Khushu and Khudoo (Humility and Submission)
The literal meanings of Khushu and Khudoo are the bending of the body, lowering of the voice, lowering of the eyes, that is, every gesture expressing humility, modesty, and meekness.
In other words, prayer is an expression of one’s poverty, humility, and helplessness before Allah Almighty. So if a person does not develop the state of Khushu and Khudoo in prayer, then the prayer will be like a lifeless body, meaning spirituality will be lost from the prayer. Allah Almighty says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾
“Indeed, successful are the believers, who are humble in their prayers.”
When Khushu and Khudoo are not adopted in prayer, then this prayer becomes very burdensome for a person, and peace is not found in prayer. The command of the Almighty is:
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
“And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, prayer is burdensome except for the humble.”
When prayer is performed with humility and submissiveness, the heart becomes tender, and sometimes tears flow from a person’s eyes out of fear of Allah. Allah Almighty mentions such humble ones, saying:
إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا ﴿١٠٧﴾ وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًا ﴿١٠٨﴾ وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا﴿١٠٩﴾
When the Quran is recited to them, they fall down in prostration, touching their chins to the ground, and say, “Our Lord is free from every defect; surely, the promise of our Lord is fulfilled.” And they fall down in prostration, weeping, and the Quran increases their humility even more.
Furthermore, Allah Almighty commanded the Chief of Mankind, the Noble Prophet ﷺ, to give glad tidings from your Lord to the sincere servants of Allah who adopt humility and submissiveness, whose qualities are:
الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
“When the mention of Allah comes to them, their hearts tremble with fear, and those who are patient in adversity, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them in the way of Allah.”
Also, listen to what this glad tidings is: Thus, Sayyiduna Ubada bin Samit رضي الله عنه says: I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«خمس صلوات اقترضهن الله تعالى، من أحسن وضوء هن ، وصلاهن لوقتهن، وآتم ركوعهن وخشوعهن، كان له على الله عهد أن يغفر له»
“Allah Almighty has made five prayers obligatory. So whoever performs ablution well, prays them with humility, and completes their bowing, then Allah has made a covenant with that worshipper that He will forgive him.”
The humility should be such that a person does not look around during the prayer, nor keeps adjusting their clothes:
«أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك.»
“Serve Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state, then at least be aware that He is watching you.”
Alas! A hundred times alas for those people who do not understand the reality of humility in prayer, but consider only the physical movements of standing and sitting as prayer, and remain lost in the world and its manifestations during the state of prayer. They should remember these sayings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Abu Musa Ash’ari رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a person praying without balance and humility, so the beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
«لو مات هذا على حاله هذه مات على غير ملة محمد»
“If this person dies in this state, then his death will not be upon the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.”
Then the Master of the Two Worlds ﷺ said:
«مثل الذى لا يتم ركوعه وينقر فى سجوده مثل الجائع يأكل الثمرة والتمرتان لا يغنيان عنه شيئا»
“Whoever does not perform bowing (ruku) properly, and also just taps his fingers in prostration (sajdah), his example is like that of a hungry person who eats one or two dates, and these two dates do not benefit him (in his hunger).”
And looking at today’s worshippers, one has to say:
Your Imam is absent, your prayer is joyless
Pass by such an Imam, pass by such a prayer
When I once prostrated my head, a sound seemed to come from the earth
Your heart is idol-familiar, what will you gain from prayer?
The Blessed Messenger ﷺ said:
“The first thing to disappear from this Ummah will be humility (khushu’), and a time will come when you will not see a single humble person.”
Therefore, the Teacher of the Universe ﷺ used to pray:
«اللهم إني أعوذبك من قلب لا يخشع»
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from a heart that is devoid of humility.”
Therefore, every worshiper must adopt the causes and means that produce humility.
Causes that produce humility
Dear readers! Among the causes that produce humility are the following:
① Sincerity
Do sincerity and love in the world for your deeds
This is the secret of progress, this is the essence of Shariah
Sincerity means that the purpose of prayer is none other than Allah alone; otherwise, it is not prayer but merely show and ostentation, which is shirk. Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws رضي الله عنه says that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
«من صلى يراني فقد أشرك»
“Whoever prays for show has committed shirk.”
And Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) says: “We were discussing the Dajjal, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and said: Shall I not inform you of something more dangerous than the trial of the Dajjal?” We said, “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.” The Benefactor of humanity ﷺ said:
«الشرك الخفي أن يقوم الرجل يصلي فيزين صلاته لما يرى من نظر رجل»
“That is hidden shirk (polytheism). It is when a person stands for prayer and prolongs it because another person is watching him.”
Therefore, sincerity in prayer is extremely necessary for its perfection. The blessed statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is:
«إنما الأعمال بالنيات»
“Actions are judged by intentions.”
Hence, whenever and wherever a person prays, he should pray for the pleasure of Allah Almighty, and this is the command of the Lord:
وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ۚ
“Turn your faces towards the Qiblah at every prayer time, and purify your worship for Allah alone, and call upon Him alone.”
And in Surah Al-Bayyina it is stated:
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ ﴿٥﴾
“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.”
When the Prophet of Mercy ﷺ finished the obligatory prayer, he used to recite the following invocation aloud. This practice of the Prophet ﷺ served as an encouragement for people to develop sincerity within themselves. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair رضي الله عنه says that when the Messenger of the Gatherer ﷺ finished the obligatory prayer, he would say these words in a loud voice:
«لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير ، لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله ، لا إله إلا الله، ولا نعبد إلا إياه، له النعمة وله الفضل وله الثناء الحسن ، لا إله إلا الله مخلصين له الدين ولو كره الكافرون»
“There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, He is One without partner, His is the sovereignty, praise is due to Him, He has great power over everything. Without Allah’s help, there is neither the strength to avoid sin nor the ability to do good. There is no deity except Allah, we worship none besides Him, all blessings are from Him, greatness belongs to Him, He is the possessor of the best praise, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, we dedicate our worship purely for Him. No matter how much the disbelievers dislike it.”
② Supplication meaning humility
When one looks at one’s own faults,
No one else appears bad in sight.
“Tadarru'” means to request with humility and meekness.
In prayer, expressing humility, meekness, and tadarru’ is essential, and from this arises khushu’ and khudhu’. Allah Almighty says:
ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ
“Call upon your Lord with humility and in secret.”
③ Tabattul meaning single-mindedness
The literal meaning of Tabattul is “to be cut off.” Terminologically, it means “to purify oneself from impurities and be single-minded, engaging in the remembrance of the Lord with complete sincerity,” that is, in the state of prayer, when mentioning Allah Almighty, to empty the mind of all thoughts with His greatness and majesty and one’s own humility and meekness:
وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا ﴿٨﴾
“And keep mentioning the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with complete focus.”
④ Dhikr (Remembrance)
Allah Almighty says:
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿١٤﴾
“And establish prayer for My remembrance.”
’’Therefore, if a person utters the words in prayer, but his heart is not present, rather his heart is heedless, then he has not fulfilled the purpose and essence of the prayer.’’
⑤ Understanding and Reflection
The heedless one, the clock gives you the call,
The kidneys have added another hour to the clock of life.
Prayer is a supplication to Allah Almighty, therefore whatever is being recited in prayer should be fully understood. If the translation does not come to mind and the heart is not directed towards the meanings, then it will have no effect on the heart. For this reason, praying in a state of intoxication is prohibited, because in that state the understanding heart is not beside the drunkard. Thus, the command of Allah the Exalted is:
لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ
’’Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated.’’
From the above-mentioned noble verse, it becomes as clear as daylight that understanding what is recited in prayer is essential; otherwise, humility and submissiveness will not be achieved. If one prays with the meaning understood, then, God willing, along with humility and submissiveness, love for prayer will develop, and when love develops, regularity will follow. Consequently, the Lord will be pleased.
⑥ Ability
Allah Almighty assigns responsibility to a servant only to the extent of their capability.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”
And the command of the Prophet of Mercy, our Master Muhammad, peace be upon him, is:
«يسروا ولا تعشروا»
“Make things easy for people and do not make things difficult for them.”
Therefore, the esteemed Prophet ﷺ commanded the Imams not to prolong the prayer so that the humility and concentration of the followers would not be disturbed. Sayyiduna Abu Mas’ud Ansari رضي الله عنه says: A person said, “O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, I delay in the morning prayer because of so-and-so, as he prolongs the prayer too much.” Sayyiduna Abu Mas’ud Ansari رضي الله عنه says: I have never seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ more angry than on that day when he was advised. He ﷺ said, “Some of you want to make others dislike worship. Beware! Whoever leads the prayer among you should make it short. Because among the worshippers, there are weak, old, and needy people of all kinds.”
The Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds, Muhammad ﷺ, said regarding the one who prays alone that he can prolong it as much as he wishes according to his ability:
«وإذا صلى أحدكم لنفسه فليطول ما شاء»
“And when anyone prays alone, he may prolong it as much as he wishes.”
And for the sick person, the Mercy of the Worlds ﷺ made it so easy that he should pray in whatever condition he is able to. Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain رضي الله عنه says, I was a patient of hemorrhoids, I asked the Prophet ﷺ about the issue of praying, so the Beloved of the Great ﷺ said:
«صل قائما، فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا ، فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنب»
“If you can pray standing, then pray standing; if you can pray sitting, then pray sitting; if you can pray lying down, then pray lying down.”
⑦ Moderation
Moderation means that the worshiper should perform the pillars of prayer such as standing, bowing, prostration, and sitting with calmness and correctness; otherwise, their prayer will not be valid. It is mentioned in a Hadith:
A companion came to the Prophet’s Mosque to pray. The truthful and trustworthy Prophet, Ahmad Mustafa ﷺ, was present in a corner of the mosque. The companion came and greeted (salam), and the Prophet ﷺ said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” He returned, prayed again, and greeted. The Prophet of Mercy ﷺ again said to him: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” Finally, the companion said: “Then please teach me how to pray.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “When you stand for prayer, first perform a complete ablution, then face the Qiblah and say الله اکبر, and recite whatever portion of the Qur’an you remember and can easily recite. Then bow (ruku), and when you have bowed with calmness, raise your head. When you stand straight, then prostrate (sujud). When you have prostrated properly, raise your head from the prostration until you are upright and sit calmly. Then prostrate again, and when you have prostrated calmly, raise your head until you stand straight. Perform this procedure throughout your entire prayer.”
Those who pray merely by nodding like a chicken, without maintaining moderation in prayer, are called thieves of prayer. The Chief of Mankind, the best of creation, the beloved of the Lord of the Worlds ﷺ said:
«أسوأ الناس سرقة الذى يسرق من صلاته»
“The worst thief is the thief of prayer.”
The Companions asked, O Messenger of Allah! How does one steal from prayer? The Leader of the Prophets ﷺ replied:
«ألا يتم ركوعها ولا سجودها»
“He who does not perform the bowing and prostration of prayer with complete tranquility.”
Hazrat Hudhaifa bin Yaman رضي الله عنه saw a person who neither performed bowing with proper moderation nor prostration, so he said to him ﷺ: You have not prayed, and if you die, your death will not be upon the natural disposition upon which Allah created Muhammad ﷺ.
