"Khushoo" - Strengthening The Connection

LECTURE NOTES

Lecturer: Yasir Birjas

Source: Al Ghurabaa.org http://www.alghurabaa.org/lectures/yasir-birjas/

Topic: Khushoo

Time Duration: 1 hour

How do you know you are in full khushoo?

•  When you say Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great) you're fully aware of your intention. The Takbeer i.e. the testimony of Allah's Greatness has a profound impact on you. Ali ibn Hussain (a.s.) used to shiver when he said Allahu Akbar. Realize you are before Allah (swt)
• You are focused on your Salaah. Not on your clothes, your shoes etc.
• Your eyes are lowered; not looking around.
• Your hands are folded– sign of humility. You are humiliating yourself in front of Allah. Like a child folds his hands while saying “please please please” to his mother for something. And your neck is lowered down. Be reminded of your sins. Down in submission. For what? Show that you need Allah (swt)
• When you make rukooh; when you bow down, you do it with the feeling that you are putting your intellect and ego down in front of Allah (swt) the one who deserves it and through this humiliation you will gain dignity. 

Means Of Focusing In Your Salaah: Developing Khushoo

• Make wuzoo and sit for a while in praying sunnah and dhikr. If at a mosque, go early and indulge in dhikr
•  Repeat the Azaan with the Muaz’zin
• Prepare for Salaah ahead of time. Focus on what would you be reciting.
• Make your wuzoo and made it thorough. Don’t hasten it.
• Select a place where there are no distractions. If at home, stay away from the TV! “That match can wait!
• Dress nicely for Salaah SPECIALLY for Salaat al Fajr. Show Allah some respect! Believe that He is before you
• Pray the Nafil. Even if not Wajib – increase your reward.
• Read some Quran if you have time. Preferably read what you would recite in your Salaah.
• Make some dua’a and dhikr after you are done. Raise hands and make dua’a.
• Don’t talk too much before Salaah.
• Don’t look around in the masjid – focus on the Salaah that is about to happen.
• Pray at front of the Jamaat – fill front
• Before you start Salaah, straighten your lines. You would be focused more. In rukooh and sujood would not be disturbed.
• Contemplation – about the greatness of Allah whom you would be standing before. This is part of al-ehsaan. He is watching you
• Remember stories of pious predecessors like Ali ibn abi Talib and Hussain ibn Ali
• Remember always the excellence and virtue of khushoo. Before you raise hands remember
• If you’re hungry or in need of toilet do that first. That is hadith. Do not pray in urgency. Plan your day. When you eat don’t have a heavy meal or you would be burping
• If you feel sleepy don’t start Salaah specially Qayam ul Layl and Taraweeh. Take a nap first. Plan for it. If you wish to pray Qayam ul Layl sleep early.
• Compete to stand in the first line of the Jamaat
•   Try to pray as close as possible behind the Imam because when you hear his voice aloud you stay focused.
• As the hadith goes: "count the Salaah as your final Salaah"

How can we keep our khushoo IN Salaah?

• Contemplation – the word Allahu Akbar. Realize it is not just a habit but a submission. Remember the meaning
• Consider the status of ehsaan in your Salaah i.e. the feeling that you are in front of allah and He is watching you. Angel Gabriel (Jibreel) (a.s.) said worship Allah as if you are seeing Him. If you are not at that level then believe that He is watching
• Fold hands and look down to express your humiliation in front of Allah
• Observe the right etiquette of Salaah. The Sunnah way.
• Bring traquility and peace to your Salaah. Slow the speed of recitation. When we pray alone we finish 2 raka’ah in 2 minutes. The same 2 raka’ah behind the Imam are longer. People pray the shortest surah. Invest time.
• Duaa – make duaa and dhikr of beginning Salaah. Subhana kallummah wa bihamdika ...
• Contemplate – over the ayah that you recite. Focus on the meaning of Qul hu Allahu ahad for instance
• Beautify the Quran with your voice it is the instruction of Rasool Allah (saww). Tajweed would add to the beauty
• Remember! Allah divided this Salaah b/w you and Him. Part of it is solely for Allah and part is your supplication. 
• Focus on position of prostration. Look at one place
• Vary your adhkaar of Salaah. In sujood – subhan rabbi al ala … there are other words learn them
•  Never look up when you come back from rukooh – at rabanna lakal hamd – rasool Allah (saww) forbid doing so.
• Don’t get distracted by minor things e.g. the designs of the rug
• Duaa : SUPPLICATION – Rasool Allah (saww) said the closest you would be to Allah in your sujood. Increase your duaa in your sujood.

AFTER YOU ARE DONE

• Do not move right away from your position. Rasool (saww) said the malaika (angels) would be doing duaa for you. Stay! Finish your duaa and dhikr
• Do your tasbih. Rasool (saww) grabbed the hand of Mua’ad and said I love you for sake of Allah. He advised subhan allah, alhamdulillah, allahu akbar
• Do dhikr and duaa
• Just before you move evaluate your Salaah. How much do you need to make up for it
• Pray salat ul nafil to make up for what you missed out
  
  REMEMBER: 
• Closing eyes is not Sunnah but if you find focusing really difficult then you may close them.
• Khinzab is the Shaitaan who distracts in prayers and makes you think of the oddest things. Say azubillah 3 times and blow three times to the left should Khinzab be bothering you