Achieving “Khushu” and a Positive State of Mind
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 in Prayers Salat
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.”
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