Is it true that if a prayer is lacking in complete khushoo' (focus of
mind and humility before Allah), He will not accept it from us, or
not?
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Praise be to Allah
What is required of the worshipper is to show humility [khushoo'] in
his prayer and to have complete focus of mind, because Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
They who are during their prayer humbly submissive [khaashi'oon]"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:1-2].
Focusing on prayer and being humble therein are among the most
important issues, and this is the essence of the prayer. Therefore we
must pay attention to focusing with proper humility in the prayer and
performing it in a tranquil and unhurried manner, when prostrating and
bowing, between the two prostrations, and after bowing when standing
up again; it should be done in a tranquil and unhurried manner.
If the worshipper fails to focus his mind and show humility in such a
way that it is as if he is pecking his way through the prayer and is
too hasty, then his prayer becomes invalid.
But if he is at ease and performs his prayer in an unhurried manner,
but sometimes his mind wanders and sometimes he forgets, this does not
render his prayer invalid, but he will not have any reward for his
prayer except inasmuch as his mind was focused and he showed proper
humility and mindfulness of Allah; he will have the reward for that,
but as for the parts in which he was not focused, he will miss out on
the reward thereof. Therefore he should focus on his prayer and do it
in an unhurried manner, showing humility towards Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, so that he will have the reward thereof in
full. But his prayer is not rendered invalid unless he prays in a
hasty manner, such as if he bows but does not take the time to do it
properly, so he does it in a hasty manner and the movement does not
reflect proper humility. What he should do is move with ease, so that
he adopts the right posture with every vertebra in place and so that
he will have enough time to saySubhaana Rabbiy al-'Azeem(Glory be to
my Lord the Almighty) when bowing and to sayRabbana wa laka'l-hamd(my
Lord and to You be praise) when standing up straight after bowing, and
to saySubhaana Rabbiy al-A'la(Glory be to my Lord Most High) when
prostrating, and to say Rabb ighfir (Lord forgive me) between the two
prostrations.
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man
who did not pray in a calm and unhurried manner – rather he pecked his
way through the prayer – he instructed that man to repeat his prayer,
and said: "Pray, for you have not prayed." Praying in a calm and
unhurried manner is one of the most important aspects of khushoo', and
this is something that is required in the prayer, when bowing and
prostrating, between the two prostrations, and when standing up
straight after bowing. This is called tama'neena, which means being
calm and at ease, proceeding in an unhurried manner. It is also called
khushoo', which means having proper focus and humility when praying.
It is essential to pray in this calm and unhurried manner, so that at
every stage of the prayer, the vertebrae may settle into place. So
when the worshipper bows, he should do so in an unhurried manner, so
that every part of his body may settle into place, and when he stands
up from bowing, he should do it in such a manner that every vertebra
will settle into place when he is standing after bowing; and when he
prostrates, he should do it in a calm and unhurried manner, and should
not be hasty, so that every bone may settle into place (as he
prostrates).
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