Is the prayer valid without khushu'? And what is meant by khushu' during the prayer?
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The questioner : Is the prayer valid without khushu'? And what is meant by khushu' during the prayer, O honorable Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The prayer is valid without khushu', but it is very deficient, because khushu' is the essence and spirit of the prayer. Allah praised those who were humble in their prayer and said:[Al-Mu'minun 23:1-2].
Khushu' is the stillness of the soul, the presence of the heart, and the submission of the body, such that when he prays, he is humble before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turns away from everything else. His soul does not distract him with anything; rather, he is fully devoted to his prayer with utmost devotion. He reflects on what he recites and contemplates what he does, drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through this prayer, and performing it according to the Sunnah that came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the one who begins his prayer while his soul is distracted and his heart wanders to the right and left, he is not in a state of khushu'. Therefore, his prayer is deficient. It was reported in the hadith: All of this is due to his negligence and the distractions of his soul during the prayer.
A man complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the distractions of his soul in his prayer, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to spit to his left three times and seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. The man did so, and he said: "So He removed from me what I was feeling". If you are afflicted by any of these whispers or distractions of the soul in your prayer, you must follow what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided you to, which is to spit to your left three times and seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. If you are in a row in congregational prayer, spitting to the left is difficult, but seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan and repeat that three times, for Allah the Exalted will remove from you what you are feeling.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The prayer is valid without khushu', but it is very deficient, because khushu' is the essence and spirit of the prayer. Allah praised those who were humble in their prayer and said:
(1) Certainly will the believers have succeeded: (2) They who are during their prayer humbly submissive
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَKhushu' is the stillness of the soul, the presence of the heart, and the submission of the body, such that when he prays, he is humble before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turns away from everything else. His soul does not distract him with anything; rather, he is fully devoted to his prayer with utmost devotion. He reflects on what he recites and contemplates what he does, drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through this prayer, and performing it according to the Sunnah that came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the one who begins his prayer while his soul is distracted and his heart wanders to the right and left, he is not in a state of khushu'. Therefore, his prayer is deficient. It was reported in the hadith:
A man may leave his prayer and only half of it, or a quarter of it, or a tenth of it is recorded for him.
إن الرجل ينصرف من صلاته وما كتب له إلا نصفها ألا ربعها إلا عشرهاA man complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the distractions of his soul in his prayer, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to spit to his left three times and seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. The man did so, and he said: "So He removed from me what I was feeling". If you are afflicted by any of these whispers or distractions of the soul in your prayer, you must follow what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided you to, which is to spit to your left three times and seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. If you are in a row in congregational prayer, spitting to the left is difficult, but seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan and repeat that three times, for Allah the Exalted will remove from you what you are feeling.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.