Rollymax77:
Perfect peace, after reading this I already know it will help me in sha Allah. Jazaaka Laahu kairan.

But OP your name sounds very familiar.

balash:
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.

The site of khushoo’(in the body) 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.

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).

Making a show of khushoo’ is condemned.
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)

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, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in His Promise and in His Warnings]” [al-Baqarah 2:45].

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).

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.

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 your 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.”


Preparing oneself for prayer properly
---------------------------------------------

Moving at a measured pace during prayer

Remembering Death whilst Praying

Knowing that Allah Responds to Prayer

Praying with a barrier ( Sutrah) and praying close to it

Placing right hand on the left hand on your chest

Looking at the place of prostration


Performing sujood al-tilaawah when reciting an aayah where this is required

Seeking refuge from Allah From Shaytaan

Knowing the advantage of khushoo in salaah



Striving to offer du’aa’ at the appropriate times during the prayer, especially in sujood

Removing anything that might distract the worshippers

praying in a garment that has decorations, writing, bright colours or pictures that will distract the worshipper

Adhkar after Solaat

Not praying when there's food prepared to eat

Not praying when someone needs to answer call to nature

Avoid disturbing others with recitation

Do not pray while one feels sleepy

Not raising ones gaze to heavens

May Almighty Allah Answer our prayers and grant us our heart desires in this ummah

balash:
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.

The site of khushoo’(in the body) 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.

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).

Making a show of khushoo’ is condemned.
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)

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, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in His Promise and in His Warnings]” [al-Baqarah 2:45].

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).

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.

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 your 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.”


Preparing oneself for prayer properly
---------------------------------------------

Moving at a measured pace during prayer

Remembering Death whilst Praying

Knowing that Allah Responds to Prayer

Praying with a barrier ( Sutrah) and praying close to it

Placing right hand on the left hand on your chest

Looking at the place of prostration


Performing sujood al-tilaawah when reciting an aayah where this is required

Seeking refuge from Allah From Shaytaan

Knowing the advantage of khushoo in salaah



Striving to offer du’aa’ at the appropriate times during the prayer, especially in sujood

Removing anything that might distract the worshippers

praying in a garment that has decorations, writing, bright colours or pictures that will distract the worshipper

Adhkar after Solaat

Not praying when there's food prepared to eat

Not praying when someone needs to answer call to nature

Avoid disturbing others with recitation

Do not pray while one feels sleepy

Not raising ones gaze to heavens

May Almighty Allah Answer our prayers and grant us our heart desires in this ummah