What is humility in prayers?
ما هو الخشوع في الصلاة؟
Allah praised the believers who humble themselves in prayer: “Successful indeed are the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer;’ so what is humility in prayers?
امتدح الله في كتابه الخاشعون في صلاتهم، كما في قوله تعالى: "قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ. الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ".فما هو الخشوع في الصلاة؟
The Meaning and Types of Humility | معنى وأنواع الخشوع
1. The Essence of Humility
Humility towards Allah is the feeling of fearing Him which leads to Exalting Him and Glorifying Him. Fear comes only from one’s piety to Allah the Almighty. (This reverence is the essence of worship. As Allah says: "And they fall upon their faces weeping, and it increases them in humble submissiveness." Al-Isra 17:109)
1. جوهر الخشوع
أولاً: الخشوع لله هو الخوفٌ منه المؤدي إلى تعظيمه وإجلاله، والخشوع يقتضي التقوى لله عز وجل. (وهذه الهيبة هي جوهر العبادة، كما قال تعالى: "وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا" الإسراء 17: 109)
2. The Place of Humility
Humility exists in one’s heart, and it is not restricted to prayers. It means that someone can be in a state of humility even when not in prayers. (True humility permeates the believer's entire life, reflecting in their character, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "The first thing to be lifted from this Ummah will be Khushu', until you will not see a single humble person." Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2653)
2. محل الخشوع
ثانيًا: الخشوع محله القلب، وهو ليس من خصوص أفعال الصلاة، أي: إن الخاشع قد يكون في الصلاة وقد يكون خاشع في غير الصلاة. (الخشوع الحقيقي يمتد ليشمل حياة المؤمن كلها، وينعكس في أخلاقه، لقول النبي ﷺ: "أول شيء يرفع من هذه الأمة الخشوع، حتى لا ترى فيها خاشعاً" سنن الترمذي 2653)
3. Physical Stillness
Humility in prayers is two types: The first type: While in prayers, the limbs remain still and do not move when there is no need. Moving a lot in prayers decreases one’s humility and it may lead to the nullifying of one’s prayers. (This physical stillness is a direct reflection of the heart's state, as outward calmness mirrors inner tranquility).
3. سكون الجوارح
الخشوع في الصلاة على نوعين: النوع الأول: سكون الجوارح وعدم حركتها فيما لا حاجة فيه في الصلاة، وينافي هذا الخشوع كثرة الحركة في الصلاة، وقد تؤدي كثرة الحركة إلى بطلان الصلاة. (وهذا السكون الجسدي هو انعكاس لحالة القلب، فالسكون الظاهري يمثل الطمأنينة الباطنية).
4. Presence of the Heart
The second type: the presence of the heart while the limbs are still, so that a person reflects on what he says in prayer and what his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, calls upon, and this is one of the greatest purposes of prayers. (Successful indeed are the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer;) Al-Mu’minun 23: 1-2. (The believer should ponder every word, knowing they are conversing directly with the Creator).
4. حضور القلب
النوع الثاني: حضور القلب مع سكون الجوارح، بحيث يتفكر الإنسان فيما يقول في الصلاة وما يدعو به ربه، عز وجل، وهذا من أعظم مقاصد الصلاة. (قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾) المؤمنون 23: 1- 2. (وعلى المؤمن أن يتدبر كل كلمة، مدركاً أنه يناجي الخالق مباشرة).
5. Satan's Whispers
Salat (Prayer) is one of the greatest practical pillars of religion, but humility in it is a legitimate requirement, and Satan, may Allah curse him, threatens to whisper to people, so that they do not pay attention in prayer. Allah the Almighty narrates what he said in the following Ayah: (I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful) Al-A’araf 7:17. (To combat this, the worshipper must actively seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil to protect their focus).
5. وساوس الشيطان
الصلاة من أعظم أركان الدين العملية ، لكن الخشوع فيها من المطالب الشرعية ، والشيطان، لعنه الله، توعد أن يوسوس للناس حتى لا ينتبهوا في الصلاة. ذكر الله عنه : ﴿ ثُمَّ لَآَتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ ) 7 : 17 الأعراف. (ولمواجهة ذلك، يجب على المصلي الاستعاذة بالله من الشيطان الرجيم بصدق لحماية تركيزه).
6. The Warning to the Unmindful
(So woe to those ˹hypocrites˺ who pray. yet are unmindful of their prayers; those who ˹only˺ show off, and refuse to give ˹even the simplest˺ aid) (107:4-7). (This stern warning highlights the immense danger of performing the physical acts of worship while the heart is completely absent or seeking worldly praise).
6. وعيد الغافلين
(فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٤﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ﴿٥﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ ﴿٦﴾ وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ ﴿٧﴾) الماعون 107 : 4- 7. (وهذا التحذير الشديد يبرز الخطر العظيم لأداء العبادات ظاهرياً بينما القلب غافل تماماً أو يبحث عن ثناء الناس).
7. Purifying the Soul
It is as if Satan's first concern is to ruin the believer's prayers by means of evil whispering, and by voiding it by abolishing reverence in it. And reverence in prayer, just as a person is in a state of contemplation, the more concentration and the expulsion of everything that preoccupies a person with this world, the more pure the soul will be. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called and said: (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from knowledge that is of no benefit, from a supplication that is not heard, from a heart that does not fear (You) and from a soul that is not satisfied].'") [At-Tirmiti and An-Nasa'i, by the authority of Abdullah bin amr bin al-'Aas]. (Attaining this purity of soul through Khushu' is the ultimate joy of the believer, as the Prophet ﷺ famously said: "And the coolness of my eyes was made in the prayer." Sunan an-Nasa'i 3940)
7. صفاء النفس
وكأن الشيطان همه الأول إفساد صلاة المؤمن عن طريق الوسوسة ، وعن طريق إلغاء الخشوع فيها و الخشوع في الصلاة كما أن الإنسان في حال التدبر، كل ما زاد التركيز وطرد كل شيء يشغل الإنسان بالدنيا ، زادت صفاء النفس . وقد دعا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال : (" اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ دُعَاءٍ لاَ يُسْمَعُ وَمَنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ ") [أخرجه الترمذي والنسائي عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص ]. (وبلوغ هذا الصفاء الروحي من خلال الخشوع هو غاية سرور المؤمن، كما قال النبي ﷺ: "وجعلت قرة عيني في الصلاة" سنن النسائي 3940).
Scholarly Insight: In Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), scholars carefully differentiate between physical stillness (Tuma'neenah) and inner humility (Khushu'). Physical stillness is an essential pillar (Rukn); without it, the prayer is legally invalid. Inner humility, however, is the spiritual core of the worship. While a lack of inner focus might not necessitate repeating the prayer from a strictly legal standpoint, scholars of purification (Tazkiyah) emphasize that a worshipper only receives divine reward proportional to the presence of their heart. Achieving Khushu' fulfills the highest objective (Maqasid) of prayer, which is to connect intimately with the Creator and elevate the soul beyond worldly attachments.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is the definition of humility (Khushu') in Islam?
Humility towards Allah is the feeling of fearing Him, which leads to exalting and glorifying Him. It stems from piety and exists primarily in the heart, meaning a person can embody humility even outside of prayer.
What are the two types of humility during prayer?
The first type is physical humility, where the limbs remain still without any unnecessary movement. The second type is the presence of the heart, where a person deeply reflects on what they are reciting and calling upon their Lord for.
Why does Satan try to distract believers during their prayer?
Satan's primary concern is to ruin the believer's prayers through evil whispering and by abolishing their reverence. Distracting a person from their prayer prevents them from attaining a pure soul and a meaningful connection with Allah.