We have all heard about the
importance of inculcating Khushu in our prayers. It refers to a state of mind
when we stand in front of Allah and fully direct our
minds and hearts towards Him. Ibn al-Qayyim defined Khushu as a state “. . .
when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah,
and is filled with awe, fear and shyness . . .” (Al-Rooh, p. 314).
Anything less not only diminishes the
rewards of our worship and Ibadah but we should consider it as a sign of our
disregard for our creator, as well as a lost opportunity for our spiritual
rejuvenation. After all, what good is being in front of anyone – let alone our
creator and sustainer – when our minds and hearts are not focused on “the
moment”?
Khushu – A Positive
State of Mind
In psychological terms, we can liken
this state of mind to a single-minded immersion of oneself with deep focus on
the activity at hand and one that leads to maximum performance. We know that
our state of mind, directly or indirectly, impacts almost everything that we do
in life. A bad state of mind can have a debilitating effect on our overall
performance, shows its effects on our outward appearances, and in general
becomes a hindrance to bringing out the best in us. On the other hand, we also
know the good feelings associated with being in a good state of mind. It makes
us feel livelier and more productive, and life generally seems more fulfilling.
Needless to say, we must find ways to
get in the right states of minds to maximize our performance for any given
activity or else we can expect subpar results. The activity of “Prayers” or
salat is no exception to that rule. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) alluded to something similar in that we get only a portion of the
reward for our prayers depending on the level of our efforts. He said: “A slave
may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or
an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a
half” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1626).
The Tendency to Get
Distracted
However, voluntarily getting in a
focused state of mind and staying there is easier said than done. Many a time
we tend to get sidetracked by our own thoughts. As for prayers, the reality is
that as soon as we enter the state of prayers, various thoughts rush into our
minds distracting us from the state of worship. These distractions also include
satanic whispers, also referred to as “waswaas” (insinuating thoughts from
Shaytaan) and sometimes reach to a level where the act of worship fails to
deliver any notable spiritual value.
Sadly, this lack of control on our
thoughts and states of our minds not only deprives us from establishing a
relationship with our creator but also prevents us from bringing calm to our
jittery nerves and lives in general. Among other things, Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him) relied on prayers to provide him comfort and
mental calm. He once said, “The source of my delight is the prayer”
(authenticated by Al-Albani). He also used to ask Bilal to give the Adhan for
the prayer by saying: “Give us comfort by it, O Bilal.”
Stepping towards
Khushu and a Positive State of Mind
Inculcating Khushu in our prayers,
therefore, is about getting in the right state of mind where we are fully
guarding our thoughts from any distractions and focused on Allah and the
various prayer invocations. Besides spiritual rejuvenation, the practice of
Khushu also teaches us to induce a positive state of mind for any other moment
or activity by teaching us to keep distracting thoughts at bay and enabling us
to focus on the task at hand with the heart and mind fully immersed.
So, what can we do to get in the
right state of mind to help us perform optimally? The following are some tips
that can come in handy:
Get passionate about the activity:
One way to get in a positive state of mind so you may excel at a task is to
ensure that you develop a passion for it. The more passionate you feel about
doing something, the less likelihood there is to get distracted from that
activity. We know this from our hypnotic interest in the many TV shows, movies,
and numerous other entertainment episodes that occupy our minds on a daily
basis. So, if you complain about reduced khushu levels in your prayers, you
ought to assess your passion and level of interest in prayers and your
relationship with your creator. How does it compare with your life’s other
passions and interests? A reduced interest drives you to rush through prayers
so that you can get back to your other activities of interest. The reason
behind your poor khushu levels, therefore, may be rooted in your lack of
interest to pray in the first place.
For some of us, this may be a harsh
reality check but until our behavior proves otherwise, our priorities may be
skewed.
You can get over this problem by
spending time (when you are not praying) to learn and internalize the merits
and rewards of prayer. That can help you go a long way in raising your passion
for prayers and other forms of worship, thus minimizing the likelihood of
getting distracted. In this context, we should remind ourselves of what Allah
said about developing the right khushu in prayers. He said in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning),
“Successful indeed are the believers,
those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full
submissiveness” [Surah al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]”.
Remember, the more passion you fill
in your mind and heart about anything, the less vacuum you leave for the
distracting thoughts to fill the void when you are involved in that activity.
Prepare for the activity before the
activity: Another
sure method to help one perform optimally in any activity is to get mentally
ready for that activity beforehand. Athletes do it regularly. We do it too
before getting ready for any challenging activity (taking an exam, for
example). This preparation before the actual event helps clear the clutter from
our minds that maybe lingering from previous activities. As far as prayers are
concerned, performing ablution, the high value associated with making dua
before obligatory prayers in congregation, sunnah prayers, and so on are some
of the things that can get us in the right state of mind before we start the
obligatory prayers.
Be mindful of the activity:
To ward off distracting and negative thoughts,
psychologists and psychotherapists also recommend the use of “mindfulness”.
Mindfulness helps in directing your consciousness to what you really want at
the moment rather than letting negative thoughts pull your mind from one
distraction to another. Being mindful in prayers can help you consciously guard
your state of mind from being poisoned by negative thoughts as well as satanic
whispers (waswas). While praying, be mindful of the meanings of the invocations
of your prayers. Done repetitively, this voluntary control can gradually help
you control your state of mind and achieve high levels of Khushu.
In Summary…
Khushu, therefore, is an ideal
practice to help you increase the quality of your prayers that, as the prophet
told us, can bring delight and calm to your lives and help bond with your
creator and sustainer. The psychological underpinnings of this practice can
also help you master the art of getting in the right state of mind for other
activities too. It can also help keep unpleasant thoughts from the past at bay
and also to stop related feelings of anxiety. That can come in quite handy in
your relationships, at work, and in other aspects of your lives.
Feel free to share other steps that
may be helpful in achieving Khushu and a positive state of mind.