Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 2) ➊ {الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ فِيْ صَلَاتِهِمْ خٰشِعُوْنَ :} Al-Tabari has narrated with his Hasan chain from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) the exegesis of {’’خٰشِعُوْنَ ‘‘} as {’’خَائِفُوْنَ سَاكِنُوْنَ‘‘}. (Tabari: 25627) That is, in prayer, they are fearful of Allah Almighty from their hearts, and this fear has such an effect on their bodies that they avoid any movement contrary to prayer; they neither look here and there, nor play with their clothes or beard, nor crack their fingers. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that she asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about glancing here and there in prayer, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ هُوَ اخْتِلَاسٌ يَخْتَلِسُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَبْدِ ] [ بخاري، الأذان، باب الالتفات في الصلاۃ : ۷۵۱ ] "This is the snatching away of a man's prayer by Satan, who snatches away the servant's prayer."

➋ In the exegesis of this verse, many commentators have narrated a report that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man playing with his beard during prayer and said: "If his heart had khushu', then his other limbs would also have khushu'." Shaykh al-Albani has mentioned in {’’سلسلة الأحاديث الضعيفة والموضوعة(۱۱۰)‘‘} with evidence that this is fabricated (self-invented).

Note: It is clear that playing with the beard, clothes, or anything else and making purposeless movements in prayer is contrary to khushu', i.e., the fear of the heart and the tranquility of the body, but it is never permissible to attribute to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) words that are not proven from him, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ] [ بخاري، العلم، باب إثم من کذب…: ۱۱۰۔ مسلم : ۳ ] "Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his seat in the Fire."

➌ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has made a chapter in his Sahih: "The chapter of seeking help with the hand in prayer, when the action is related to the prayer itself." Then under this heading, he has narrated the statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "A man may seek help from his body in prayer as he wishes." Then he writes that Abu Ishaq placed his cap on the ground during prayer and picked it up, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) kept his palm on the joint of his left wrist, except to scratch his skin or adjust his garment." After this, the Imam has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) the hadith in which he mentioned standing with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and performing the night prayer. In it, it is also mentioned: "He (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his right hand on my head and took hold of my ear and began to twist it (i.e., he took me by the ear and turned me to the right)." [ بخاري، العمل في الصلاۃ، باب استعانۃ الید في الصلاۃ إذا کان من أمر الصلاۃ : ۱۱۹۸ ]

2-1. Khushu' refers to the concentration and engagement of the heart. Heartfelt concentration means that during prayer, one intentionally protects the heart from the onslaught of thoughts and whispers, and strives to imprint the greatness and majesty of Allah upon the heart. The concentration of the limbs and heart means not looking here and there, not playing or engaging in amusement, not being occupied with adjusting hair or clothes, but rather being overtaken by a state of fear, awe, and humility, just as is usually the case before a king or a great person.

2. Those who are humble [2] in their prayers,

[2]
The Status and Effects of Khushu' in Prayer:

The meaning of ﴿خَشَعَ﴾ is such humility that arises in the heart due to fear and awe. Then, the effects of this fear and humility also begin to appear on the limbs and body parts. The eyes become subdued and lower, and the voice becomes soft. In such contexts, the Quran has used this very word. The demand of this khushu' is that a person stands in prayer with respect, does not look here and there, does not busy himself with adjusting his clothes, nor plays with his beard, etc. Nor should he allow thoughts other than focusing on the prayer to enter his mind. And if such thoughts do come, he should immediately divert his attention and remind himself that he is standing with folded hands before his Master in prayer, and focus on what he is saying with his tongue. Although khushu' is not a condition for the validity of the components of prayer, it is an essential condition for its acceptance and excellence.