33
Sababun Lil-Khushoo’ Fi Salaah
Book by Sheikh Muhammed
Salih Al-Munajjid
Introduction
Rulings on Khushoo'
The means of developing Khushoo'
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
Introduction
In the Name of Allaah,
Most Gracious Most Merciful
Praise be
to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, Who has said in His book (interpretation of the
meaning), “…and stand before Allaah 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 Allaah, 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 Allaah, 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
Allaah 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
Shaytaan) 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 Allaah to make it of benefit.
Allaah
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 Allaah and in a calm
manner. 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).
It was
reported that Mujaahid said: “’…and stand before Allaah with obedience”
[al-Baqarah 2:238 – interpretation of the meaning]’ – part of obedience is
to bow, to be solemn and submissive, to lower one’s gaze and to humble oneself
out of fear of Allaah, 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 Shaytaan, 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness, so that the heart is
utterly humbled before Allaah and broken, as it were, with fear, shyness, love
and the recognition of the blessings of Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah. 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 Allaah the remembrance of Him, and
tranquillity descends upon him from his Lord. So he has become humble (mukhbit)
before Allaah, 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 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 exlusion 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
Allaah be upon him) said: ‘… and my joy has been made in salaah.’” (Tafseer
Ibn Katheer, 5/456. The hadeeth is in Musnad Ahmad, 3/128 and Saheeh
al-Jaami’, 3124).
Allaah 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. Allaah 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 Allaah with full
submission, fera 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 Allaah 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. 543. He said it is saheeh).
Rulings on Khushoo'
According
to the most correct view, khushoo’ is obligatory. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn
Taymiyah], may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “Allaah, 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] Allaah, 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 Allaah 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, 22/553-558).
Concerning
the virtues of khushoo’ and as a warning to the one who neglects it, the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Five prayers which
Allaah 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
Allaah that he will be forgiven, but whoever does not do this, has no such promise
– if Allaah 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 Allaah 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-Bukhaari, al-Bagha edn., no. 158;
al-Nisaa'i, 1/95; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6166).
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 Allaah 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 Allaah as if he sees Him, for when he is
standing in prayer, he is talking to his Lord.
Ihsaan
means ‘that you worship Allaah 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 eemaan.
The means
of strengthening eemaan are many, and this is why the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah 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
hadeeth, 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, 22/606-607)
On the
basis of this division, we will now discuss some of:
The
means of developing Khushoo'
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:
ã By
repeating the words of the adhaan after the muezzin;
ã By
pronouncing the du’aa’ 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 Allaah, 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)”;
ã Reciting
du’aa’ between the adhaan and the iqaamah;
ã Doing
wudoo’ properly, saying Bismillaah before it and making dhikr and saying the
du’aa’ after it, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah
wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there
is no god except Allaah 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 al-mutatahhireen (O Allaah, make me of those
who repent and make me of those who purify themselves)”;
ã Using
siwaak to cleanse and perfume the mouth that is going to recite Qur’aan in a
short while, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Purify your mouths for the Qur’aan.” (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-Saheehah, 1213);
ã Wearing
one’s best and cleanest clothes, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean
clothes) while praying…” [al-A’raaf 7:31]. Allaah 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 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 Allaah 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 Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The worst type of thief is the one who
steals from his prayer.’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, 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 Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Allaah 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-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 1421. It was
reported from al-Suyooti that al-Haafiz ibn Hajar classed this hadeeth as
hasan).
The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also advised Abu Ayyoob
(may Allaah 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.
Thinking about the aayaat and adhkaar
being recited during the prayer and interacting with them
The
Qur’aan was revealed to be pondered over. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “(This is) a Book (the Qur’aan) 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. Allaah 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’aanic commentary) is quite clear. Ibn
Jareer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “I am astonished at people who read
the Qur’aan 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’aan 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’aan
by ‘Abd al-‘Azeez al-Seerwaan, which is a compilation of four books of unusual
words used in the Qur’aan).
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 Allaah 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 Allaah peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) one night… he was reciting at length. If he recited an
aayah that mentioned tasbeeh, he would say Subhaan Allaah; if it mentioned a
question, he would ask a question; if it mentioned seeking refuge with Allaah,
he would seek refuge with Allaah.” (Reported by
Muslim, no. 772). According to another report, [Hudhayfah] said: “I
prayed with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah 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
Allaah, and if he recited an aayah that mentioned deanthropomorphism of Allaah,
he would say Subhaan-Allaah.” (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 Allaah be pleased with him) – prayed
qiyaam at night and did not recite anything but Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad,
repeating it and not adding anything more. (Al-Bukhaari, 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 Ramadaan, 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
Allaah. 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 aayah until just
before dawn (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… and if you count the
Blessings of Allaah, never will you be able to count them…’ [Ibraaheem
14:34]. When morning came, we said, ‘O Abu Sa’eed, you did not recite any
more than this one aayah 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 Allaah’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 aayah 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’aan 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 Allaah 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 Allaah be upon him) had khushoo’, as well as explaining how it is
obligatory to think of the meaning of the aayat. ‘Ataa’ said: “ ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr
and I entered upon ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah 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 Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Allaah, 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 Allaah, you are weeping when Allaah 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-Saheehah,
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 Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah 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-Bukhaari, no. 747). Another example is responding to the imaam
when he says “Sami’ Allaahu liman hamidah (Allaah 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 Allaah 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-Bukhaari, al-Fath,
2/284).
Pausing at the end of each aayah
This is
more helpful in understanding and thinking about the meaning, and it is the
Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Umm
Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) described how the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah 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 aayah by aayah. (Reported by Abu Dawood,
no. 4001; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa’, where its
isnaads are described. 2/60).
Pausing at
the end of each aayah is Sunnah even if the meaning continues into the next
aayah.
Reciting in slow, rhythmic tones (tarteel) and making one’s voice
beautiful when reciting
As Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): “… and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a
slow, (pleasant tone and) style.” [al-Muzzammil 73:4]. The recitation of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Allaah be upon him) “would recite a soorah 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 Allaah be upon him), as when he said, “Beautify the Qur’aan with
your voices, for a fine voice increases the Qur’aan 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
Allaah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Truly, the one who has one of the finest voices among the people for reciting
the Qur’aan is the one whom you think fears Allaah when you hear him recite.”
(Reported by Ibn Maajah, 1/1339; Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 2202).
Knowing that Allaah responds to prayers
The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah, 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 Allaah, Lord of the Worlds,’ Allaah says, ‘My slave
has praised Me.’ When the slave says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Bestower of
Mercy,’ Allaah says, ‘My slave has extolled me.’ When the slave says, ‘Master
of the Day of Judgement,’ Allaah 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,’ Allaah 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 those who go astray,’ Allaah 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 hadeeth. 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 Allaah must be respected and accorded its proper value. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Shaytaan 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 Allaah 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
Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you prays facing a sutrah, let him
get close to it so that the Shaytaan 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 ahaadeeth. (Al-Bukhaari; see al-Fath,
1/574, 579).
The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 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., shaytaan] with him.” (Reported by Muslim,
1/260; Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 755).
Al-Nawawi
(may Allaah 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 of you… and to prevent the Shaytaan 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 Allaah 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 Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
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. 11485. Al-Haythami said: Al-Tabaraani reported it in al-Awsat
and its men are the men of saheeh. Al-Majma’, 3/155).
Imaam
Ahmad (may Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah 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-Bukhaari and Muslim],
and al-Albaani agreed with him in Sifat al-Salaah, p. 89).
When the
Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Allaah 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. 719. 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)
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 Allaah 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-Allaah Ibn al-Qayyim, which will explain the
matter further. He (may Allaah 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’aa’, 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 hadeeth that describes how the Shaytaan 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 ahaadeeth 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 Allaah 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’.
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 Allaah be upon him) said: “It is more powerful
against the Shaytaan 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 Shaytaan than being
beaten with a rod of iron, because it reminds the slave of the Unity of Allaah
and to be sincere in his worship of Him alone, and this is what the Shaytaan
hates most; we seek refuge with Allaah from him.” (al-Fath al-Rabbani
by al-Saa’idi, 4/15).
Because of
this great benefit, the Sahaabah, may Allaah 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 Allaah be upon him) used to enjoin
one another, i.e., with regard to pointing with the finger during the du’aa’.”
(Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah with a hasan isnaad, as stated in Sifat
al-Salaah, p. 141. 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 Allaah of upon him) used to
recite in his prayer, we will see this variation. For example, with regard to
the opening du’aa’, 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 al-abyad min
al-danas. Allaahumma’ghsilni min khataayaaya bi’l-maa’ wa’l-thalj wa’l-barad
(O Allaah, separate me (far) from my sins as You have separated (far) the East
from the West. O Allaah, cleanse me of my sins as white cloth is cleansed from
dirt. O Allaah, wash me of my sins with water, snow and ice).”
“Wajahtu
wajhi li’lladhi fatara al-samawaati wa’l-ard haneefan, wa maa ana min
al-mushrikeen. 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 Allaah, 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 Allaah, 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 Allaah 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’aan), 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’l-zaytoon [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 Allaah be upon him) used to recite 200 or 150 aayaat, and
sometimes he used to shorten the recitation.
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 Allaah, 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 Allaah, Lord of the
Worlds).”
When standing
upright from rukoo’, after saying “Sami’a Allaah liman hamidah (Allaah
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 Allaah 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
al-thanaa’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 Allaah, our Lord. O Allaah 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
Allaah, 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 Allaah, 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
Allaah, 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 Allaah. Peace be upon
you, O Prophet…)” and “Al-Tahiyyaat al-mubaarakaat al-salawaat al-tayyibaatu
Lillaahi, al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu…etc. (All compliments,
blessed words, prayers, pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O
Prophet…)” and “Al-tahiyyaat al-tayyibaat al-salawaatu Lillaahi, al-salaamu
‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu… etc. (All compliments, good words and prayers are
due to Allaah. 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 Allaah be upon him), such as:
“Allaahumma
salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala
aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa
‘ala aali Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem
innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad and on the
family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on Ibraaheem and the family of
Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allaah, send
blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings on
Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, 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 Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed wa baarik ‘ala Muhammadin
wa ‘ala aali baytihi wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhuriyatihi kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali
Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad and on
his family, wives and progeny, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibraaheem,
verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory; O Allaah, send blessings on
Muhammad and on his family, wives and progeny, as You sent blessings on the
family of Ibraaheem, 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 Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad al-Nabiyy al-Ummi wa ‘ala aali
Muhammadin kamaa baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem fi’l-‘aalameen, innaka Hameedun
Majeed (O Allaah, send prayers on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on
the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on the family of Ibraaheem, and
send blessings on Muhammad the Unlettered Prophet and on the family of
Muhammad, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibraaheem among the nations,
verily You are Worthy of Praise and Full of Glory).”
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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 aayah where this is
required
One of the
etiquettes of reciting Qur’aan is to perform sujood al-tilaawah (prostration
for recitation) when one recites an aayah containing a “sajdah” (place where a
prostration is required). In His Book, Allaah 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 Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The scholars agreed that we should prostrate here [when reciting this aayah]
so as to follow their example.” (Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem, 5/238,
Daar al-Sha’b edn.)
Sujood
al-Tilaawah in prayer is very important because it increases khushoo’. Allaah
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 Allaah be upon him)
prostrated when he recited Soorat al-Najm [53] in his prayer.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported in his Saheeh that Abu
Raafi’ said: “I prayed ‘Ishaa’ with Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah 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 Allaah be upon him), and I
will continue to do so until I meet him again.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 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 Shaytaan and suppresses him, thus weakening his hold on
the worshipper. Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘When the son of Adam recites a sajdah,
the Shaytaan 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).
Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan
The
Shaytaan is our enemy, and one of the aspects of his enmity is his whispering
insinuating thoughts (waswaas) to the worshipper at prayer so as to take away
his khushoo’ and confuse him in his prayer.
Waswaas is
a problem that befalls everyone who turns to Allaah with dhikr and other kinds
of worship; it is inevitable, so one has to stand firm and be patient, and
persist in the dhikr or salaah, and not give up. His sticking to it will ward
off the Shaytaan’s plots from himself. “… Ever feeble indeed is the plot of
Shaytaan.” [al-Nisaa’ 4:76 – interpretation of the meaning].
Every time
the slave wants to turn his thoughts towards Allaah, thoughts of other matters
come sneaking into his mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit lying in wait to
launch an ambush: every time the slave wants to travel towards Allaah, the Shaytaan
wants to cut off his route. For this reason, it was said to one of the salaf:
“The Jews and Christians say that they do not suffer from the problem of
waswaas.” He said, “They are speaking the truth, for what would the Shaytaan
want with a house that is in ruins?” (Majma’ al-Fataawa, 22/608).
This is a
good analogy. It is as if there are three houses: the house of a king, filled
with his treasure and savings, the house of a slave, containing his treasure
and savings, and an empty house with nothing in it. If a thief comes to steal
from one of the three houses, which one will he choose? (al-Waabil al-Sayib,
p. 43).
When the
slave stands up to pray, the Shaytaan feels jealous of him, because he is
standing in the greatest position, one that is closest [to Allaah] and most
annoying and grievous to the Shaytaan. So he tries to stop him from
establishing prayer in the first place, then he continues trying to entice him
and make him forget, and “making assaults on him with his cavalry and infantry”
[cf. Al-Isra’ 17:64], until he thinks of prayer as less important, so he starts
to neglect it, and eventually gives it up altogether. If the Shaytaan fails to
achieve this, and the person ignores him and starts to pray, the enemy of
Allaah will come and try to distract him, by reminding him of things that he
did not remember or think of before he started praying. A person may have
forgotten about something altogether, but the Shaytaan will remind him of it
when he starts praying, so as to distract him from his prayers and take him
away from Allaah, so that his heart will no longer be in his prayers, and he
will lose out on the honour and reward of Allaah turning toward him, which is
only attained by the one whose heart is really in his prayer. Thus he will finish
his prayer no better off than when he started, with his burden of sins not
reduced at all by his salaah, because prayer only expiates for sins when it is
done properly, with perfect khushoo’, and the person stands before Allaah in
body and soul.” (Al-Waabil al-Sayib, p. 36).
The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us the following
methods of combatting the wiles of Shaytaan and getting rid of his waswaas:
Abu’l-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that he said, “O Messenger
of Allaah, the Shaytaan interrupts me when I pray, and I get confused in my
recitation.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, “That is a shaytaan whose name is Khanzab. If you sense his
presence, seek refuge with Allaah from him, and spit [dry spitting] towards
your left three times.” [Abu’l-‘Aas] said: “I did that and Allaah took him away
from me.” (Reported by Muslim, no. 2203)
The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also told us about another
of the Shaytaan’s tricks and how to deal with it. He said, “When any one of you
gets up to pray, the Shaytaan comes and confuses him – i.e., mixes up his
prayer and creates doubts in his mind – so that he does not know how many
[rak’ahs] he has prayed. If any one of you experiences that, he should do two
prostrations whilst he is sitting.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab
al-Sahw, Baab al-Sahw fi’l-Fard wa’l-Tatawwu’).
Another of
the Shaytaan’s tricks was described as follows. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you is praying and feels
some movement in his back passage, and is uncertain as to whether he has broken
his wudoo’ or not, he should not end his prayer unless he hears a sound or
smells an odour.”
Indeed,
his tricks may be very strange indeed, as the following hadeeth makes clear.
Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was asked about a man who thought that he had broken his wudoo’ when he
had not done so. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “The Shaytaan may come to any one of you when he is praying and open
his buttocks and make him think that he has broken his wudoo when in fact he
has not. So if this happens to any one of you, let him not end his prayer
unless he hears the sound of it with his ears or smells the odour of it with
his nose.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, no.11556, part 11, p.
222. He said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 1/242, its men are the men of
Saheeh).
Note: There is a
devilish trick which “Khanzab” plays on some worshippers: He tries to distract
them by making them think of acts of worship other than the prayer that they
are performing, by making them think of some issues of da’wah or knowledge, so
that they start to think deeply about those matters and stop focusing on the
prayer they are performing. He even confuses some of them by suggesting to them
that ‘Umar used to make plans for the army whilst he was praying.
We should
let Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah explain this matter and set the record
straight: “With regard to what was reported, that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said,
“I make plans for the army whilst I am praying,” this was because ‘Umar was
commanded to engage in jihaad and he was the leader of the believers (ameer
al-mu’mineen, i.e., the khaleefah), so he was also the leader of jihaad. So in
some respects he was like the one who prays the prayer of fear (salaat
al-khawf) whilst also watching out for the enemy, whether or not there is
actual fighting. He was commanded to pray, and also to engage in jihaad, so he
had to carry out both duties as much as he could. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): ‘O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a
firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allaah much, so that you may
be successful.’ [al-Anfaal 8:45]. It is known that one cannot achieve the
same peace of mind during jihaad as at times of peace and security, so if it
happens that a person’s prayer is lacking because of jihaad, this does not mean
that his faith is lacking.
For this
reason, standards may be regarded as being slightly relaxed in the case of
prayer at times of danger as compared with times of peace. With regard to
prayer at times of danger, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘…
but when you are free from danger, perform al-salaah. Verily, the prayer is
enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.’ [al-Nisa’ 4:103]. So the one who
is commanded to establish prayer at times of peace is not commanded to do so in
the same manner at times of danger.
Moreover, people are of varying levels in this regard. If a person’s faith is strong, he will have the proper presence of mind when he prays, even if he thinks of other matters. Allaah had caused the truth to reside firmly in ‘Umar’s heart, and he was al-muhaddith al-mulham (‘the inspired speaker’), so there is nothing strange in a person of his calibre making plans for the army whilst performing the prayer. He was able to do this, whilst oth