The Muslimah Corner

Two parts to achieve this as follows…

Part A: Strengthen your khushoo add those things: desire to do fardh

• Focus what your say and do.
• Ponder on Quran recitation, dhikr, duaa.
• Remember your speaking to Allah (all seer/hearer) {Ihsaan : worship Him(swt) as if you see Him, and if u cant see him, He can see you.}
• The more one tastes salats sweetness, more you will be attracted to it; this can be done through strength of the eman
• Preparing oneself for prayer properly
  • By repeating the words of the adhaan after the muezzin
  • By pronouncing the du’aa’ to be recited after the adhaan
  • Reciting du’aa’ between the adhaan and the iqaamah; Doing wudoo’ properly, saying Bismillaah before it and making dhikr and saying the du’aa’ after it
  • Using siwaak to cleanse and perfume the mouth that is going to recite Qur’aan in a short while
  • Wearing one’s best and cleanest clothes, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes) while praying…” [al-A’raaf 7:31]. Allaah is most deserving of seeing us “take our adornment” for Him. Clean, pleasant smelling clothes are also more comfortable and relaxing, unlike clothes for sleeping or working in.
• Moving at a measured pace during prayer
  • Perform ruku , sujood properly (else will be worst kind of thief)
  • Move in pace else cant get khushoo in hasty prayers.
• Remembering death whilst praying
  • Pray as if you wont be able to pray again
  • One day our prayer will be the last one…and we wont know it until death comes.
• Thinking about the aayaat and adhkaar being recited during the prayer and interacting with them
  • Ponder on meanings of ayat, study tafsir else how can you fully enjoy even reading the quran?
  • Repeat ayats (prophet repeated this till morning came)
  • Interact with ayat (praise, ask question, seek refuge , ask for mercy, ..if ayat asks)
  • Memorize quran, dua’s for diff. parts of prayer and think of the meaning during recitation.
• Pause at the end of each aayah
• Reciting in slow, rhythmic tones (tarteel) and making one’s voice beautiful when reciting
  • Clear recitation with each letter pronounced distinctly
  • Beautify the voice, for fine voice increases quran in beauty
• Knowing that Allaah responds to prayers
  • The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted has said: ‘I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.” When the slave says ‘Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds,’ Allaah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ When the slave says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy,’ Allaah says, ‘My slave has extolled me.’ When the slave says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgement,’ Allaah says, ‘My slave has glorified me.’ When the slave says, ‘It is You alone we worship and it is You alone we ask for help,’ Allaah says, ‘This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.’ When the slave says, ‘Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not the path of those who receive Your anger, nor of those who go astray,’ Allaah says, ‘All these are for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for.’” (Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Salaah, Baab wujoob qiraa’at al-Faatihah fi kulli rak’ah). [Words in italics are the translation of the meaning of Soorat al-Faatihah – Translator]. This is a great and important hadeeth. If everyone kept it in mind when he prays, he would attain immense khushoo’ and al-Faatihah would have a great impact on him. How could it be otherwise, when he feels that his Lord is addressing him and giving him what he is asking for?
• Praying with a barrier (sutrah) in front of one and praying close to it
  • Lessens distractions (vision limits, ppl wont pass by, etc)
  • Allowed to fight with someone trying to pass between you and your sutrah
• Placing the right hand on the left hand on the chest
  • It is Humility before Allah
• Looking at the place of prostration
  • Don’t leave gaze other then prostration place, except when moving index finger.
  • Opened eyes from sunnah (if extremely difficult for khushoo allowed to close eyes)
• Moving the index finger
  • Move it and its harmfull for shaytan more then iron rod, reminds of Allah’s unity
• Varying the soorahs, aayaat, adhkaar and du’aa’s recited in prayer
  • Varying what one recites is the Sunnah and is more conducive to khushoo’. Different opening dua’s…of saw
• Performing sujood al-tilaawah when reciting an aayah where this is required
  • When reading an ayat requiring sujood, we should prostrate.
• Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan
  • Be consistence in the ibadah, that will ward off shaytan.
  • If you get waswasas spit 3 times on the left …The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “That is a shaytaan whose name is Khanzab. If you sense his presence, seek refuge with Allaah from him, and spit [dry spitting] towards your left three times.”
  • If forgot the number of rakats performed, perform 2 prostrations while sitting.
  • If confused in passing wind (don’t end prayer unless heard voice or smell an odour)
• Thinking of how the salaf were when they prayed
  • Haatim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “I carry out what I am commanded; I walk with fear of Allaah in my heart; I start with the [correct] intention; I magnify and glorify Allaah; I recite at a slow and measured pace, thinking about the meaning; I bow with khushoo’; I prostrate with humility; I sit and recite the complete tashahhud; I say salaam with the [correct] intention; I finish with sincerity towards Allaah; and I come back fearing lest [my prayer] has not been accepted from me, so I continue to strive until I die.” (Al-Khushoo’ fi’l-Salaah, 27-28).