How to attain Khushu`a

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


<b>Public address</b>


In case you are invited to give any type of public address, what would you do? First off, you will try hard to find as much info as possible about the audience (listeners) in order to find the best way to attract them, prepare the speach using the best of words, put it even in writing, putting the utmost level of linguistic skills you have into this speach, read it outloud, refine the language before facing the listeners. When you face the listeners, you use a proper tone of voice, try your best that your pronunciation is correct, you speak in an appropriate pace enough to ensure clear words.


Now let us apply this on salat, who is the listener here, Allah and the angles of course. If you apply the above mentioned preparations and steps on salat, assuming it is an activity of public address, keeping in mind that the words that you will use are already prepared by Allah wont you want to ensure perfect pronunciation? Remember the listener here is Allah, this idea is enough to make you exert utmost effort to excel the address as much as possible Insh a Allah.

[Karbala]

Khushu' or submissiveness is arguably the most important aspect of Salat.


Imam Khomeini makes an excellent point about Khushu' in his book adabus Salat. He mentions Lack of Khushu' means lack of faith (iman) according to Quran 23:1-2 as pointed out earlier.


<b>قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ </b>


<b>"Truly, to a happy state shall attain the believers:</b>


those who humble themselves in their prayer"


Iman should not be confused with knowledge of Allah (i'tiqad). Nor should it be confused with Fear of Allah (Khof).


We find Shaitan offering more Salat than anyone and he had knowledge of Allah, Creation and Ressurection. He even fears Allah <b>59:16 behold, I fear God, the Sustainer of all the worlds!</b>


But he is excluded from Momineen because he had no Iman.


Why did Shaitan have no Iman? Because he clearly had no khushu'


<b>7:12 He said: What hindered you so that you did not prostrate when I commanded you? He said: I am better than he: Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust.</b>


Khushu' cannot be brought about overnight. It is a constant exercise of remembering, remembering, remembering and even more remembering.


<b>Surah al-Hadid: 16 "Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive when remembering Allah and what has come down of the truth,"</b>

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom


Jazakum Allah khairan karbala for making this point that Khushu cannt be attained over night. Matter of fact, what we are trying to do in this thread is to help one another thru tips that achieved results with any of us. But the most important thing is that u urged me to try more and more to find a translation for the word. With all due respect, all those who strove to translate the Quran, couldnt give me a satisfactory translation for the word. But after I read your comment coupled with a question I received from a non muslim regarding how to maintain Salat regularly yet not doing it automatic. I strove and strove and also asked Allah to Assist me.


Well, what I came up with so far is, Khushu could be best described as follows (this is exactly how I replied to the non muslim lady):


This word posed a challenge to those who strove to translate the meanings of Quran. Khushu is not a word, it is a condition, a status that a person may attain over the course of time, it needs work, training, and development. I can say that it is when one is capable to realise Allah’s Existance, feel it so much in the heart, when the heart is constantly aware of Allah, Presence, one feels humbleness and at the same time closeness to Allah, when the heart of the person is filled with joy thinking of Allah and remembering Allah, when the heart is in full attention all the time, knowing that Allah Is observing thus one strives not to displease Allah, while at the same time constantly seeking Allah’s close guidance and Help, Pardon. When the heart is in a state that realises that this whole world is nothing except Allah.


It is when one feels and realises the Presence and Existence of Allah to an extend that satisfies his/her needs and makes one not needing anything/one in the world. People can mistakenly take this as getting isolated and rejecting to deal with others, living in a silo. No, not at all. However, it means that one does not feel that he/she is groundless for loosing, missing, not attaining anything/one.


Insh a Allah if I get more I will continue putting it.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Insh a Allah I feel like continuing on this thread,


We all suffer satan intervention in our Salat, you feel focused and nothing is on your mind, the moment you make Takbeeratu Ihram, million things jump into your mind, even that you are behind or slow in memorizing Quran, that you want to call so and so to maintain kinship relations. I mean nothing Haram, even Halal issues. But the conclusion is the same.


Let us see, when you hold a meeting with someone, the higher of rank this someone is, the more you strive to focus, or the closer the person is, the more you are focused. You put all your efforts to focus on the topic being discussed with this senior person or loved one.


You are standing before Allah, Who Called Himself Al Qareeb All Close, and certainly He is also Al A`la (The Supreme). Those two attributes are sufficient to help you double your efforts to stay focused. Just ponder in your mind about the Graciousness of our Allah specially when you are in Jamaa. You might sulk away, but Allah Shall still listen, you might let your mind wander, but Allah Shall remain focused with you and everyone else standing there for Jama Salat. Sobhan Allah, Just those two facts are Insh aAllah enough to support you in your ongoing battle against shaytan may Allah Curse him. ameen.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Thought to share this approach:


If we combine the following Ayah:


"Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find <b>rest</b> in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (quran 13:28) The bolded word would be better translated as tranquility and comfort.


With the Hadeeth that the Messenger used to ask Bilal saying: Allow us to attain rest with it Bilal referring to Salat, then one realizes that actually Salat is a major source of entertainment. May be people wouldnt realise it as such, specially, it is one of the obligatory worships. May be one would rather percieve it as duty that must - again must- be done. Usually, human beings dont find obligatory duties as entertaining. Unlike Salat. If we ponder deeply and reflect on the whole action including the moment of attending a gathering with Allah, only then we shall perceive it as entertaining. When we think deeply about the Ayah and see how dhikr can be entertaining, and certainly the highest forms od dhikr is Salat. Then we will realise the major benefit Allah Granted us. All this, should be always present in our minds, during the period we are preparing for Salat. This will assit us to enter into Salat with this concept in mind and strive to attain this incomparable taste of entertainment. This will assist us to refuse being interrupted while we are entertained. just for the sake of further explanation, not making an anology no way. If one is reading an amusing book, watching a funny program. or even talking to a funny friend, one might not even answer the phone. Why would you allow anything/one intervene while you are being entertained with the presence of the Creator Who Is also All Close?? just wondering.


Keeping this mind will Insh a Allah help us all to attain khushou Insh a Allah.

[Karbala]

2:45 And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones (Khashi'een)


Muslimah made an excellent point about Khushu' it is a form of "entertainment". The "khashi'een" as in the Ayah 2:45 are identified through the ease in which they are able to worship and persevere in Allah.


The question is how does one obtain khushu'?


I mentioned before that cursory look at the word Khushu' in the Quran will show that it is inextricably linked with the quality of Iman. It is always mentioned as a quality of the Mumin.


قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ


Successful indeed are the believers,


الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ


Who are humble in their prayers,


Surah Al-Muminoon 23:1-2


Hence in order to obtain khsuhu' one must become a Mumin and Khushu' will automatically follow. Ive mentioned before Iman is not a matter of belief. Belief is a quality of a muslim not a mumin. A momin is one who truly has faith in God. How does one become a Mumin? Anyone can be a muslim, but not everyone can be a Mumin.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah

A needed reminder all the time, specially during Ramadan.