All praise is due to Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds, who has commanded His servants:
﴿وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ﴾
“Stand before Allah with complete calmness.”
And He said about Salah:
﴿وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ﴾
“Salah is indeed a difficult task for the disbelievers, but for those who fear (Allah), it is easy.”
And abundant blessings and peace be upon the Leader of the Pious, our Master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who is the most humble (fearful) among those who worship Allah and their leader, and countless mercies upon his family, progeny, and all the noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them all.
After Praise and Salutations:
Among the practical pillars of religion, prayer is the highest and most exalted act of worship. In it, tranquility, humility, presence of heart, and mindfulness are the greatest Shariah objectives and goals. And Satan, who is the eternal enemy of man, has vowed since eternity that he will never cease to mislead the children of Adam and throw them into trials by any means possible. He said:
ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ
“Indeed, I will come at them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left sides.”
So his greatest attack has always been to prevent them from praying by changing his tactics repeatedly. During this, his greatest deceit and trickery has been to whisper various doubts and distractions. So that he may deprive the servants of Allah of the true pleasure and taste of this greatest act of worship and cause their reward and recompense to be lost. And it is a strange coincidence that a large number of people are badly trapped in Satan’s snare.
Humility:
It is a unique knowledge and a great act of worship that will be taken away first, and perhaps our era is also the last era, and unfortunately, the saying of Hudhaifa bin Yaman is proving to be true:
أول ما تفقدون من دينكم الخشوع، وآخر ما تفقدون من دينكم الصلاة، ورب مصل لا خير فيه، ويوشك أن تدخل المسجد فلا ترى فيه خاشعا
“You people will find the lack of humility in your religion first, and in the end, even the prayer will be taken away. And there are many who pray but have no goodness in them. Soon it will be such that you will go to a mosque but will not find any humble (fearful) person in it.”
It is an undeniable fact that we hear complaints from ourselves and many of our friends that worldly thoughts and whispers come a lot during prayer. There is no concentration in prayer, etc.
From this and many other similar questions, I felt the need to take up the pen on this topic. Therefore, the following lines are a counsel for myself and, God willing, for all Muslim readers as well. The prayer is that Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, makes these words beneficial in some way.
Allah Almighty says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾
“Indeed, success has attained the believers who are humble (and submissive) in their prayers.”
What is Khushu?
In the books of Tafseer, خاشعون is interpreted as ”خائفون، ساكنون“. That is, those who fear Allah and attain tranquility.
The word “Khushu” literally contains the meanings of calmness, satisfaction, steadiness, dignity, and humility. And the reality is that only one thing induces all these states, and that is the awe and majesty of Allah and His fear! And the concept that He is watching His servant.
In Madarij al-Salikeen
(Ibn al-Qayyim) it is stated:
الخشوع هو قيام القلب بين يدي الرب بالخضوع والذل
“Khushu is that the heart shows utmost humility, lowliness, and abasement before its Lord.”
Imam Mujahid وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قٰنِتِينَ in his Tafseer says that the servant stands calmly out of fear of Allah in such a way that there is awe, fear, and dread in the heart, the eyes are lowered, and the sides are also softened (relaxed).
All these combined states are referred to as “Qunoot.”
The status of Khushu and its effects:
The true place and location of humility (khushu) is the heart, and then its effects become evident on the limbs. All the limbs of the body are subject to the heart. If the humility of the heart is disturbed by negligence, whispers, and distractions of the mind, then the worship and servitude of the other limbs and organs also become corrupted. In the kingdom of the body, the heart is like the king, and the limbs are its soldiers and army. All the limbs and organs are subject to the heart and move according to its command. If the rule of the heart ceases and it becomes inactive, then its subjects (the body parts) cannot remain active, organized, or orderly in any way. However, if someone expresses humility and fear with affectation and pretension, this is a highly disliked act. Because the most important characteristic of sincerity is that it is always kept hidden.
Humility should be kept hidden:
Sayyiduna Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: إياكم وخشوع النفاق “Protect yourself from hypocritical humility.”
It was asked, what is hypocritical humility? He said: “It is when you make your body humble and modest, but the heart does not have this state and is not humble (fearful).”
Qadi Fudail bin Iyad said: “The pious predecessors considered it extremely bad for a person to show himself humble and modest through affectation and pretense, contrary to the state of the heart.”
A certain elder saw a person whose shoulders were very bent and his body was very loose. So he warned him and said: “O man! Humility is here (in the heart), not here (in the shoulders).”
Allama Ibn al-Qayyim differentiates between faith-based humility and hypocritical humility as follows:
Faith-based humility (sign) is that the heart holds the reverence of Allah’s greatness, fear of His majesty and glory, and modesty. The heart is broken with humility and meekness, filled with fear, shame, love, and modesty. Every blessing of the Owner is in sight, and there is also a sense of violation of His rights from one’s side. In this state, the heart is certainly humble and fearful, and this state also manifests in the limbs and organs.
In contrast, hypocritical humility, which is merely affectation and pretense imposed on the limbs, has no effect at all in the heart. That is why it is narrated from some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them):
أعوذ بالله من خشوع النفاق
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from hypocritical humility.”
In short, Allah’s humble servant is one whose commanding self’s desires have been extinguished. The smoke of it has gone out from the heart. His chest has been cleansed of these impurities. The light of Allah’s greatness dwells on his face, and the unrestrained desires of the self have died due to fear and reverence of Allah. The reverence of Allah’s greatness has taken root in the heart. There is tranquility in the limbs and organs. His tongue and heart find comfort and peace in His remembrance, and a kind of tranquility descends upon him from the Lord, and the self has completely inclined towards Him (Allah).
And المخبت refers to a broken and humble person. Such land that is depressed and low, which in Arabic is called “khabbat,” where due to pressure, bending, and slope, water collects. And قلب مخبت is similar in that it contains fear of Allah and also tranquility and peace, like water flowing towards sloping land and settling there.
Then its sign becomes that the servant, expressing the utmost humiliation and humility before the greatness and majesty of his Lord, falls into prostration. His head does not rise from prostration until he meets Him. This is somewhat the state of faith-based humility!
But affectation and pretense show laziness and weakness (which is called hypocritical humility). Surely this is a kind of artificiality that affects the limbs and body and is entirely showmanship. While inwardly, the self is completely young, strong, full of desires and various hopes and wishes. The servant outwardly shows humility (and modesty), but the effect of the (self’s) valley remains, and the lion of the jungle lies in ambush beside him waiting to hunt him.
And humility in prayer can only be attained by a person who empties his heart solely for it. Turning away from distractions here and there and engaging only in it, giving preference to his worship and servitude over all other occupations, only then does it become a coolness for his eyes and tranquility and peace for his heart. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
وجعلت قرة عيني فى الصلاة
“The coolness of my eyes is in prayer.”
Allah Almighty has mentioned His humble servants among His chosen and selected people and has informed that:
أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
“Allah has prepared for them great forgiveness and a great reward.”
Benefits of Humility:
This makes the heavy act of prayer extremely light, easy, and even beloved and desirable for the servant. It is said:
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
“Seek help through patience and prayer; indeed, prayer is a heavy (arduous) task, but not for the humble (those who fear Allah).”
❀ Khushu‘ (humility and concentration in prayer) is a magnificent act that is extremely rare in the Ummah today, especially in our time which is the last era and it is gradually disappearing. In the speech of the Prophet of Revelation, Allah’s command is:
أول شيء يرفع من هذه الأمة الخشوع حتى لا ترى فيها خاشعا
“The first thing to be taken away from this Ummah will be khushu‘, until you will not find anyone among them who is humble.”
and it has been declared Hasan (good). Allama Al-Albani declared it authentic in Sahih At-Targhib.
A saying from one of the pious predecessors (may Allah have mercy on them) is that prayer can be likened to a gift of a slave girl. If it is presented before a king, what do you think if the gift-giver presents a paralyzed, blind, deaf, lame, chronically ill, and extremely ugly slave girl or a lifeless dead slave girl? Similarly, what will be the condition of that defective and lifeless prayer which a servant presents before his Lord and through which he seeks nearness to Him? Whereas:
والله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيبا
“Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, is exceedingly pure and accepts only what is pure.”
And such a prayer which is completely lifeless cannot be called pure and good in any way. Just as if someone wants to free a slave or slave girl, if he frees a dead slave, that freedom will not be valid.
The ruling on humility in prayer:
The prevailing ruling regarding humility (khushu) in prayer is that it is obligatory. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah states that Allah Almighty says:
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
“Seek help through patience and prayer; indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive.”
This noble verse condemns those who lack humility and khushu. And condemnation always occurs for the abandonment of an obligatory act or the commission of a forbidden act.
When those who do not show humility are considered non-humble, blameworthy, and bad people, the inevitable conclusion is that humility and submissiveness in prayer is a necessary and obligatory act. Furthermore, the evidence for its obligation is also this noble verse:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ﴿٥﴾ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ﴿٧﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ﴿٨﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٩﴾ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿١١﴾
“Certainly, the believers have succeeded, who are humble in their prayers… These are the inheritors, who will inherit Paradise forever.”
In these verses, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, informs that only those possessing these qualities will be the inheritors of Paradise al-Firdaus. Meaning, no one else can be rightful heirs besides them.
And when humility in prayer becomes obligatory, and it entails the calmness of the limbs and the humility of the heart, then a person who prays hastily, without stillness in prostration, does not pause after rising from bowing, and quickly moves to prostration, has not maintained any calmness. Because calmness means tranquility and stillness. And whoever lacks tranquility and stillness has not maintained calmness, and whoever has not maintained calmness has not shown humility in their bowing and prostration. And whoever does not adopt humility is disobedient and rebellious against their Allah.
Another Argument:
One of the proofs that humility (khushu’) in prayer is obligatory is that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, gave a severe warning to those who neglect humility, such as someone who raises their eyes towards the sky during prayer. This is a meaningless action. Raising the eyes towards the sky during prayer is the opposite of humility and being humble.
The blessed statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is:
خمس صلوات افترضهن الله تعالى من أحسن وضوءهن وصلاهن لوقتهن، وأتم ركوعهن وخشوعهن كان له على الله عهد أن يغفر له، ومن لم يفعل فليس له على الله عهد إن شاء غفر له وإن شاء عذبه
“There are five prayers which Allah, the Exalted, has made obligatory. Whoever performs ablution properly (i.e., according to the Sunnah), prays them at their appointed times, performs their bowing and humility perfectly, then Allah has made a covenant with him that He will forgive him. And whoever does not do so, then Allah has no covenant or promise with him; He may forgive him or punish him as He wills.”
Another Prophetic saying is:
من توضأ فأحسن الوضوء ثم صلى ركعتين يقبل عليهما بقلبه ووجهه (وفي رواية لا يحدث فيهما نفسه) غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه وفي رواية إلا وجبت له الجنة
“Whoever performs ablution beautifully (i.e., according to the Sunnah) and then prays two rak’ahs, focusing his heart and face towards them (and in one narration, refraining from talking to himself during them), then his previous sins are forgiven (and in one narration, Paradise becomes obligatory for him).”
