Causes of Khushu' in Prayer

Question:
The questioner, a young Muslim woman, submitted this question in writing. She says: We know, Shaykh Salih, that the prayer is the first thing a servant will be questioned about on the Day of Resurrection. And the most important aspect of the prayer is khushu' (humility). So that we may perform it as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the noble Companions performed it. The question is: I remember that I am a girl of twenty years old, and khushu' does not come to me in the prayer. She says: I forget it because of the worries of this world and the preoccupations of daily life, unless I recite in a melodic voice that I hear and that the person next to me hears, but it is moderate. And I do this in all the obligatory prayers, both the loud ones and the silent ones. What is the view of the Shari'ah in your opinion, O Shaykh (may Allah preserve him)?

Answer:
Yes, khushu' in the prayer is a desirable good, and it is the spirit of the prayer. Allah the Exalted said: And khushu' is granted by Allah the Mighty and Majestic to the servant, and it has causes. The first of them is to keep in mind the greatness of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, who is standing before him in the prayer. So if he keeps in mind the greatness of the One he is standing before and the One he is addressing, that will give him khushu'. But if he is heedless, he will be preoccupied with the matters of this world and not feel the presence of his prayer.
Also, among the causes of khushu' is entering the prayer with a calm heart, not preoccupied with anything. Therefore, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying while one is struggling to urinate or defecate, and he forbade praying in the presence of food until one has taken his fill, and he forbade praying in a place that is extremely hot or extremely cold. It is required that the Muslim be at ease in his prayer and free from distractions. And whenever he prays, if he comes to the prayer and comes to pray with the congregation, he is forbidden from hurrying, running, or speed in the approach. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you hear the call to prayer, spread out [to it]" And in another narration: "And walk calmly." All of these are causes that bring about khushu' and keep one away from thoughts, ideas, and preoccupations. The action of the Muslim is to do the things that bring khushu', and by the permission of Allah, if he does the things that bring it, he will attain khushu' by the permission of Allah the Mighty and Majestic.

The presenter:
Yes, that is correct.