Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
This esteemed factor that must form the very thread of the fabric, our fabric is rendered useless by its absence. May Allah Make us of the Khashi'een.

We would all benefit if you post any material that you find on this topic. May Allah Guide us.

Allah's Messenger r 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." [(Saheeh) - Saheeh at-Targheeb no: 543]
 
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How to Gain Tranquility in Your Prayer Series (Part 1)

(#1): How to Attain Ultimate Submission


We are quick to say we’ve submitted to the will of Allah (glorified and exalted be He), but does our heart completely back our words? Have we submitted ourselves, or found “khushoo” in our prayer, our actions and our daily lives?

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness (Khushoo).” [Surah Al-Muminoon 23:1-2]

Definition of Khushoo

The reasons why we obey someone can be broadly traced under the following categories.

• Fear
• Recognition of superiority or authority
• Acknowledging the orders as just
• Love

If we comply with the commands of human beings based on the cited reasons, how do you think we should carry out our duties towards Allah – the only One we should fear, far superior to anything we could imagine, the One who is full of kindness in rewarding the righteous though being in no need of them.

Allah reveals in the Qur’an: “Had We sent down this Qur’an to a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.” [Surah Hashr 59:21]


Linguistically, khushoo connotes a feeling of intense reverence, awe, submission and respect. In Islam it also comprehends that aspect of fear that stems out of deep knowledge of the power of Allah. Imam Ahmed once heard a man mocking another Muslim by mentioning the little amount of Islamic knowledge he had. Ibn Hanbal defended the Muslim by replying that he had the fruit of knowledge: khushoo.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) used to recite the following supplication:
“O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the non-beneficial knowledge, from a heart that does not possess khushoo’ from the evil desire which is never satisfied and from supplications which are not accepted.”

Khushoo and knowledge are deeply related. “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.” [Surah Fatir 35:28]. The interesting point to notice is that usually fear is associated to the unknown and superstition feeds on ignorance, while in Islam, khushoo is a consequence of knowledge.

Thus khushoo goes beyond fear; the latter would be best rendered in Arabic by the word khawf. The purpose of khawf is to prevent us from falling into sins, to restrain our whims by keeping in mind the punishment for the transgressors. Khushoo, instead, is the means by which our hearts are brought to life, finding tranquility in the remembrance of Allah, seeking His pleasure with every action of ours. Khushoo is often associated with salat, but it shouldn’t be confined to it.

With the Shahadah we declare we have recognized who our Creator is, but its implication is deeper. By definition, a Muslim is the one that not only acknowledges His presence but that is wholeheartedly willing to submit to His will.

Salat is to be the manifestation of this submission of the hearts and limbs and, deprived of Khushoo, it becomes a mechanical act. If your heart is not in it, the very objective of Salat (linking you to Allah) has been missed.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad”.

And how can a prayer be accepted if we take it lightly and our attention is continuously diverted while we are in the midst of it?

The Qur’an says: “So woe to those who pray. But who are heedless of their payer.” [Surah Al-Ma’oun 107:4-5]

What Khushoo is Not

Khushoo is not a synonym for weeping or lowering one’s gaze. Umar (may Allāh be pleased with him) saw a young man lowering his head, so he said to him: “What is this? Raise your head, for indeed this (kind of) khushoo does not increase what is in the heart. Whosoever displays a khushoo that does not stem from the heart, then it is hypocrisy added to hypocrisy.“

Muhammad bin Sirin was once consulted about a man who dropped unconscious when the Qur’an was recited to him and it was attributed to his fear of Allah. Bin Sirin asked that an appointment should be arranged with the man, explaining: “We will sit on a wall, and the Qur’an – from beginning to end – will be recited unto him. If he falls off the wall, he is as he claims.”

When Aishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) was informed that there were people who fainted on hearing the Qur`an, she replied: “The Qur’an is nobler than to have people lose their minds from it. Rather, it is as Allah the Mighty and Sublime said: “Those who fear their Lord tremble with fear by it, then their skins and hearts settle to the remembrance of Allah.” [Surah Al-Zumar 39:23]

We can derive from the above narrations that the heart is the center of khushoo. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was also reported as saying: “There is an organ in the body, if it is good, the whole body will be good, and if it is bad the whole body will become bad, verily it is the heart.”

http://productivemuslim.com/how-to-gain-tranquility-in-your-prayer-series-part-1/
 
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AAnsarii said:
AngelicBeauty acas shaikh Devilishangel:) fille spéciale SilentSpectator Silent Hunter badrobot14 7th heaven ;) étudiante Dazzling Girl <3 fantastic girl InDiviDuaLisT gary221 cyclone94 sumaiyarox:) Al-Anoud Happy Muslimah muslimah here N.M areeba fatima IGCSE O/L student Student of the year Zari 2345qwer knowitall10 Muslimah98 forbidden rose Dangerzone00 Rutzaba Experienced One sweetjinnah
the post above. it is a bit long, bt plz read
Click to expand...
JazakAllahu Khair for such a beautiful article sis......May Allah reward u for sharing it wid us...Ameen!
n JazakAllah 4 the tag :)
 
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AAnsarii Thanks for sharing this amazing article. May Allah (s.w.t) enlighten you with more knowledge and reward you with a place in heaven. :)
 
forbidden rose

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AAnsarii said:
AngelicBeauty acas shaikh Devilishangel:) fille spéciale SilentSpectator Silent Hunter badrobot14 7th heaven ;) étudiante Dazzling Girl <3 fantastic girl InDiviDuaLisT gary221 cyclone94 sumaiyarox:) Al-Anoud Happy Muslimah muslimah here N.M areeba fatima IGCSE O/L student Student of the year Zari 2345qwer knowitall10 Muslimah98 forbidden rose Dangerzone00 Rutzaba Experienced One sweetjinnah
the post above. it is a bit long, bt plz read
Click to expand...
GOT TAGGED TWICE?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

awwwwwwn i love u guys too ♥ xD

btw what does khushoo mean???????

plz dont think of me as dumb xD
 
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forbidden rose said:
GOT TAGGED TWICE?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

awwwwwwn i love u guys too ♥ xD

btw what does khushoo mean???????

plz dont think of me as dumb xD
Click to expand...

:):D popular, han:cool: ? :eek:;)

"Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquillity, dignity and humility. What makes a person have this khushoo’ is fear of Allaah 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)."
:http://www.muslimlinkpaper.com/islam/islam/2094-khushoo-the-main-ingredient-of-salah.html
asking sth u dnt noe is so nt dumb. :)
 
forbidden rose

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AAnsarii said:
:):D popular, han:cool: ? :eek:;)

"Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquillity, dignity and humility. What makes a person have this khushoo’ is fear of Allaah 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)."
:http://www.muslimlinkpaper.com/islam/islam/2094-khushoo-the-main-ingredient-of-salah.html
asking sth u dnt noe is so nt dumb.
Click to expand...
LOL

thanx

i like khushoo xD
 
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How to Gain Tranquility in Prayer (Part 2)
--Jihan Anwar


Obstacles to Attaining the State of Khushoo

Before suggesting ways to acquire khushoo we should ask ourselves why we haven’t achieved it yet or why we lost it. Hence let’s examine the factors that hinder us from experiencing khushoo.

External

These are the outward elements that capture our attention whilst we pray. They are usually related to the environment in which we are praying or our physical posture and motion.

  • Noisy places
  • Attractive or colorful decorations
  • Physical needs like hunger or thirst
  • Restlessness of limbs
  • Unless we are in a congregational prayer the presence of other people might divert our attention too

Internal

Internal causes are those associated with our mind-set, beliefs and character.

*Ignorance
When we descend to our graves we will be asked: “Who is your lord? Who is the man that was sent to you? What is your religion?”. If this basic knowledge is not engraved in our minds while we are alive, if we are not reminiscent about this and live upon it, what are the chances we will do anything but stutter when questioned?
Do you know whom you have submitted to? Are you aware of the sacrifices that our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) made to convey this religion? Can you discern the absolute beauty and perfection of this way of life – the freedom and elevation gained from stopping to fear the creation to submit and revere no one but the Creator?
Increase your awareness of these facts so as to humble yourself in your ibadah (acts of worship).

*Pride/arrogance
Too great to offer a sujood for the sake of Allah, too accomplished to supplicate to Him to grant you al-Firdous, too self sufficient to realize how weak and feeble we are as human beings, never mind our status or achievements in this dunya? We are all in need of Allah’s (glorified and exalted be He) mercy though we don’t deserve it.
Pride can even stem from one’s own worship. Admiring one’s own recitation and supplications, feeling content of the charity we give, being self-satisfied with our knowledge. Hasan al Basri said regarding the Sahaba that they used to perform every obligatory and voluntary act with the outmost care and sincerity and yet they were afraid lest it wouldn’t be accepted. Shun pride and arrogance so as to taste the sweetness of khushoo!

*Sins
Sometimes sins can become a barrier to developing a sincere connection to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) or, even worse, they may lead us to abandoning it. Don’t let this be your case. Sins shouldn’t be a reason to cut our relationship with God, or a reason to lose khushoo. Instead we can make it become the factor that prompts us to seek forgiveness and guidance from Allah with earnestness.
As humans we all commit mistakes, but we should not lose hope of being forgiven.
“And those who disbelieve in the ayah of Allah and the Meeting with Him, it is they who have no hope of My Mercy, and it is they who will (have) a painful torment.” [Surah Al-Ankabut 29:23]

*Riya’a
One may be doing all the outward deeds perfectly and have the basis of his creed messed up.
Consider an extremely skilled archer at a competition. He inevitably catches every bird he sees, the only problem is that the targets were blue balloons. No matter how talented he is at hunting birds, he’ll never win the competition. So who is the target of your actions? Who do you want to please and think well of you? People may be deceived but would we escape from the scrutiny of the One who knows what’s in our chests, the All Hearer and All Seeing? Ultimately we would be just deceiving ourselves.
“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who deceives them; When they stand up for Salah, they stand with laziness, only to be seen by men; and they do not remember Allah but a little.” [Surah Al-Nisaa 4:142]
Dua for purity of heart and action: Allahumma tahhir qalbiy minan-nifaaqi wa ‘amali minar-riyaa’i wa lisaany minal-kadhibi wa ‘ainy minal-khiyaanati fainnaka ta’lamu khaa’inatal-a’yuni wa ma tukhfil-sudur. (Oh Allah, purify my heart from hypocrisy and my actions from dissimulation and my tongue from lies and my eyes from stealthy looks, indeed You know stealthy looks of eyes and that which the breasts conceal.)





*Attachment to this world
How many times did it occur that your mind was filled with everything except the remembrance of Allah? We shouldn’t be so busy with this life that we forget to prepare our provision for the hereafter. Do you keep delaying your salat in order to finish whatever you’re working on? Pay attention and observe every step with due care, instead of rushing through it in order to catch an appointment.

Time to Review our Priorities?

Abu Qutaadah (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him): “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.”

One of the Tabieen, Amr Ibn Abd Al Qais, remarked: “I would prefer to be stabbed by spears in my body than think about the dunya during Salah.”

What do you think about before falling asleep? A scholar warned that if all we could think about was attached to this perishing world, it was a sign we needed to improve our connection with God. Your worries may outlive you as there’s no guarantee you will see a new day but certainly you will meet your Lord.

In the next post, we will look at ideas on how to practically obtain khushoo in our prayer and outside. In the mean time, try to answer the questions asked in this article and Part 1. Take the time to ponder them over without dismissing any. How sincere can you be to yourself? (Oops another question):p



Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/how-to-gain-tranquility-in-prayer-part-2/
 
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