Causes of Khushu' in Prayer

Question:
Abu 'Abdullah from Jeddah says: Peace be upon you. Honorable Shaykh, is there a way to attain khushu' in prayer? For, may Allah preserve you, I wander in my thoughts a lot during my prayer.

Answer:
There are many causes of khushu', among them is bringing the intention to mind when entering the prayer. The greatest of these is seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan after the opening takbir. It also includes not entering the prayer while your thoughts are confused. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying in the presence of food, or while one is struggling with the urge to urinate or defecate. He also forbade hurrying when coming to the prayer; one should walk with calmness, because hurrying confuses one's prayer. So a person should work on the causes of khushu'. Yes.