Untitled

Second Edition
َ َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ ْ َّ َ ُْ ْ ُْ َ ََْ ْ َ
... ٢ ‫يِف َصاَلت ِ ِه ْم خ ٰـشِ ُع ْون‬
ِ ‫ ٱذَّلِين هم‬١ ‫قد أفلح ٱلمؤ ِمنون‬
“Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their ṣalāh...” (23:1-2).
“My utmost joy has been put in ṣalāh”
(The Prophet Muhammad g, Nasā’ī)
“Stand O Bilāl (and say the call to prayer),

and bring us comfort through ṣalāh!”
(The Prophet Muhammad g, Abū Dāwūd)
ABOUT UMMAH WELFARE TRUST
Recent decades have seen this final Ummah encounter unprecedented trials and
calamities. Millions who have taken Allah b as their Lord and His Messenger g
as their guide have suffered and perished amidst continuous wars, natural
disasters and enforced poverty.
Ummah Welfare Trust, a UK-based Islamic charity that was founded in 2001, has
strived to fulfil the rights of those in need by providing them assistance in areas of
nutrition, education, health, shelter, income and spiritual well-being.
Alhamdulillah, donors’ contributions have enabled the charity to help over 30

million of our brothers and sisters in the past two decades. May their Sadaqah
increase their provisions, repel oncoming evils, and be a shade for them on the
Day of Judgement.
Our Beloved Messenger g was indeed the greatest of people in giving charity.
He never considered anything too much or too little to give. Attachment to this
world was made insignificant to him and he called our Ummah to faith, virtue and
success in the afterlife.
For this reason, Ummah Welfare Trust has increased its focus in recent years on
da’wah and Islamic revivalism. Alhamdulillah, across the Ummah, the charity has
increased support to Islamic schools, expanded the construction of masjids, and
extended assistance to Islamic teachers and students.
By Allah’s permission, ‘Life with Allah’ is the latest effort in which the charity
hopes to revive the hearts of the believers and, in turn, the condition of the
Ummah. May Allah b strengthen it and accept it from us all.
www.uwt.org
ABOUT LIFE WITH ALLAH
Life With Allah is a daʿwah initiative of Ummah Welfare Trust which aims to
connect the creation to The Creator.
Our goal is to instil the love and maʿrifah (deep knowledge) of Allah and His
Messenger  in ourselves, our families and the wider Ummah.
We envision an Ummah that is connected to the Book of Allah; that savours

the sweetness of īmān and worship; and that worships Allah with baṣīrah (sure
knowledge and insight).
We hope to strengthen our īmān and nurture the īmān of our upcoming
generations, enabling them to remain steadfast in this era of trials.
Our Areas of Focus

• Knowing Allah b and His Messenger 
• The journey of the hereafter
• The actions and diseases of the heart
• Tasting the sweetness of ṣalāh
• Connecting deeply with the Qur’ān
• Implementing the Sunnah dhikr & duʿā’ in our daily lives
• Understanding the inner dimensions of Ramaḍān and ḥajj
What We Do
• Produce and publish books and pamphlets (print and digital)
• Distribute banners and posters for masjids
• Share daily reminders via social media
• Develop educational resources
• Provide authentic Islamic content through our website and app
All of our print and digital material is free and available to all.
www.lifewithallah.com
CONTENTS
Introduction 8
Pre-Reading Questions 10
CHAPTER 1: KHUSHŪʿ: THE KEY TO ṢALĀH 12
Allah  wants you to give your heart to Him 13

What is khushūʿ? 17
The importance of khushūʿ in ṣalāh 21
Is it not enough that I pray five times a day? 24
The virtues of khushūʿ 25
The benefits of khushūʿ in ṣalāh 26
Ṣalāh with khushūʿ: pure joy & comfort 30
The ṣalāh and khushūʿ of the Prophet g 32
In which category do you belong? 35
Hypocritical khushūʿ 36
Why do we lack khushūʿ? 37
Chapter 1 Review & Reflect 42
CHAPTER 2: HOW TO DEVELOP KHUSHŪʿ: 10 STEPS BEFORE ṢALĀH 44
1. Appreciate the importance of ṣalāh 45

2. Attain the maʿrifah (deep knowledge and awareness) of Allah  48
3. Stop sinning and safeguard your eyes, tongue and heart 54
4. Soften your heart 56
5. Increase your time in private worship 59
6. Persistently ask Allah  for khushūʿ & do not give up 61
7. Act upon the etiquettes of going to the masjid and respond to the adhān 63
8. Pray in the congregation & do not delay 69
9. Be punctual with your sunnah prayers 71
10. Eliminate distractions 72
CHAPTER 3: HOW TO DEVELOP KHUSHŪʿ: 10 STEPS DURING ṢALĀH 78
1. Fight Shayṭān and his whispers 79

2. Understand the meaning & loftiness of what you are saying 82
3. Vary the adhkār and sūrahs you recite 85
4. Reflect and interact with the Qur’ān 87
5. Recite the Qur’ān slowly and beautifully 94
6. Be calm and lengthen your ṣalāh 97
7. Remember death and the hereafter in and outside ṣalāh 100
8. Always be mindful that you are talking to Allah 102
and that He is responding to you
9. Bring your heart to ṣalāh: love, hope and fear 104
10. The secret of ṣalāh: focus your heart fully on Him 110
CHAPTER 4: A JOURNEY THROUGH ṢALĀH 116
Attending the Court of the Almighty 117

Wuḍū’ 119
Facing the qiblah and raising the hands 123
Takbīr 124
Qiyām (Standing) 126
Istiftāḥ (Opening Duʿā’) 128
Istiʿādhah 132
Basmalah 134
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah 135
Reciting Qur’ān 152
Rukūʿ 153
Practical tips on how to memorise the adhkār of ṣalāh 158
Standing up from rukūʿ 159
Sujūd 162
The adhkār of sujūd 167
Sajdah al-tilāwah 169
Between the two sajdahs 170
Second sajdah 171
Tashahhud 171
Ṣalawāt on the Prophet g 175
Duʿā’ 177
Salām: the end of an epic journey 181
Qunūt 184
Adhkār after ṣalāh 185
A JOURNEY THROUGH ṢALĀH: A SUMMARY 192

Introduction
All praise and thanks are to Allah b, who blessed us with Islam and īmān, guided
us to the truth, and granted us the gift of ṣalāh. May His peace and blessings
envelop His Chosen Messenger who undertook the magnificent journey to the
heavens to receive this exquisite gift: Muḥammad b. ʿAbdillāh g.
As the second of the five pillars of Islam, ṣalāh is one of the greatest acts of
worship. It is an act in which the slave shuts off the world around him to converse
directly with Allah b, displaying his complete servitude (ʿubūdiyyah) to Him.
Ṣalāh was the sunnah of every Prophet through which they honoured Allah b and
sought His assistance. It is one of the best ways to remember Him, become close
to Him, and erase our many sins. It is also Islam’s criterion, distinguishing the
believers from the disbelievers, and it is a ‘nūr’ (light) that will come to our rescue
in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection.
Our beloved Prophet Muḥammad g described ṣalāh as the ‘joy’ of his life.
Yet sadly, many of us today consider the same ṣalāh an inconvenience. Instead of
‘wanting’ to pray, we feel like we ‘have’ to pray.
How then can we become like our beloved Prophet g and learn to experience a
similar joy? How can we derive peace and serenity in and from our ṣalāh? How can
we make ṣalāh the lifeline that it is, helping us overcome the trials and uncertainties
that the Ummah is facing? And how can we train ourselves to perform this lofty act
with complete humility and concentration (khushūʿ)?
Taste the Sweetness of Salah is a humble attempt to answer these questions. With
Allah’s permission, it offers a guide on how to immerse yourself in your ṣalāh; to
begin tasting its sweetness and joy, to appreciate its true meanings, and to reap its
endless fruits.
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The book has been compiled in a simple format, in order to make the writings of
our luminous scholars - particularly Imām Ibn al-Qayyim  and Imām al-Ghazālī
 - accessible to a wider audience. With its focus on the spiritual elements of ṣalāh
(and not its legal rulings), we pray that it will benefit every believer, regardless of
where they are in their spiritual journey.
The first chapter defines khushūʿ and explores its significance in our lives. The
second chapter describes what we can do outside of ṣalāh in order to gain khushūʿ.
This is followed by a chapter elaborating on what we can do within ṣalāh to attain
khushūʿ. The fourth and last chapter then describes the journey through ṣalāh.
It explores the significance of each posture along with the different adhkār (the
remembrances and duʿās) of ṣalāh. The book is then summarised in its conclusion,
recapping on the whole journey of ṣalāh. Reflect and review questions have been
added at the end of the chapters to make the reading experience more meaningful
and interactive.
We pray to Allah al-Mannān (the Great Bestower), to bless us with continuous

khushūʿ both in and outside of ṣalāh. We seek the forgiveness of Allah b, the Most
Merciful, for our shortcomings in this publication. We pray that He makes our
ṣalāh a means for us to experience the joy of conversing with Him in this world as
though we can see Him, and subsequently see Him in the Abode of Peace. Āmīn.
Dhul Hijjah 1443 AH

July 2022
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Pre-Reading Questions
Before you start reading this book, take some time out to ponder on the following
questions. Jot down your answers, so that you can look back and reflect on your
answers.
1 What is your purpose in life?
2 What is the first word that comes to your mind when you think of ṣalāh?
3 What does ṣalāh mean to you?
4 Write down three words/phrases which describe how you feel about the
state of your ṣalāh.
5 How would you describe your ‘ideal’ ṣalāh?

6 What does the word khushūʿ mean to you?
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HAPTER ONE
KHUSHŪʿ:
THE KEY TO ṢALĀH
Chapter One - Khushūʿ: The Key To Ṣalāh
Allah  Wants You to Give

Your Heart to Him
Why am I here? Where am I going? What is my purpose in life?
At certain stages in your life, these questions may have occupied your thoughts.
Allah b says, “I did not create jinn and men except so that they worship Me”
(51:56). Thus, if there is one word that would capture the purpose of our life, it
is ʿibādah.
ʿIbādah, often translated as ʻworshipʼ, is a comprehensive term for every action and
utterance that Allah b loves and is pleased with.
ʿIbādah consists of:

1 Actions of the limbs, or physical acts of worship.
2 Actions of the heart, or inner acts of worship. These include: firm belief
(īmān), knowledge of Allah (maʿrifah), sincerity (ikhlāṣ), piety and
mindfulness (taqwā), trust in Allah (tawakkul), hope (rajā’), fear (khawf),
gratitude (shukr), patience (ṣabr), love (ḥubb), yearning for Allah (shawq)
and certainty (yaqīn).
Every act of worship in Islam consists of both an outer manifestation (‘action of

the limb’) and an inner reality (‘action of the heart’), which is its essence and core.
The outer manifestation of ṣalāh consists of rukūʿ and sujūd, whilst its essence is
khushūʿ.
The outer manifestation of fasting is to stay away from anything that invalidates
the fast, whilst its essence is taqwā.
The outer manifestation of ḥajj consists of ṭawāf, standing in ʿArafah and the
pelting, whilst its essence is to honour the symbols of Allah b.
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Taste the Sweetness of Ṣalāh
The outer manifestation of duʿā’ is to raise the hands and utter words, whilst its
essence is humility and an utmost need for Allah b.
The outer manifestation of dhikr is to utter Subḥānallāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Allāhu

Akbar etc. whilst its essence is loving, fearing and having hope in Allah b; and
contemplation upon His creation and blessings.
Whilst we often focus on the outer and physical acts of worship, we often neglect
the inner dimensions and spiritual elements of these same acts. In other words,
we do not pay enough attention to our hearts.
Imām al-Ghazālī  explains the inner reality of worship and the centrality of the
heart: “The honour and excellence of the human being, by which he surpasses
all other creatures, is his ability for knowing Allah b. Knowing Allah b is the
human’s beauty, perfection and glory in this world; and his provision for the
hereafter. He is prepared for such knowledge only through his heart, and not
through any other organ. For it is the heart that knows Allah, works for Allah,
strives towards Allah, and draws near to Him. In contrast, all the other organs
are mere subordinates and instruments that are employed by the heart … For it
is the heart that is accepted by Allah when it is free from everything except Him.
And it is veiled from Him when it becomes immersed in other than Him … Thus,
knowledge of the heart and the reality of its qualities is the root of religion and the
foundation of the path of the seekers.”
There is no soundness in the hearts until the knowledge of Allah

(maʿrifah), His greatness, His love, fear of Him, awe of Him, hope
in Him and reliance on Him are established in them and they are
full of that. This is the reality of tawḥīd and it is the essence of the
saying, ‘There is no god worthy of worship except Allah.’”
- Ibn Rajab 
The Deen-Race: What makes one person superior to another?
A person’s superiority to another is determined by the actions of his heart. Allah

said, “The noblest amongst you in Allah´s sight is the one with the most taqwā”
(49:13).
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Taqwā is to protect yourself from Allah’s wrath and punishment by avoiding

His prohibitions and implementing His commands. Taqwā is not restricted to the
physical acts. Allah b says, “Whoever honours the symbols of Allah – indeed,
it is from the taqwā of hearts” (22:32). Similarly, the Messenger of Allah g said,
“Taqwā is here, taqwā is here, taqwā is here,” whilst pointing to his chest (Muslim).
The believer therefore journeys to Allah b through his heart, and not just his
body.
ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd  described the Companions  as the best of this ummah

with the ‘most virtuous hearts.’ Bakr al-Muzanī  said, “Abū Bakr  did not
surpass others because of an abundance of fasting and ṣalāh. Rather, he surpassed
them because of something that settled in his heart.”
Ibn Taymiyyah  said, “Actions surpass each other in proportion to the īmān and
ikhlāṣ (sincerity) of the hearts. There may be two men in the same row of prayer,
yet the difference between their prayers is like the distance between the heavens
and the earth.” Similarly, two individuals may give in charity; one giving £1,000,
while the other only gives £10. However, the reward of the second individual may
be far greater due to his sincerity. It is for this reason that ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak
 said, “How many a small act is elevated by an intention, and how many a great
act is diminished by an intention.”
A Heart Attached to Allah b: An Early Paradise
Truly there is a paradise in this world. Whoever does not enter it,
will not enter the Paradise of the hereafter.”
- Ibn Taymiyyah 
The ‘paradise in this world’ refers to the heart that is filled with bliss, contentment
and pleasure. This state is only possible when the heart becomes deeply acquainted
with Allah b, loves Him, turns to Him b and relies on Him alone. It attains
contentment by remembering Him, being alone with Him and attaining closeness
to Him. It yearns to meet Him and its greatest desire is to see Him.
Mālik b. Dīnār  lamented, “The people of the world left the world without
having experienced its greatest delight.” When he was asked, “What is its greatest
delight?”, He replied, “The maʿrifah (knowledge) of Allah b.”
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It is these actions of the heart that will bring you true joy. Once you are blessed
with them, you will realise that no other blessing can compare. You will experience
the ‘sweetness’ of worship, and your heart will overflow with happiness and
contentment. You will carry this wherever you go and it will fortify you against
whatever you encounter.
A life in which your heart is attached to Allah b is truly special. A saint of Allah
said, “There are times when I say: if the people of Paradise have anything like this,
then how blissful must their lives be!” Another stated, “There are times when the
heart bursts in joy (out of the love for Allah b).”
After quoting the above, Ibn al-Qayyim  writes, “Glorified is the One who lets
His slaves witness His Paradise well before they meet Him, who opens its doors
to them in this world of deeds; and who gives them some of its joy, its breeze and
its perfume, so that they may seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength.”
Truly in the heart there is a certain loneliness that cannot be

removed except by spending time with Him in solitude. In it
there is a sadness that cannot be removed except through the
happiness of knowing Him and being true to Him … In it there is
a void that cannot be filled except through loving Him, turning to
Him constantly, always remembering Him, and being sincere to
Him. Were a person to be given the entire world and everything
in it, it would never fill this void.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
Submitting fully to Allah b
An important caveat that we should always keep in mind is that the importance
assigned to the actions of the heart does not in any way negate the significance of
the external physical actions. Rather, when we internalise the actions of the heart,
we will come to realise that they always go hand in hand with the external acts of
worship. One without the other will always be defective.
One of Shayṭān’s tricks, particularly in this modern age, is to undermine the outer
acts of obedience in Islam by convincing us that ‘what really matters is my heart
and inner state’. For instance, we may convince ourselves that so long as we have a
clean heart and pure intentions, ḥijāb is not necessary. In reality, however, if our
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hearts are truly pure, we would fully submit to the outer commandments of Allah
b, and not to our own desires.
What is Khushuʿ?
Khushūʿ is one of the actions of the heart. Linguistically, khushūʿ means to sink,
to be low, to be subservient and to be still. Technically, it refers to the heart that
stands with complete humility, lowliness and full concentration towards Allah
b. Khushūʿ resides within the heart and is manifested through the limbs and
organs.
With khushūʿ your heart softens, becomes still, and humbles itself to its Lord.
Your heart submits and focuses on Allah b to such a degree that everything else
retreats into insignificance. Your limbs and organs then follow the heart and they
too are humbled. The Messenger of Allah g said, “There is a lump of flesh in the
body: if it is sound, the whole body will be sound but if it is corrupt, the whole
body will be corrupt. Truly, it is the heart” (Bukhārī).
A humble heart results in the humbling of the ears, eyes, head and face. This is why
the Prophet g would say in his rukūʿ, “My hearing, sight, mind, bones, and nerves
are humbled to You” (Muslim). Your hearing submits to Allah and you only listen
to what He has permitted. Your eyes do not glance at the ḥarām. Every interior
and exterior part of your body humbles itself and obeys its Creator.
Khushūʿ extinguishes the ‘fires’ of lust and desire, and illuminates your heart with
the ‘light’ of Allah’s b greatness. You become fully aware that Allah is looking at
you, and this fills your heart with His reverence.
Although the focus of this book is khushūʿ within ṣalāh, it is important to note that
you should also strive to experience khushūʿ outside of ṣalāh. Imām al-Ghazālī
 described khushūʿ as the fruit of īmān and the result of a firm conviction in
the greatness of Allah b. If you are blessed with this, you will enjoy khushūʿ
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in and outside of ṣalāh - even when alone and away from others. Continuously
remembering that Allah b sees you, being in awe of His greatness, and
recognising your own deficiencies will lead to a constant state of khushūʿ.
Khushūʿ is a state in which you constantly weigh up your sins against the greatness
of Allah, leaving you overwhelmed with humility and a desperate need for Him.
Khushūʿ magnifies and multiplies the rewards of good deeds. Ibn Taymiyyah 
explains that even though there is a great reward in reciting Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (as it
equates to one third of the Qur’ān), if one was to read any other āyah with khushūʿ,
the reward of it would be greater.
Khushūʿ is one of the easiest and quickest routes to attaining the pleasure of Allah.
One of the pious predecessors said, “I have tried coming closer to Allah b by
entering all the doors of worship. But every time I came close to a door, I found
that it was crowded with people; thus, I was unable to enter until I approached the
door of humility and desperate need for Him. I found that it was in fact the nearest
and widest of all doors to Allāh; there were not any crowds at it nor were there any
barriers. As soon as I placed my foot inside, He b took my hand and admitted me
inside.”
Khushūʿ is the humility of the heart and the subservience of the

limbs and organs.”
- ʿAṭā’ al-Khurāsānī 
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HUMBLE YOURSELF
His Knowledge and Kindness encompass everything.
He is The All-Powerful, The Supreme and The Ultimate King.
His Mercy and Magnificence are endless.
His Glory and Generosity are limitless.
You are weak, and He is your Lord, The Most Powerful.
You are poor, and He is your Lord, The Most Bountiful.
You desperately need Him, whilst He needs no one.
You are a speck in the universe, whilst the universe is a speck of His dominion.
Humble yourself to Allah, The All-Mighty.
Humble yourself to His Greatness and Majesty.
Be ashamed of your sins, and lower your head in humility.
Cry over your shortcomings, and feel your need for Him desperately.
The Importance of Khushuʿ in Salah

Allah b says,
َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ ْ َّ َ ْ ُ ْ ُْ َ ََْ ْ َ
... ٢ ‫يِف َصاَلت ِ ِه ْم َخ ٰـشِ ُع ْون‬
ِ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ِي‬
‫اذَّل‬ ١ ‫ن‬ ‫قد أفلح المؤمِنو‬
“Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their ṣalāh...” (23:1-2).
The above āyāt mark the beginning of Sūrah al-Mu’minūn. In these āyāt, Allah
b describes the qualities of the successful believers. The passage starts off by
mentioning those ‘who are humble in their ṣalah’, and ends with the ninth āyah
mentioning those ‘who consistently maintain their prayers’. Thus, ṣalāḥ features
in both the beginning and the end of the list, demonstrating its great significance.
Ibn Kathīr  explained this āyah: “Khushūʿ in ṣalāh is only attained by the one
who has completely emptied his heart for it, who fully occupies himself for it
and does not pay attention to anything else besides it, and who prioritises it over
everything else. At that point it becomes a source of comfort and intense joy.”
Similarly, Allah b says,
َ‫ٱلصلَ ٰوة‬
َّ ‫َو ُيقيْ ُم ْو َن‬
ِ
“…and they establish ṣalāh” (2:3).
The use of the word iqāmah (to ‘establish’ the prayer) is significant. The words ‘do’
or ‘perform’ ṣalāh have not been used here since it is not sufficient to complete just
the outward motions. However, when you ‘establish’ ṣalāh, you complete both the
inner and outer aspects of this noble worship. The outer aspects involve carrying
out its pillars, obligatory acts and prerequisites; whilst the inner aspects refer to
attaining the essence of ṣalāh, namely, khushūʿ. These acts should be conducted
in tandem with pondering on the meaning of the utterances and actions during
ṣalāh. (Adapted from Tafsīr al-Saʿdī)
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The Prophet g stated, “The first thing to be lifted from this ummah will be
khushūʿ, until you will not find anyone with khushūʿ” (Ṭabarānī).
Ḥudhayfah h said, “The first thing you will lose of your religion will be khushūʿ
and the last thing you will lose of your religion will be ṣalāh. There may be a person
praying yet there is no goodness in him. Soon a time will come when you will enter
a large masjid and not see a single person with khushūʿ in it.”
The Prophet g said, “Indeed a person may pray for sixty years, yet not a single
ṣalāh of his will be accepted. Perhaps he perfected the rukūʿ but not the sujūd, or
he perfected the sujūd but not the rukūʿ” (Ibn Abī Shaybah).
Ibn al-Qayyim  compared khushūʿ in ṣalāh to the soul in the body. When the
soul leaves the body, the body dies. Similarly, without khushūʿ, the ṣalāh lacks its
soul, spirit and essence. Likewise, praying ṣalāh without khushūʿ is like gifting a
dead servant to a king. He then writes, “Allah b will neither accept it nor reward
him for it, even if the obligation (of ṣalāh) has been legally fulfilled.”
Two rakʿahs with contemplation are better than standing up for

the entire night with an inattentive heart.”
- ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās k
Once Imām al-Bukhārī  was praying and a wasp stung him 17

times. On completing his ṣalāh, he said, “Look at what troubled me
during my ṣalāh.” They looked and found that the wasp had stung
him in 17 parts of his body. Despite this, he carried on praying.
It has been said that this was a voluntary prayer after Ẓuhr.
After he finished praying, it was said to him, “Why did you not stop
your ṣalāh when it started stinging you?” He replied, “I was reciting
a sūrah and I wanted to complete it.”
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Ṣalāh brings provisions, preserves one’s health, removes
pain, repels illnesses, strengthens the heart, brightens the
face, brings joy to the soul, removes laziness, stimulates
the limbs, fuels one’s strengths, brings peace to the
heart, nourishes the soul, illuminates the heart, preserves
blessings, repels calamities, brings blessings, pushes
shayṭān away, and brings one close to the All-Merciful.
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
Is it Not Enough That I Pray

Five Times a Day?
“At least I’m praying.”
“I’m happy with where I am. I’m praying 5 times a
day. I pray on time and I’m content with that.”
You should certainly feel happy and grateful that Allah b has granted you the gift
of praying your farḍ prayers, particularly if you have previously been unable to do
so.
However, this should not be enough. Even if the obligation of ṣalāh has legally
been fulfilled, praying ṣalāh without khushūʿ will lead you to missing out on the
essence of ṣalāh.
Imām al-Ghazālī  wrote: “The goal of reciting the Qur’ān and the adhkār (in
ṣalāh) is praise, exaltation, asking and humility: and the One being addressed is
Allah. However, the heart covered by heedlessness is veiled from Him; thus, he
does not see or experience consciousness of Him. He is heedless of the One to
whom he is speaking with, and his tongue simply moves out of habit. How far is
this from the purpose of prayer, which was ordained to purify the heart, renew
the remembrance of Allah, and firmly tie the rope of īmān.”
In Sūrah al-Wāqiʿah, Allah b describes three groups of people: the people of the
left (destined for Hell-fire), the people of the right (destined for Paradise), and
finally the elite of Paradise (destined for the super-luxurious premium Paradise).
It is this latter group who will be the closest to Allah b, blessed to see Him most
often, and have the Prophets  and the Companions  as their neighbours.
They are the ‘Sābiqūn’ (the forerunners).
Your goal and duʿā’ in life should be that Allah b resurrects you amongst the
Sābiqūn. If you wish to enjoy this premium Paradise in the hereafter, then your
ṣalāh (and other acts of worship) should be of premium quality. An average or
mediocre ṣalāh is not enough.
24
A believer always aims for the best. Thus, the Prophet g explained that when
making duʿā’, ask Allah for al-Firdaws, because it is the highest Jannah (Bukhārī).
He g also stated, “Indeed Allah loves that when one of you does something, he
perfects it” (Ṭabarānī).
Do not become satisfied with the quantity and quality of your worship. Do not
placate your inner self (nafs) with weak excuses! Do not believe that the ʿibādah
you are doing is sufficient. Rather, reflect on your shortcomings, battle your nafs
and ask Allah b to make your ṣalāh like the ṣalāh of the Messenger g.
The Virtues of Khushuʿ

1 Achieving success in this world and the hereafter
In Sūrah al-Mu’minūn, Allah b mentions that the first trait of the successful
is khushūʿ in ṣalāh. Allah b says, “Successful indeed are the believers, who are
humble in their ṣalāh” (23:1-2).
Thus, if you want true success, firstly, you must have īmān and secondly, you
should perform ṣalāh with khushūʿ.
2 Becoming sin-free like a newborn
ʿAmr b. ʿAbasah  narrated a long ḥadīth in which he described the virtues of

wuḍū’. He reported the Prophet g saying, “And if he stands to pray and praises
Allah b, extols Him and glorifies Him with what He is most deserving of; and
shows wholehearted devotion to Allah, he will revert to being sin-free (as
pure) as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.” ʿAmr b. ʿAbasah 
states that he heard this from the Prophet g more than seven times (Muslim).
25
3 Having previous sins forgiven
ʿUthmān  performed wuḍū’ and then said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah
g perform wuḍū’ like this and he then said, ‘Whoever performs wuḍū’ like
this wuḍū’ of mine, then performs two rakʿah of prayer during which he does
not let his thoughts wander, Allah b will forgive all of his previous sins’”
(Bukhārī).
4 Earning a guarantee of Paradise
ʿUqbah b. ʿĀmir  heard the Messenger of Allah g say, “If any Muslim
performs wuḍū’, and does so properly, then stands and performs two rakʿah
of prayer in which he focuses with his heart as well as his face [i.e. is not
physically distracted], Paradise is guaranteed for him” (Muslim).
When ʿAbdullāh b. al-Zubayr  stood up to pray, he was described

as being ‘like a stick (i.e. motionless) with khushūʿ’. Once, during the
siege of the Kaʿbah, whilst he was prostrating, a catapult struck him
and tore part of his garment, but he did not even raise his head!
The Benefits of Khushuʿ in Salah

The benefits of khushūʿ are many. Along with transforming your ṣalāh, it will also
transform your life.
1 Khushūʿ ensures ṣalāh is easy and beloved for the one praying
Allah b says, “And seek help through patience and ṣalāḥ, and indeed, it is
difficult except for those who have khushūʿ; those who are certain that they
will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him” (Q2:45-6).
26
If your ṣalāh feels like a chore, it is because there is an absence of khushūʿ

in your ṣalāh. Once you experience khushūʿ, your ṣalāh will transform into a
source of comfort and joy. It will become something you continuously seek
recourse in and cannot live without.
2 Khushūʿ in ṣalāh averts evil and prevents immorality
Allah b says, “Recite (O Prophet) what is revealed to you of the Book, and
establish ṣalāh. Surely ṣalāh restrains one from shameful and evil acts. Truly,
the remembrance of Allah is the greatest of all things. Allah knows what you
do” (29:45).
If you pray ṣalāh as it is ought to be prayed, fulfilling its conditions and

with complete concentration and humility, your heart will become purified.
Eventually your heart will become illuminated. Your īmān will increase. You
will incline more to goodness and abhor evil. Being able to restrain yourself
from sins and shameful behaviour is not only one of the greatest fruits of ṣalāh,
but is in fact one of its primary purposes.
If you have ever wondered why performing our five daily prayers does not
stop us from evil sins, the answer lies in the quality of our ṣalāh: our ṣalāh is
rushed, distracted and aimless, and so it does not purify us nor stop us from
sinning.
Ṣalāh may be compared to bathing five times a day. If after such

frequent bathing, our bodies remained dirty, we would question
the usefulness of such bathing. Likewise, if our morals and actions
remain corrupt despite praying five times a day, we have to question
the usefulness of our ṣalāh. We have to ask ourselves: Is our ṣalāh
changing us? Are we gaining from ṣalāh what we are supposed to
be gaining?
3 Khushūʿ leads to crying out of the fear of Allah b
Having complete khushūʿ will undoubtedly lead you to cry out of the fear of
Allah b. Crying in this manner is a great deed which can save you from the
Hell-fire and admit you into Paradise.
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The Messenger of Allah g said, “A man who wept out of the fear of Allah
shall not enter the Fire until the milk returns to the udder [an impossibility]”
(Tirmidhī).
Thinking about the

greatness of Allah
Yearning to Regretting
meet Allah your sins
Desiring and Remembering

longing for the magnitude
Paradise of your sins
WHAT
SHOULD MAKE
YOU CRY?
Supplicating Fearing the
to Allah with punishment
humility of Allah
Fearing trials Fearing that

and a lack of your deeds may
steadfastness not be accepted
upon the dīn Fearing that you will
die without having
prepared for it
Thābit al-Bunānī  experienced pain in his eyes. The doctor said

to him, “If you promise me one thing, you will get better.” Thābit 
asked him, “What is that?” The doctor said, “Don’t cry.” Thābit 
remarked, “What good is there in an eye if it does not cry?”
Like other acts of worship, crying privately is superior to crying publicly. Of

the seven individuals who will be provided shade on the Day of Judgement -
the day where there will be no shade except His shade - will be the person who
remembered Allah b in private, and then shed tears (Bukhārī).
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4 Khushūʿ enhances your understanding of the essence of ṣalāh
Praying with khushūʿ leads you to realising and appreciating the true meaning
of ṣalāh, namely the turning of the heart and the body towards Allah b, and
attaining closeness to Him by it.
5 Khushūʿ is the key to attaining closeness to Allah b
Khushūʿ in ṣalāh gives you the pleasure of conversing with Allah b. It increases
your faith, softens your heart, distances you from the world, and makes you
long for Allah b and His closeness in the hereafter.
6 Khushūʿ in ṣalāh will ease the standing in front of Allah b on the Day of
Judgement
Ibn al-Qayyim  wrote, “The slave of Allah b stands in front of his Lord on
two occasions: the first is when he stands in his ṣalāh and the second is when
he will meet Him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever fulfils the rights of the
first standing, the second standing will be made easy for him. And whoever
belittles, neglects and does not fulfil the rights of the first standing (i.e. ṣalāh),
the second standing will be made very difficult for him.”
7 Khushūʿ in ṣalāh solves your problems and removes anxiety
Allah b says, “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is
difficult except for those who have khushūʿ; those who are certain that they will
meet their Lord and that they will return to Him” (2:45-6).
Similarly, Ḥudhayfah  narrated, “Whenever anything distressed the Prophet

g, he would pray” (Abū Dāwūd). Turning to prayer at times of difficulty was
also the practice of the previous Prophets  (Aḥmad).
Shayṭan will not go near the person whose heart has khushūʿ.”
- Sahl al-Tustarī 
As cases of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses rise, let us return
to the prophetic remedy of resorting to ṣalāh. In addition to other forms of
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precautions and remedies, we should not underestimate the strength and

healing power of ṣalāh.
8 Khushūʿ is the source of strength in your daily activities
Praying ṣalāh with khushūʿ will give you strength, enthusiasm and barakah
(blessings) in your other daily activities. (See Q2:45 above). It will be your
inspiration and the fuel in your journey to serve Allah b and His religion.
Let not your concern be the quantity of your actions. Rather,

worry about perfecting them and doing them well; for a slave
may be praying, but he is disobeying Allah b in his ṣalāh.”
- Wuhayb b. al-Ward 
Salah with Khushuʿ:

Pure Joy & Comfort
“Women and perfume have been made dear to me,
and my utmost joy has been put in ṣalāh.” (Nasā’ī)
The Prophet g would gain extreme pleasure and joy in his ṣalāh. This was a result
of his perfection in conversing privately with his Lord, being conscious of His
Greatness and basking in His Presence. Because of this he g said to Bilāl, “Stand
O Bilāl (and announce the call to prayer), and bring us comfort through ṣalāh”
(Abū Dāwūd).
Ibn al-Qayyim  explains that when you perform ṣalāh with khushūʿ, fulfilling all
of its rights and conditions and you turn your mind and heart to Allah, you will
feel light, as though all of your burdens have been washed away. You will be full
of energy but also calm and peaceful. Such feelings will make you wish you could
remain in that prayer for ever. Ṣalāh is the coolness of the eye, the delight of the
30
soul and the paradise of the heart. Until you enter into ṣalāh, and seek comfort
in it and not away from it, you will feel as though you are constricted and chained
up in a prison.
The peace, joy and intensity experienced in ṣalāh performed with khushūʿ is the
result of a noble soul leaving the earthly realms and circling the Throne of Allah b.
If your heart and joy is in ṣalāh, you will find comfort in it and will rush to it
eagerly. If your heart is distanced from Allah b, however, and filled with the love
of this world, your ṣalāh will be a struggle. No matter how ‘healthy’ and ‘free’ you
are, performing ṣalāh will feel like a burden and a chore.
Our approach to ṣalāh is sometimes evident through our language. We may say,
“Let me get my ṣalāh over and done with so that I can see to this and that.” If we
think of ṣalāh as a chore, then it will feel like a chore. Conversely, thinking of ṣalāh
as the great gift and source of comfort that it is, will – by His Permission - help us
in attaining genuine peace and happiness.
Ibn Taymiyyah  once said, “If you don’t find sweetness and joy in the deed you
perform, then doubt its sincerity, for Allah b is Shakūr (Most Appreciative and
Rewarding).” This means that Allah will reward His servant for his deeds in this
world by granting him sweetness and tranquillity in his heart. But if he finds that
his heart lacks delight and joy, then his deed is imperfect and defective.
We are in a garden, where our food is khushūʿ, and our drink is

the tears that flow.”
- Ibn al-Jawzī 
Experiencing the ‘sweetness’ (ḥalāwah) of ṣalāh and of other acts of worship is a

game changer. Once you have experienced it, your life will change and you will
forever crave its pleasure.
Think back to the last time you experienced the sweetness of īmān and worship.
Perhaps it was in Ramaḍān. Or maybe it was during your ʿumrah or ḥajj trip. Or
maybe you were going through a difficult time in your life, and you cried your eyes
out to Him in sajdah. The experience felt at that moment - the feeling of closeness
to Allah b and of finding peace and contentment in His company - does not have
to be momentary. Instead, by striving to improve your ṣalāh, you can experience
this feeling more frequently.
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Whoever is delighted by the prayer in this world, will be delighted

by nearness to his Lord in this world and the next.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
The Salah and Khushuʿ of

The Prophet g
The Prophet g was the most God-fearing of men. He was the humblest and the
most obedient to his Lord and had the purest soul. He was the best person to have
ever worshipped, stood and prayed to his Creator. The highest level of khushūʿ
any human being could possess was attained by him g. His lofty khushūʿ and
softness of heart was a manifestation of his deep love, awe and veneration of
Allah b.
The ṣalāh of the Prophet g was the perfect embodiment of submission and
humility, both internally and externally. Accordingly, it is vital that we educate
ourselves about his ṣalāh and then try to emulate him.
When standing up to pray, the Prophet’s g head would be lowered. In sajdah, he

would separate his arms from his body so widely that the whiteness of his armpits
was visible. In the final tashahhud, his blessed gaze would not go beyond the finger
he was pointing with. He would lengthen each pillar, praying with tranquillity
and calmness. Sometimes, even in congregational prayer, he would stand for so
long after rukūʿ that his Companions  would think he had forgotten. His private
ṣalāh would be even lengthier. He would weep and pray for hours on end in the
night.
ʿAbdullāh b. al-Shikh-khīr  said, “I came to the Prophet g whilst he was praying.

His inside was making a sound like the sound of the boiling of the cooking-pot
[due to crying profusely]” (Nasā’ī). In another narration, the sound was likened to
the noise of a mill-stone (Abū Dāwūd).
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The Most Amazing Thing
ʿAṭā’  entered with ʿUbayd b. ʿUmayr  upon ʿĀ’ishah . When Ibn ʿUmayr asked
ʿĀ’ishah  to tell them about the most amazing thing which she had witnessed
from the Messenger of Allah g, she cried. She then said, “He got up one night
and said, ‘O ʿĀ’ishah, leave me to worship my Lord.’ I told him, ‘By Allah, indeed I
love to be with you, and I love what makes you happy.’ So he stood up, performed
wuḍū and then stood to pray. He continued to cry until his lap became wet. He
then cried and continued to cry until the ground became wet. When Bilāl 
came to give the call to prayer and saw him crying, he said, ‘O Messenger of Allah
g, are you crying when Allah has forgiven all your previous and upcoming sins?’
He replied, ‘Should I not be a grateful slave? Certain āyāt were revealed to me
last night; woe to the one who recites them and does not ponder over what they
contain (the last ten āyāt of Sūrah Āl ʿImrān, 3:190-200)’” (Ibn Ḥibbān).
Another moving ḥadīth relates how he g cried through the night in the Battle
of Badr. ʿAli b. Abī Ṭālib  said, “There wasn’t a horseman amongst us on the
day of Badr except for Miqdād . I observed that all of us were sleeping except
the Messenger of Allah g who was under a tree, praying and crying until the
morning” (Aḥmad).
The following ḥadīth is one of the most amazing accounts of the perfection and
quality of the Prophet’s g ṣalāh:
Ḥudhayfah  said, “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah g one night and he
started reciting Sūrah al-Baqarah. I said to myself that he will do rukūʿ at the
end of one hundred āyāt, but he carried on reciting. I then said to myself that
he will perhaps recite the whole sūrah in a rakʿah, and he carried on reciting.
(At the end of Sūrah al-Baqarah), I said to myself that he will (now) go into
rukūʿ. However, he then started Sūrah al-Nisā’, and recited it.
He then started Sūrah Āl ʿImrān and recited it slowly. When he recited the
āyāt which entailed the glorification of Allah (tasbīḥ), he glorified Him. When
he recited the āyāt which entailed asking (duʿā’), he would ask Allah b. And
when he recited the āyāt which entailed the protection of Allah b, he sought
His protection.
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ْ َ َّ َ َ ْ ُ
He then went into rukūʿ and said, ‫ـي ال َع ِظيْ ِم‬ِ‫‘ سبحان رب‬How Perfect is my Lord, the
Magnificent.’ His bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing.
َ ْ َ ُ َ َ
He then said, ‫مَح َد ُه‬
ِ ‫اهلل لِمن‬ ‫‘ س ِمع‬May Allah respond to the one who has praised
Him’, and he then stood for a long time, about the same length َْ of time as he
had spent in bowing. He then performed sajdah and said, ‫ىَلْع‬ ٰ َ ْ ‫ـي اأْل‬ِ
َ َ ْ ُ
َ ‫ان َر ّب‬‫‘ سبح‬How
Perfect is my Lord, the Most Exalted’, and his prostration lasted nearly the
same length of time as his standing” (Muslim).
Allāhu Akbar! Go back and read this ḥadīth again to fully appreciate its significance.
Can you imagine what the ṣalāh of Rasūlullāh g was like?
The above ḥadīth gives us a glimpse of the noble and pure love he g had for
his Creator and Master b. The Prophet g at the time was over the age of fifty.
Despite this, along with the responsibilities he shouldered throughout the day, he
still spent hours at night in standing, bowing and prostrating to his Lord.
ʿĀ’ishah  narrated that the Prophet g used to pray (for so long)

during the night that his feet would swell up. She asked him, “Why
do you do this O Messenger of Allah when Allah has already forgiven
your previous and upcoming sins?” He g replied, “Should I not be a
thankful slave?” (Bukhārī)
34
In Which Category Do You Belong?

Ibn al-Qayyim  described ṣalāh as the scale by which you can measure yourself.
Ṣalāh is a measure of your progress in your journey to Allah b, measuring
whether you lag behind or are far into your journey on this path to Him. It is a
gauge of your īmān and your honesty with Him.
1 2
Will Be Punished (‫)معاقب‬ Will Be Held Accountable (‫)حماسب‬
• He is negligent in his wuḍū and • He safeguards the times, limits,

the prescribed times outward pillars and wuḍū
• He is negligent in the limits and • However, he is distracted by the
essential pillars of the prayer devils’ whispers
3 4
Will Be Forgiven (‫)مكفر عنه‬ Will Be Rewarded (‫)مثاب‬
• He stands in prayer, perfecting

its rights, limits and pillars
• He upholds the limits and
• His heart is engrossed in
essential pillars
safeguarding its limits and
• In ṣalāh, he is in a constant
rules. His focus remains fully
battle with the devils, trying to
on performing the prayer as
ward off their whispers.
it ought to be, completely and
perfectly.
5
Will Be Close To His Lord (‫)مقرب عند ربه‬
• He stands in prayer and establishes it as the fourth does, but along with this, he places
his heart before his Lord. In this state, he beholds his Lord – ever vigilant before Him,
filled with His love and glory – as if, seeing Him, he is physically present before Him.
• Therefore, the distractions and the whispers vanish, as the veil is lifted between him
and his Lord. The difference between this person in his prayer and everyone else is
as vast as the distance between the heaven and the earth, for he is occupied solely
with his Lord, in which he finds his source of sheer delight.
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Hypocritical Khushuʿ
The Companions  and their successors  were extremely cautious with regards
to hypocrisy in khushūʿ. Ḥudhayfah  would say, “Take refuge with Allah from
hypocritical khushūʿ.” When asked what it was, he replied, “That you see the body
humble and submissive, while the heart is not.”
ʿUmar  saw a person with his neck bowed in prayer and said, “O so-and-so, raise
your head for khushūʿ lies not on the neck but in the heart.” Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿIyāḍ r
said, “It used to be disliked for a person to display more khushūʿ than what was in
his heart.”
The following table highlights the difference between genuine and hypocritical
khushūʿ:
Hypocritical khushūʿ Genuine khushūʿ
The soul rages with The desires and lusts

lust and desires. have vanished.
Whilst the body outwardly The heart is ashamed at its

appears to be ‘submissive’, shortcomings and is fearful of
the heart is empty of Allah’s its Master. It breaks down in
awe and remembrance. awe of Allah’s b greatness.
The outwardly display of Full of shyness and love, the

khushūʿ is a result of riyā’ heart become meek, humbles
(showing off), and not sincerely itself and submits to Allah b.
for the sake of Allah b. The body then does the same.
36
Why Do We Lack Khushuʿ?

Numerous reasons exist for our lack of khushūʿ; generally, as a defect in our heart,
and specifically, in our ṣalāh. These include:
1 Weak Īmān
Our īmān in Allah b is extremely weak. We claim to love Allah, yet we hardly
know Him. We disobey Him day and night. We call ourselves ‘His slaves’, yet
we choose to submit to the dunyā and our lowly desires. We turn to everything
and everyone but Him.
Reflect
When reflecting, be honest with yourself.
A. Answer both questions:
i. Talk about a favourite topic of interest (football team,
celebrity, the latest scandal)
ii. Who is Allah?
Now compare both your answers. How long and articulate were
your answers? Could you talk about Allah b for longer than your
topic of interest? How long were you able to talk about Allah b?
How articulate was your response?
B. Praise the one dearest to you. Why do you love this person dearly
and how long can you spend praising them? Now compare your
answer to how long you can spend praising Allah b, be it in any
language.
37
Just as our īmān in Allah b is weak, our īmān in the hereafter is also weak.
Though we believe in ‘death’, we delude ourselves into thinking that we have
a long time left. We are ignorant of the hereafter. We are quick to describe
Paradise and all its glory, but are uncomfortable discussing the perils of the
Hell-fire, the terrors of the Day of Judgement or the punishment of the grave.
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī  described the Companions  as follows, “By Allah,

looking at them was like looking at people who could see Paradise and
Hell-fire right in front of their own eyes. By Allah, they were not people of
argumentation or falsehood, nor did they find comfort in anything except the
book of Allah, nor would they show that which was not in their hearts (they
were genuine and not hypocritical).”
For the Companions , Jannah was real. Jahannam was real.
2 Far from Allah b and Close to Sin
Although modernity has brought about its fair share of ease and benefits, it has
also produced unprecedented challenges.
Firstly, we have become disconnected from the creation of Allah b and,

by extension, from Him. By and large, we do not feel the need for God or a
higher power. If something inside our home breaks down, we call a worker. If
we feel hungry, a hot takeaway meal just requires a few swipes on our devices.
Nearly every type of fruit or vegetable can be bought from the supermarket
throughout the year. Our fast-paced life dictates that we no longer stop to
witness and contemplate the greatness of Allah b and the manifestations of
His power in our surroundings.
Secondly, we live in a world where immorality and sin have become

widespread and glamourised. Actions that were socially unacceptable a
mere half a century ago, even amongst non-Muslims, have now become
commonplace for both non-Muslims and Muslims alike. A stark difference
between today and the past is the ever-increasing number of ‘Muslims’ who try
to ‘justify’ or make ‘ḥalāl’ what Allah b has clearly made ḥarām.
Thirdly, the advent of the internet, especially social media, has transformed
society. Sins are no longer considered matters that one should be ashamed
38
of; something which must be kept between oneself and Allah b. Many of us
brazenly expose our sins not just in public, but through online platforms seen
and read by tens of thousands of users. Likewise, it has made certain sins very
easy to access.
Millions of dollars have been spent on designing social media platforms to

ensure that we become addicted to them. These platforms distract us from
worship, hinder us from our social and familial responsibilities, and reduce
our ability to focus. We feel pressured by social media to ‘share’ everything,
including our good deeds. This leads us to doing good deeds for others
instead of Allah b (riyā’), self-admiration (ʿujb) and pride (kibr). All of the
aforementioned diseases of the heart are completely at odds with humility,
which is the essence of khushūʿ.
Social media has been designed to amplify the importance of one’s inner
self (nafs). Conversely, khushūʿ and true servitude (ʿubudiyyah) require us
to diminish our self-importance and venerate Allah b. We must think the
highest of Allah b and be in awe of His greatness, while thinking of ourselves
as insignificant. The less importance we attach to ourselves, the greater our awe
and reverence (taʿẓīm) of Allah b will be.
3 Love of the World
The love of the world (dunyā) is one of the major reasons for the weakness
of our īmān. Success in today’s materialistic society is defined by how ‘rich’
or ‘famous’ you are. Despite our beautiful dīn having laid down the yardstick
for success, we still buy into the corrupt dominant narrative. We strive hard to
accumulate the riches of the dunyā, be it clothes or cars, luxury homes or the
latest gadgets. Enjoying such luxuries is not wrong nor is it a sin, however, it
can develop into a wrong if it becomes our purpose in life. The Messenger of
Allah g said, “Every ummah has a fitnah (trial), and the fitnah of my ummah
is wealth” (Tirmidhī).
Imām al-Ghazālī  calls the love of the world “the root of every shortcoming
and the source of all corruption”. He states that when the love of the world
enters the heart of the person to such an extent that he no longer takes
provisions from it for the hereafter, he can no longer hope to experience the
pure bliss of conversing with Allah b in ṣalāh. This is because the person who
39
experiences his joy in this world will not experience the joy of conversing with
Allah b. A man aspires to that which gives him joy and, if his joy is rooted in
this world, then he will certainly aspire and work hard to attain that.
4 We Couldn’t Care Less: Hedonism and Apathy
We have lost sight of our purpose in life. No longer is our focus and goal in life
to please and worship Allah b. Along with rampant materialism, our lives are
plagued with hedonism (where pleasure and satisfying one’s desires is the sole
aim of human life) and apathy. Statements like YOLO (You Only Live Once),
encourage us to ‘have as much fun as possible’. Endless entertainment is
making us apathetic to the condition of our souls and the plight and suffering
of humanity. One reason why we have lost khushūʿ in our lives is because ‘we
couldn’t care less’. It doesn’t bother us. Allah b reminds us in Sūrah al-Ḥadīd:
ّٰ ۡ ۡ ُ ُ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ۡ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ ْ َّ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ
َ ۡ ‫اهّٰللِ َو َما نَ َز َل م َِن‬
‫احۡل ّ ِق‬ ِ‫ألم يأ ِن لِذَّلِين ءامنوا أن خَتشع قلوبهم ِذِلِكر‬
“Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become
humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth”
(57:16)?
Let us be like the great Companion ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar . He would cry upon
hearing this āyah and respond by stating:
‫ب‬ّ َ َ ٰ َ َ‫ىَل يَا َر ّب ب‬

ٰ َ َ‫ب‬
ِ ‫ىَل يا ر‬ ِ
Certainly, my Lord! Certainly, My Lord!
Regret your past and make a firm resolve!
From this point onwards, regret your past sins. Regret your absence of khushūʿ.
Cry over your distance from the One who has created you and is the Source of all
your blessings. Resolve to turn a new leaf, both in how you conduct your life and
in your ṣalāh. From today onwards, resolve to pray with khushūʿ through His b
tawfīq (divine enablement).
40
How To Strengthen Your Iman

1 2 3 4
Recite and Increase your

Continuously
ponder upon knowledge and Avoid
seek beneficial
the Qur’ān awareness of sins
knowledge
(tadabbur) Allah b
5 6 7 8
Perform Remember and

Frequently
righteous deeds Fear a visualise the
remember
(compulsory bad end various stages
death
and voluntary) of the hereafter
9 10 11 12
Reflect on the Remember

Talk privately Think of the
signs of Allah b Allah b as
to Allah b by world as
in the universe often as
making duʿā’ insignificant
(tafakkur) possible
13 14 15 16
Give preference Regularly

Be in the
Cultivate a to Allah and His attend the
company of the
sound heart Messenger g gatherings of
righteous
over yourself dhikr
41
Chapter 1 - Review & Reflect

1 Why is it important to consistently work on reforming and purifying your
heart?
2 What is khushūʿ?
3 Why is khushūʿ one of the most challenging acts of worship?
4 Why should you strive to attain khushūʿ?
5 What is the true meaning of ṣalāh?
6 What is the ONE reason you will choose as your primary motivation for
developing khushūʿ in your ṣalāh?
7 When was the last time you cried out of the fear of Allah b? What made you
cry?
8 How do you react when you are faced with a difficulty or you feel anxious?
Swear Phone a friend Experience anger Throw things
Rush to ṣalāh Other: .....................................................................
9 When was the last time you felt very close to Allah b? Describe the occasion
in detail.
10 What can you easily replicate from the above scenario in your life on a daily/
weekly basis?
11 Imagine you are a young child who was fortunate to have witnessed the Prophet
g praying. Many years later, you are describing the ṣalāh of the Prophet g to
your grandchildren. How would you describe his ṣalāh?
12 Go back to p. 35 and review Ibn al-Qayyim ’s 5 categories of people in relation
to their ṣalāh. Which category do you fall into? What practical steps can you
take to move up this ladder?
13 List the three reasons mentioned for why we lack khushūʿ. Can you think of
three other reasons for why we lack khushūʿ?
42
43
HAPTER TWO
HOW TO DEVELOP
KHUSHŪʿ:
10 STEPS BEFORE ṢALĀH
Chapter Two - How To Develop Khushūʿ: 10 Steps Before Ṣalāh
The following steps are some of the ways you can develop khushūʿ in ṣalāh. The
majority of these ten steps will be developed outside of ṣalāh. The list is by no
means exhaustive. You may find that some of the steps resonate with you more
than others. Hold on to these steps. How often you wish to work on each one will
depend on you. For instance, you may want to work on each one every forty days,
quarterly or over a different time-frame. Working on all of the steps simultaneously
may be overwhelming, therefore, you may find it better to initially only focus on
one step. As you work through them, you will come to realise that most of them, if
not all of them, complement each other. Moreover, you will find that the benefits
of these will not be limited to your ṣalāh, but will permeate to all areas of your life.
Appreciate The Importance of Salah

The first step to developing khushūʿ is to understand and appreciate the importance
of ṣalāh itself.
After the obligation of attesting to the Oneness of Allah (tawḥīd), there is no greater
commandment in Islam than ṣalāh.
Ṣalāh is the second pillar of Islam and the prime connection between a slave and
his Master. It is the first act which he will be held accountable for on the Day of
Judgement: if it is good, he will be saved and will succeed; if it is not good, he will
be doomed and be amongst the losers.
Ṣalāh is the crucial factor that distinguishes the believers from the disbelievers.
By preserving your ṣalāh, you are preserving your dīn. Maintaining your ṣalāh will
give you a special light (nūr) in your heart, face and in your grave. On the Day of
Judgement, your ṣalāh will come to your rescue and will be your special ‘light’.
However, those who do not pray will find themselves with Firʿawn, Qārūn, Hāmān
and Ubayy b. Khalaf: the worst of mankind.
45
Ṣalāh is the purification of the soul. It cleanses your sins and protects you from all
harm. Ṣalāh is your oxygen, without which you will die. If you do not perform your
ṣalāh, although you may be ‘alive’ in the physical sense, you are spiritually ‘dead’.
Ṣalāh is unique because it was made compulsory upon the Prophet g and his
ummah during the Night Journey and Ascension (laylat al-isrā’ wal-miʿrāj). He
personally received this commandment without any intermediaries from above
the seven heavens.
Even on his deathbed, despite being weak and in agony, the Prophet g never
forgot his ummah. He exhorted, “Ṣalāh, ṣalāh and your slaves.” These were his
parting words and his final waṣiyyah (last will) to us.
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās  relates that when ʿUmar  - the second

Caliph of Islam - was stabbed, he carried him to his house along
with a group of Anṣārī men. ʿUmar  remained unconscious until
the morning. A man said, “You won’t be able to wake him up
except through ṣalāh.” So they said to him, “Ṣalāh, O Leader of the
Believers!” Upon hearing this, ʿUmar  opened his eyes and asked,
“Have the people prayed?” When they answered in the affirmative,
he said, “Indeed there is no share in Islām for the one who abandons
ṣalāh.” He then performed ṣalāh whilst his wound was bleeding.
(Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq)
When the slave rectifies two of his qualities, everything else will
be rectified: (1) his ṣalāh and (2) his tongue.”
- Yunus b. ʿUbayd 
46
Why Do We Perform Salah?
1 To fulfil the purpose of our life i.e. to worship Allah b.
2 To uphold the command of Allah b.
3 To remember Allah b and become closer to Him.
4 To humble ourselves and express our need to Him.
5 To appreciate and show gratitude to Allah b.
6 To converse privately with the Lord of the worlds.
7 To separate ourselves from those in kufr (disbelief).
8 To safeguard ourselves from sins and evil deeds.
9 To purify our souls.
10 To earn magnificent rewards in this world and the hereafter.
11 To have our sins forgiven.
12 To renew our pledge with Allah b and affirm our commitment to Him.
13 To prevent our hearts from hardening.
14 To acquire Allah’s b happiness and love.
15 To be given the opportunity to see Allah b in Jannah.
To fill our lives with peace and comfort, and to help us when
16 we are stressed, worried or feeling down.
47
Attain The Maʿrifah

(Deep Knowledge and Awareness)
of Allah b
One of the greatest means of attaining khushūʿ in ṣalāh is the maʿrifah of Allah b.
Maʿrifah refers to a deep awareness and knowledge of Allah b.
The greater your knowledge of Allah b, the greater the level of khushūʿ you will
develop.
Knowledge of Allah b is a prerequisite for worshipping Him. Allah b states, “I

only created jinn and men so that they worship Me” (51:56). Worshipping Allah
b means submitting yourself to Him, humbling yourself to Him and loving Him.
However, how can we love Him if we do not know Him?
Who is Allah b?
Allah b is the Creator of the universe, the King of everyone and the Lord of
everything. He is the Only One who deserves to be worshipped.
He manages the affairs of all kingdoms. He commands and forbids, creates and
provides, gives life and death, raises and lowers people, alternates night and day,
and alternates victory and defeat amongst nations, so that one nation rises and
another falls.
Only Allah’s commands and decree are carried out throughout the heavens and
the earth, deep in the oceans and in the skies, and throughout the entire universe.
His knowledge encompasses all matters; accounting for each and every being, and
enveloping them with His mercy and wisdom.
He hears all voices, in their different languages, and with their varied requests
and pleas. One voice does not distract Him from hearing another, nor do their
48
innumerable pleas confuse Him. The pleading of the needy beggars knocking at
His door does not aggravate Him, nor do their questions annoy Him.
He sees all things: the visible and invisible. He sees the black ant crawling across
a solid black rock in a pitch-dark night. ‘No matters are hidden from Him nor
are secrets withheld from Him.’ He has knowledge of all that has occurred and all
which has yet to occur.
Everyone in the heavens and the earth beseech Him for their needs. Every day,
He attends to His creation: He forgives sins, eases difficulties and relieves distress.
He mends the broken, enriches the poor, teaches the ignorant, guides the astray,
directs the confused and helps the desperate. He frees the captive, feeds the hungry,
clothes the naked and cures the sick. He accepts the repentance of the one who
repents, and rewards the one who does good. He aids the oppressed and humbles
the tyrant. He conceals faults and calms fears.
He does not sleep nor does sleep befit Him. The deeds of the night ascend to Him
before those of the day, and the deeds of the day before those of the night. Light
is His veil: were He to lift it, the splendour of His Face would burn all of His
creation as far as His gaze reaches. What He possesses is not diminished by what
He gives, for His Right Hand always remain full.
On the Day of Judgement, the whole earth will be enclosed in a single grip of His
Hand, and all the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Then He will shake
them and say, ‘I am the King, I am the King. It is I who created the world out of
nothingness, and I who will return it to how it was.’
No sin is too great for Him to forgive, no request too great for Him to fulfil. Were
all in His heavens and on His earth, from the beginning to the end of His creation
– mankind and jinn alike – were to be as pious as the most pious amongst them,
this would not increase His sovereignty in the slightest. And if they all, from the
beginning to the end of His creation – mankind and jinn alike – were to be as
sinful as the most sinful amongst them, this would not decrease His sovereignty
in the slightest.
If all those in His heavens and on His earth, human beings and jinn, living and
dead, were to assemble in one place and ask Him, and He gave each one of them
what they asked for, this would not decrease what He has by even an atom’s weight.
49
He is the First before whom there is nothing; the Last after whom there is nothing.
He is the most High, and there is nothing above Him; the most Near and there
is nothing closer than Him. He is the most Blessed and Exalted. He is the most
worthy of being worshipped and remembered. He is the most deserving to be
thanked and praised. He is the most compassionate of kings, the most generous
of those who are asked, the most forgiving of those who have power, and the most
just of those who take revenge. With His knowledge comes wisdom; with His
might, His forgiveness and with His withholding, His wisdom.
He is the King who has no partner, the Unique who has no rival, the Perfect Master
who has no companion or child; He is the Independent who has no helper. There
is none like Him. Everything will perish except His Face; every kingdom falls
except His kingdom. Every grace except His has its limit. None obeys Him except
by His permission; none sins except by His knowledge. When He is obeyed, He is
appreciative; when disobeyed, He overlooks and forgives. His anger is always just.
Every punishment from Him is just, and every blessing from Him is a favour. He is
the closest witness and the nearest protector. He records the deeds and sets down
the appointed times for all things. When He intends something to be, He only
says to it, ‘Be’, and it is.
(Adapted from al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim )
What does one know if one does not know Allah b and His
Messenger g? What truth has he recognised if this truth has
eluded him? What knowledge has one gained and what action
has one obtained if one has failed to know Allah, failed to act for
His pleasure, failed to know the path to Him and failed to know
what is in store for him once he reaches Him?”
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
What should the maʿrifah of Allah b lead to?
A deep awareness and knowledge of Allah b will make you shy of Allah, increase
your love for Him and attach your heart to Him. You will be left in awe of Him
and will always long to meet Him. You will repeatedly turn to Him broken in
repentance. You will hastily run away from the creation to enjoy seclusion with
Him.
50
Striving to attain these qualities is a continuous effort, and not a single struggle. It
is a lifelong journey that will only end when we meet Him and He is pleased with
us, inshāAllah.
“There is no life and no peace for the hearts unless they become
deeply aware of their Creator, Lord and God through His Names,
Attributes and Actions; and through this process (of getting to
know Him), He becomes more beloved to them than everything
else.” - Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī 
How can you attain the maʿrifah of Allah b?
a Through tadabbur: reflecting and pondering on the ‘āyāt’ (verses) of the

Noble Qur’ān (see p. 87 on how to do tadabbur).
b Through tafakkur: reflecting on the numerous ‘āyāt’ (signs) of Allah b that

surround us. Allah b says, “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and
within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (41:53).
The Qur’ānic verses (āyāt) continuously remind us of the many signs (āyāt).
These include the sun, moon, stars, sky, rain, animals, mountains and the
human being himself.
Tips for Tafakkur
1 2 3
Explore nature and

Perform your morning marvel at the natural
and evening adhkār Try to grow your own beauty that is all
outside, especially on fruits and vegetables. around us.
days when the skies You will feel closer to
are clear and you can Allah b as you witness
appreciate the beauty His Power and also
of Allah’s creation. This benefit from eating local 4
will help you to combine organic produce.
dhikr and tafakkur. Take your family on a
hike or visit a local farm.
Key Rule: Phones must be switched off!
51
c Through His Beautiful Names. This is only possible through a deep

understanding of Allah’s Excellent Names, their Majesty and their Perfection;
and realising that He is the Only One to whom these Names belong.
Ibn al-Qayyim  wrote, “The key to the daʿwah of the Messengers  and the
essence of their Message, is knowing Allah b through His Names, His Attributes,
and His Actions. This is the foundation which the rest of the Message, from
beginning to end, is based upon.”
Allah b said, “To Allah Alone belong the most Beautiful Names, so call on Him
by them.” (7:180) The Messenger of Allah g said, “Indeed Allah has 99 Names;
whoever preserves them will enter Paradise” (Muslim).
How can you preserve the Names of Allah b?
4
1 Memorise the Names
Act upon what they
necessitate. For instance,
Allah’s Name ‘al-Raqīb’
2 Understand their meanings means The Ever Watchful.
You can act upon this Name
by abstaining from His
prohibitions, knowing He is
Praise Allah b with them and
3 Ever Watchful over you.
ask Him through them.
Ibn al-Qayyim  wrote, “There is no greater need of the soul than its need
to know its Creator and Originator. And there is no way to achieve this except
through knowing His Attributes and Names. The more a slave knows them, the
more he will know Allah b, the more he will seek Him and the closer he will be
to Him. Similarly, the more ignorant the slave is of His Names and Attributes,
the more ignorant, disliked and further away from Him he will be. The status
which the slave enjoys in the eyes of Allah b is dependent on the status the slave
himself accords Allah in his heart. Thus, journeying to Allah b through the path
of His Names and Attributes is truly an amazing matter. The doors it opens are
astounding.”
52
Throughout your ṣalāh, bring the rich meanings of Allah’s Names to the forefront
of your mind. Doing this will help you feel that you are directly conversing with
Him, and thereby it will increase your closeness to Him.
Whoever attains the recognition of Allah through His Names,

Attributes and Actions, will undoubtedly love Him.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
d By worshipping Him as much as possible.
Maʿrifah itself is one of the greatest forms of worship. Other acts of worship -
including dhikr, duʿā’, reciting the Qur’ān and ṣalāh – will increase your maʿrifah.
It’s a cycle: the more you know Allah b, the more you will worship Him. And the
more you worship Him, the more you will know Him.
Performing ṣalāh with khushūʿ, is one of the greatest means of attaining His
maʿrifah.
In summary, increasing your knowledge of Allah is one of the best ways to

achieve khushūʿ. Once you get to know Him b - through His signs, through His
Names, through His Book and through worshipping Him - your awe, veneration
and love of Him will increase. Your own self-importance will meanwhile decrease.
Both of these will help your body and heart to humble themselves to Allah b and
allow you to taste the sweetness of khushūʿ.
The perfection of the slave of Allah b is in his knowing Allah

and then loving Him (in the world); and (his perfection) in the
hereafter is experiencing the joy of seeing Him.”
- Ibn Taymiyyah 
53
Stop Sinning and Safeguard

Your Eyes, Tongue and Heart
To attain khushūʿ, you have to push yourself to stop sinning by protecting your
organs; in particular your eyes, tongue, and heart. Safeguard your eyes against
looking at ḥarām, whether online or offline. Stop your tongue from backbiting,
slandering, swearing, obscene language and saying hurtful things. Keep good
company who will help you to protect yourself. Protect yourself from eating ḥarām
food, including that which is earned from unlawful means.
The īmān in your heart has a special nūr (light). The more nūr the heart has, the
greater the nūr of your actions and words will be. Ibn al-Qayyim  explains that
there are some believers whose actions ascend up to Allah b, and the nūr of their
deeds is like the light of the sun. It shines brightly with the nūr from their hearts.
The nūr will keep them steady on the ṣirāṭ (bridge over Hell-fire) and will guide
them to Paradise. Of the various deeds, ṣalāh in particular is a ‘nūr’ as stated by
the Prophet g (Muslim).
Ṣalāh brings nūr in your heart; nūr in your face; nūr in your grave and nūr
in the hereafter. Observe those who pray with complete khushū. You will notice
that these people have abundant nūr on their faces. This is the same nūr which
illuminates the heart and opens the doors of maʿrifah (knowledge) of Allah b al-
Nūr (The Ultimate Light). It is this nūr that also helps you to enjoy the sweetness
of worship.
This ‘nūr’ of the heart is extinguished through sins, especially the sins of the eyes.
The sins block goodness and nūr from penetrating into the heart. This is why
the Messenger of Allah g said, “Verily, when the slave commits a sin, a black dot
appears on his heart. When he desists, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is
polished clean. But if he sins again, it increases until it covers his heart. And that
is the rān (rust) which Allah mentioned: ‘No indeed! Rather what they have been
doing has rusted their hearts (83:14)’” (Tirmidhī).
54
Ibn Rajab  explains that the accumulation of rust on their hearts veils them
from His maʿrifah (knowledge and deep awareness of Him), thereby, preventing
them from becoming acquainted with Him. It hinders them from having vigilance
(murāqabah) of Him b, being mindful of Him and being aware of His presence
in this world. The consequence of their hearts being veiled in this world is that
they will be ‘veiled’ and blocked from seeing Him in the next. Hence why Allah
b says in the next āyah, “No indeed! They will surely be veiled on that Day from
their Lord” (83:15).
Do not be of those who curse Shayṭān in public, and obey him

in private.”
- ʿUmar b. ʿAbdul-ʿAzīz 
Sin after sin turns the heart into a sieve, preventing it from holding goodness.
Unless you seek forgiveness and make sincere repentance, your heart will die.
In this manner, praying ṣalāh with khushūʿ will become impossible, because a
‘dead’ heart cannot humble itself nor submit to its Master b.
Fighting your nafs and subjugating it is essential to attaining khushūʿ in ṣalāh. Ibn
al-Qayyim  explains that for a servant to remain present in his ṣalāh and to be
occupied with his Lord, he must overcome his lust and desires. He asks, ‘How can
a heart - which is overcome by lust, captivated by desires, and is a stronghold of
shayṭān - be saved from whispers and distractions?’
We should lower our gazes and stay away from looking at anything which incites
lust, especially when we are browsing the internet. This includes being very
selective of who we follow on social media. Likewise, we should lower our gazes
when we are outside the home, walking in the streets and in the workplace.
Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym  was so strict in keeping his gaze lowered

that some people thought he was blind. For twenty years, he was a
regular visitor to the house of ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd . Whenever the
maidservant would see him, she would remark to Ibn Masʿūd, “Your
blind friend has come,” and Ibn Masʿūd  would laugh at her remark.
When Rabīʿ would knock on the door, the maidservant would go
out and see him, head down and with his gaze lowered. When Ibn
Masʿūd  would see Rabīʿ, he would say, quoting the Qur’ān, “‘And
give good news to the humble.’ (22:34). If Muḥammad g had seen
you, he would have loved you.”
55
Three benefits of lowering the gaze
1 2
Tasting the sweetness and The heart becomes illuminated, thereby increasing
joy of īmān. This sweetness your insight (firāsah) as you are able to see through
is far greater than the the light (nur) of your heart what others cannot see.
sweetness of what you
averted your gaze from,
because when you give up
something for the sake of 3
Allah b, He replaces it with
It strengthens the heart, makes it
something far better.
steadfast, and makes one courageous.
- Ibn al-Qayyim 
Soften Your Heart

A sick, heedless and hard heart is one of the greatest reasons for the lack of khushūʿ
in ṣalāh. When the heart is rectified, the actions are also rectified as the Messenger
of Allah g said, “There is a lump of flesh in the body: when it is sound, the whole
body is sound and when it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the
heart” (Bukhārī).
Those with hardened hearts are condemned by Allah b: “So is one whose heart
Allah has opened up for Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord (like one whose
heart rejects it)? Then woe to those whose hearts are too hard to remember Allah.
They have clearly lost their way” (39:22).
In another āyah, Allah b warns His believers of the hardening of the heart: “Has
the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become
humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the
truth” (57:16)?
56
And in the next āyah, Allah b says, “Know that Allah gives life to the earth after
its lifelessness. We have made clear to you the signs so that perhaps you will
understand” (57:17).
Ibn Kathīr  explains how this āyah indicates that Allah b softens hardened
hearts, guides those who are confused after they were astray, and alleviates
hardships after they have become unbearable. Just as Allah brings the dead dry
earth back to life by sending down abundant rain, He also guides the hardened
hearts with the proofs and evidences of the Qur’ān. By inserting the light of īmān
into these hearts, these hearts are softened after previously being blocked.
Therefore, do not give up. Even if you have struggled your entire life with khushūʿ,
have hope and beg Allah b to soften your heart and make it receptive to īmān, the
Qur’ān and every form of good.
How to Soften a Hard Heart
a Frequently remember Allah b with your tongue & heart
Allah b says, “Truly it is in the remembrance of Allah b that hearts find peace”
(13:28). Dhikr is one of the greatest means of protecting a heart from hardening.
This is because excessive talking about other than Allah is one of its leading causes.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Do not talk too much without the remembrance
of Allah. Truly, excessive talking without the remembrance of Allah hardens
the heart; and the furthest of people from Allah is the hard-hearted person”
(Tirmidhī).
The Messenger of Allah g said, “For everything there is a polish, and the polish of
the heart is the remembrance of Allah” (Bayhaqī).
Ibn al-Qayyim  explains that the heart rusts like copper and silver. Moreover,
just as the heart can rust, it can also be polished through dhikr, to the extent that it
can shine like a crystal mirror. Thus, when one neglects dhikr, the heart rusts, and
when one remembers Allah, it shines. There are two things which cause a heart to
rust: heedlessness (ghaflah) and sin. Conversely, the heart can be polished by two
things: dhikr and istighfār (seeking forgiveness).
57
b Avoid laughing excessively
Excessive laughing hardens the heart. The Messenger of Allah g said, “Do not
laugh excessively as excessive laughter deadens the heart” (Tirmidhī).
c Remember death frequently
The heart of one who is heedless of death and has excessive hope is dead. The
Messenger of Allah g said, “Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures,” i.e.
death (Tirmidhī).
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar  said, “I was with the Messenger of Allah g. A man from
among the Anṣār came to him and greeted the Prophet g. Then he said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah, which of the believers is best?’ He g said, ‘He who has the
best character amongst them.’ He said, ‘Which of them is the smartest?’ He g said,
‘The one who remembers death the most and is best in preparing for it. Those are
the smartest’” (Ibn Mājah).
d Visit the graveyards and reflect on the situation of its residents
The Messenger of Allah g said, “I used to forbid you from visiting the graves but
(now) visit them, for it truly reminds you of the hereafter” (Tirmidhī).
When ʿUthmān  would stop at a grave, he would cry until his beard was soaked
(in tears). It was said to him, “Paradise and Hell-fire are mentioned, and you do
not cry, yet you cry because of this?” So he said, “Indeed the Messenger of Allah
g said: ‘Indeed the grave is the first stage of the hereafter. So, whoever is saved
from it, then what comes after it is easier than it. And whoever is not saved from
it, then what comes after it is worse than it.’ ” He said, “And the Messenger of Allah
g said, ‘I have not seen any sight except that the grave is more horrible than it’”
(Ibn Mājah).
e Recite the Qur’ān
Allah b says, “We send down in the Qur’ān that which is a cure and mercy for the
believers…” (17:82).
58
Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ  said, “Five things cure the heart: reciting the Qur’ān with
tadabbur (reflection), an empty stomach, the night prayer, humbly supplicating to
Allah b before dawn, and keeping the company of the righteous.”
f Feed the poor and stroke the head of the orphan
A man once complained to the Messenger of Allah g about the hardness of his
heart so the Messenger g said to him, “If you want to soften your heart then feed
the poor and stroke the head of the orphan” (Aḥmad).
Abū Bakr  was known for his excessive weeping. In Makkah, he

built a masjid in his courtyard in which he would perform ṣalāh and
recite Qur’ān. As he was a very soft-hearted person, he would not
be able to control himself when he was reciting the Qur’ān and he
would cry extensively. The women and children of the polytheists
would gather to listen to his moving recitation, to the extent that it
frightened the chiefs of the Quraysh.
Increase Your Time in Private Worship

Another means of attaining khushūʿ in ṣalāh is to engage in ʿibādah, especially in
private. Just you and Allah b. No one else.
You may perform many acts of ʿibādah, but still not experience their sweetness.
Rectify this by increasing your private worship. Private worship is one of the best
ways to attain sincerity and protect yourself from hypocrisy. Once your heart is
purified, you will taste the sweetness of īmān and worship.
Imām Mālik  said, “Whoever would like to have peace in his heart, and be saved
from the agonies of death and the terrors of the Day of Judgement, then let his
private deeds be greater than his public ones.”
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The Nafs Loves Praise
Our inner self (nafs) rages inside of us. It loves praise and hates criticism.
Sometimes it insidiously manifests itself when we mention our private worship
in casual conversation with someone. We must, however, fight this. We should
avoid mentioning our private acts of worship and maintain it as a special ‘secret’
between us and Allah b. Sufyān al-Thawrī  said, “When the servant performs a
deed in private, Shayṭān keeps at him until he mentions it. It then moves from the
records of private deeds to the record of public deeds.”
However, this does not mean that every deed should be done only in private. On
the contrary, numerous deeds have to be performed communally and, therefore,
in public. Nevertheless, we should strive to have a collection of ‘secret deeds’, deeds
that no one has knowledge of but Allah b.
Be careful of ʿujb
Conducting deeds in private may seem like an act that is free from risks.
It is not, and you should be careful of your nafs. Just like you ought to
be wary of riyā’ (showing off) when you worship Allah b in public, you
should be wary of ʿujb (self-admiration) when you worship Allah b in
private. ʿUjb is to be impressed with yourself and your feats. ʿUjb can
lead to pride (kibr). This pride can lead to you comparing your actions
to others, and start regarding your deeds to be better than theirs. You
may, as a result, start looking down on them. Consequently, instead of
purifying the soul, your private deeds lead to the destruction of the soul.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever amongst you is able

to have hidden good deeds, then let him do so” (Muṣannaf b. Abī
Shaybah).
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Persistently Ask Allah b for Khushuʿ

and Do Not Give Up
Turn to Allah b the Almighty with humility and beg Him to grant you the ability
to perform your ṣalāh with khushūʿ. Have certainty in your heart that He will
respond, as He so promised: “When My servants ask you about Me, truly I am
near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me; so let them respond to Me,
and believe in Me, so that they may be guided” (2:186).
You can make duʿā’ in your own language and ask Allah b to bless you with
khushūʿ. Alternatively, you may wish to memorise the following supplications of
our beloved Messenger g and ask Allah b through them:
‫يِّن‬ َ ْ ‫ أَن‬، ‫رْي َم ْن َز َّاَّك َها‬

ْ ّ ‫ اَللّٰ ُه َّم إ‬، ‫ت َو ِ ُّيِل َها َو َم ْو َاَل َها‬ ُ ْ ‫ت َخ‬ َ ْ ‫ َو َز ّك َها أَن‬، ‫اها‬
َ ََْ ْ َْ
‫آت نف ِيِس تقو‬ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ِِ ِ ِ ‫اللهم‬
َّ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ْ َّ َ ْ َ َّ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َّ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ
‫ َو ِم ْن دع َو ٍة اَّل‬، ‫ َو ِم ْن نف ٍس اَّل تشبَ ُع‬، ‫ب اَّل خَيش ُع‬ ٍ ‫ و ِمن قل‬، ‫أعوذ بِك ِمن ِعل ٍم اَّل ينفع‬
ََ ُ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫يستجاب لها‬
O Allah grant my soul taqwā (piety and mindfulness) and purify it, for You are the Best of
those who can purify it. You are its Protector and Master. O Allah, I seek Your protection from
knowledge which does not benefit, a heart which does not submit, a soul which is not satisfied,
and a supplication which is not accepted (Muslim).
َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫يِّن أ ُع ْوذ بِك م ِْن َصاَل ٍة اَّل تنف ُع‬
ِ ‫اللهم ِإ‬
O Allah, I seek Your protection from a prayer which does not benefit (Abū Dāwūd).
ْ ً َ ْ ُ َ َ ً َ ْ َ َ ً َّ َ َ َ ً َّ َ َ َ ً َّ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ّ َ
.‫ ِإيَلْك خُم ِبتًا أ َّواها ُّم ِنيبًا‬، ‫ااًع‬‫ لك ِمطو‬، ‫ لك رهابا‬، ‫ لك ذاَّكرا‬، ‫ر ِب اجعل ِيِن لك شاَّكرا‬
My Lord, make me one who is extremely grateful to You, who remembers you always, who
perpetually fears You, who is fully obedient to You, who is humble before You, who constantly
cries and pleads with You, and who frequently turns to You in repentance (Abū Dāwūd).
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َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ َو ُح ْس ِن ِعبَادتِك‬، ‫ وشك ِر َك‬، ‫ىَلَع ِذك ِر َك‬
ٰ ‫اللهم أ ِع ِيِّن‬
O Allah, help me to remember You, be grateful to You and worship You in an excellent manner
(Abū Dāwūd).
Never Give Up!
Making the human lose hope is one of Shayṭān’s most powerful tricks. You might
think: “This khushūʿ thing is not for me. I’ve tried it, but I keep getting distracted.”
Do not give in to this trick and continue to try. On some days your level of
khushūʿ will feel strong, whilst on others, you may not feel it at all. Despite all of
this, continue to work on it and do not ever give up.
I struggled with ṣalāh for 20 years, and then I enjoyed it for the
next 20 years.”
- Thābit al-Bunānī 
I forced my nafs (inner self) to go to Allah whilst it was crying,

until I was able to take it to Him whilst it was laughing.”
- Abū Zayd 
Strive for a balance
Achieving a balance is not always easy. Try to strike a balance between pushing
yourself and over-doing it. Push yourself and fight your nafs to pray ṣalāh,
working on both the quality and the quantity of your ṣalāh. At the same time, do
not burden yourself with it so much that you find it challenging to maintain. For
instance, you may attend an īmān-boosting lecture and therefore decide to get up
an hour before Fajr to pray tahajjud. The first day or week may pass smoothly, but
by the second week, you might start feeling like it is too much; you do not feel like
waking up at all anymore, not even for 10 minutes.
Rather than immersing yourself fully, build yourself up gradually over time. Try
to be consistent as consistency is the key. The Messenger of Allah g said, “The
best deeds in the sight of Allah b are those which are constant, even if they are
few” (Bukhārī).
62
Accordingly, do not take an ‘all-or-nothing’ attitude. If your inner voice is saying,

‘Either I’m going to pray all of my voluntary prayers or none at all,’ then remember
that it is better to pray some of them than to pray none of them.
Indeed, these hearts have their ebbs and flows: when they are
soaring, impose on them the voluntary acts; and when they are
experiencing a downturn, impose on them the obligatory acts.”
- ʿUmar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb 
Act Upon The Etiquettes of

Going to The Masjid and
Respond to The Adhan
The Etiquettes of Going to the Masjid

The etiquettes of attending the masjid are a crucial preparation for ṣalāh. Adhering
to these is indicative of the respect and esteem you accord ṣalāh in your heart.
They will also prepare you psychologically for your standing in front of the
Supreme Creator.
a Perform wuḍū thoroughly in accordance to the sunnah at home
The Messenger of Allah g said, “No man purifies himself, and does it thoroughly,
then goes to the masjid, except that Allah records a good deed for him for every
step he takes, raises him a degree for it, and wipes away a sin from him for it”
(Muslim).
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b Avoid smelling foul
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever has eaten garlic, onion or leek should
stay away from our masjid, for indeed the angels are troubled by what the children
of Ādam are troubled by” (Muslim).
c Beautify yourself
Allah b said, “O Children of Ādam, beautify yourselves at every masjid” (7:31).

The Prophet g said, “Indeed Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty” (Muslim). Apply
perfume (men only), and wear clean and appropriate clothing to the masjid.
d Say the duʿā’ for leaving the house and the duʿā’ for walking to the masjid
e Walk with calmness and serenity
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When you hear the iqāmah, walk to prayer with
calmness and dignity, and do not hurry. Pray whatever you are able to pray and
complete whatever you miss” (Bukhārī).
f Enter the masjid with your right foot and recite the duʿā’
g Perform taḥiyyat al-masjid
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When one of you enters the masjid, he should
not sit until he has prayed two rakʿāhs” (Bukhārī).
h Go early so that you can sit in the first row and preferably at the right side of
the imām.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “If the people knew what is the reward of
announcing the call for the prayer and of being in the first row (in the
congregation), and then they found no other way to get this privilege except by
casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it” (Bukhārī).
He g also said, “Indeed Allah and His Angels send blessings on the right side of
the rows” (Abū Dāwūd).
64
i Make the intention to wait for ṣalāh
The Messenger of Allah g said, “The servant is constantly in prayer so long as he

is in his place of worship waiting for the prayer. The Angels say, ‘O Allah, pardon
him. O Allah, have mercy upon him…’” (Muslim).
j Exit the masjid with your left foot and recite the duʿā’
Ibn ʿUmar  used to enter with his right foot first and exit with his left foot first
(Bukhārī).
Please refer to our publication ‘Daily Adhkar’ or the ‘Dhikr & Dua’
app for the aforementioned duʿās.
Absorb the Adhān into Your Heart
Always hearing a particular sound can make us indifferent to it. As it melds into
the background, we may fail to appreciate its significance.
Imām al-Ghazālī  explains that on hearing the mu’adhdhin’s call to prayer,

remind yourself about how terrifying the call for the Day of Judgement will be.
Be eager and prepare yourself physically and spiritually for this call (i.e. the adhān)
in this world. If you are of those who hastened to respond to this call in this world,
then know that your name will be called out gently on that Terrifying Day.
Another feeling you may experience whilst listening to the adhān is calm and joy.
Ibn al-Qayyim  explains that if your heart leaps with joy when you hear the
adhān in the dunyā, then only bliss and triumph will accompany your ‘call’ on
the Day of Reckoning. It is for this reason that the Prophet g said, “Bilāl, give us
comfort through ṣalāh” (Aḥmad). As his happiness lay in ṣalāh, he was eager to
enter it and would ask Bilāl  to commence it by delivering the adhān.
Respond to the Adhān
Responding attentively to the mu’adhdhin while contemplating on the inner and

deeper meanings of the words will help you attain khushūʿ in your ṣalāh:
65
After the Mu’addhin says… You say…
ُ َ ‫هلل أَ ْك‬
‫رَب‬ ُ َ ‫هلل أَ ْك‬
ُ َ ‫رَب ا‬ ُ َ‫ا‬ ُ َ ‫هلل أَ ْك‬
ُ َ ‫رَب ا‬ ُ َ‫ا‬
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest.
َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ
ُ ‫هٰل إ َّاَّل‬
‫اهلل‬ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ
ِ ‫أشهد أن اَّل ِإ‬ ‫اهلل‬ ِ ‫أشهد أن اَّل ِإ‬
I bear witness that there is no god I bear witness that there is no god
worthy of worship except Allah. worthy of worship except Allah.
ُ
ْ ُ َّ ً َّ َ ُ َّ َ
ُ َ َْ ُ
ْ ُ َّ ً َّ ُ ََ ُ َّ َ َْ
‫هلل‬
ِ ‫أشهد أن حُممدا رسول ا‬ ‫هلل‬
ِ ‫أشهد أن حُممدا رسول ا‬
I bear witness that Muḥammad I bear witness that Muḥammad
is the Messenger of Allah. is the Messenger of Allah.
َّ َ َّ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ
َ َّ َ َ َّ َ
‫الصاَل ِة‬ ‫يح ىَلَع‬ ِ ‫اَل حول َواَل قوة ِإاَّل بِا‬
‫هلل‬
There is no power or might
Come to Ṣalāh.
except through Allah.
َ َ ْ َ َّ َ
‫يح َىَلَع الفاَل ِح‬ ِ ‫اَل حول َواَل قوة ِإاَّل بِا‬
‫هلل‬
There is no power or might
Come to success.
except through Allah.
ُ َ ‫رَب ا‬ ُ َ‫ا‬ ُ َ ‫هلل أَ ْك‬
ُ َ ‫رَب ا‬ ُ َ‫ا‬
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest.
‫اهلل‬ َٰ َ ُ ‫هٰل إ َّاَّل‬
َٰ َ
ِ ِ‫اَل إ‬ ‫اهلل‬ ِ ِ‫اَل إ‬
There is no god worthy of There is no god worthy of
worship except Allah. worship except Allah.
66
1 The Messenger of Allah g instructed us to repeat the words of the mu’adhdhin

during adhān. This is with the exception of the following phrase “…when he says
َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َّ َ َّ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ
‫يَح َىَلَع الفاَل ِح‬ ، ‫الصاَل ِة‬ ِ ‫ اَل حول َواَل قوة ِإاَّل بِا‬. If he says it from his heart, he
‫ يَح ىَلَع‬, say: ‫هلل‬
shall enter Paradise” (Muslim).
َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ
Al-Ṭībī  wrote, “The meaning of ‫يَح َىَلَع الفاَل ِح‬ ، ‫الصاَل ِة‬ ‫ يَح ىَلَع‬is ‘come with your
exterior and interior to guidance and triumph immediately’. Therefore, it is only
appropriate that one (responds to this) by saying that this is a great matter which -
due to my weakness - I am unable to carry out unless Allah b allows me to through
His might and power.”
ِ ‫ اَل حول َواَل قوة إِاَّل بِا‬is one of the treasures of Paradise (Tirmidhī). Imām
The phrase ‫هلل‬
al-Nawawī  explains that this is because it embodies complete submission,
the entrusting of one’s affairs and true obedience of Allah b. Thus, this phrase
acknowledges that Allah b is the only Creator and none can turn back His
Command, and that the slave is powerless in his own affairs.
ِ ‫ اَل حول َواَل قوة إِاَّل بِا‬mean?
What does ‫هلل‬
• A slave cannot move from one situation to another (ḥawl), nor does he have
the strength (quwwah) to do this except by the will and help of Allah b.
• There is no power to stop sinning/avert evil, nor is there any strength to be
obedient/attain good except by the will and help of Allah b.
After the Adhān

Following the completion of the adhān, recite the following phrases (in this order):
ُ ُ ‫ َوأَ َّن ُحُمَ َّم ًدا َعبْ ُد ُه َو َر ُس ْو‬، ‫هَل‬

َُ ‫ك‬َ ْ َ َ َُ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ
، ‫هُل‬ ‫رَشي‬
ِ ‫اَل‬ ‫ه‬ ‫د‬ ‫ح‬ ‫و‬ ‫اهلل‬ ‫اَّل‬ ‫وأنا أشهد أن اَّل ِإهٰل ِإ‬
ً.‫ َوب ْاإْل ْس َاَل د ْينا‬، ‫ح َّمد َر ُس ْو ًاًل‬َ ُ ًّ َ ُ ْ َ
ِ ِ‫ِ ِ م‬ ٍ ‫ َوبِم‬، ‫هلل ربا‬ ِ ‫ر ِضيت بِا‬
I also bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah. He is Alone and He has no
partner whatsoever, and that Muḥammad g is His servant and His Messenger. I am satisfied
with Allah as my Lord, with Muḥammad as my Messenger, and with Islam as my religion.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “If anyone says [the above] on hearing the
mu’adhdhin, his sins will be forgiven” (Muslim).
67
ّٰ َ
َُ
...‫آل حُم َّم ٍد‬
ِ ‫ىَلَع‬ ٰ َ َ ‫الل ُه َّم َص ّ ِل‬
ٰ َ َ ‫ َو‬، ‫ىَلَع ُحُمَ َّم ٍد‬
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When you hear the mu’adhdhin calling for the
prayer, repeat his words then send blessings upon me. The one who sends blessings
upon me once, Allah will send 10 blessings upon him” (Muslim).
ََ َْ ََ ْ َُ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َّ َّ َ ْ َّ ٰ َّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
، ‫آت حُم َّم ًدا ال َو ِسيْلة َوالف ِضيْلة‬ ِ ، ‫اللهم رب ه ِذهِ ادلعو ِة اتلام ِة والصاَل ِة القائِم ِة‬
ُ َّ ْ َّ ً ْ ُ ْ َّ ً َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ
.‫اذَّل ْي َو َعدته‬
ِ ‫َوابعثه مقاما حَّممودا‬
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer, grant Muḥammad the status (the
highest station in Paradise) and pre-eminence (superiority over the rest of the creation), and
resurrect him to the praiseworthy station that You have promised him.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever says [the above] after the adhān shall
receive my intercession on the Day of Judgement” (Bukhārī).
5 After the adhān and before the iqāmah you should make duʿā’, as the Messenger
of Allah g said, “Duʿā’ is not rejected between the adhān and the iqāmah”
(Tirmidhī).
5 FOR 5
5mins
1 2 3 4 5
Glad tidings Forgiveness Ten blessings Intercession of Acceptance

of Paradise of all sins from Allah b the Prophet g of duʿā’
After al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym  became partially paralysed, he used

to go to the Masjid helped by two men. It was said to him, “O Abū
Yazīd! You may pray at home, as you are excused.” He said, “Whoever
َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ
hears ‫يَح ىَلَع الفاَل ِح‬ should answer it even by crawling.”
68
Pray in The Congregation

and Do Not Delay
Pray on Time
Plan your day around ṣalāh. Instead of trying to fit ṣalāh in your busy schedule,
make your day revolve around ṣalāh, and aim to always pray on time. Praying
ṣalāh at its beginning time will be an indication of you – mentally and physically -
giving it the importance it deserves. It will also safeguard against rushing through
ṣalāh as you won’t worry about whether or not you have sufficient time. Allah
b says, “So woe to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayers” (107:4-5).
According to the scholars, this either refers to (a) those who neglect their prayer by
not praying at all, or (b) those who delay it all or most of the time.
The Prophet g said, “That is the ṣalāh of the hypocrite. He sits watching the sun,
until when it is between the horns of the Shayṭān, he stands and pecks up and
down [i.e. rushes] in the four rakʿahs of prayer, and hardly remembers Allah in
them” (Muslim).
The Prophet g always hastened to the masjid when it was time for ṣalāh.
Occasionally, he would be spending time with his family, but on hearing the
mu’addhin’s call to prayer, he would immediately get up and leave them. ʿĀ’ishah
 says, “He g would be in the service of his family and when he would hear the
adhān, he would leave” (Bukhārī).
Yearning for Allah b and longing to spend time with Him has always been a
hallmark of the pious slaves of Allah b.
No time for prayer has ever arrived except that I have already
made preparations for it. And never has it arrived except that I
am eagerly looking forward to it.”
- ʿAdī b. Ḥātim 
69
Pray in the Congregation
Strive to pray in the congregation as much as possible. The Messenger of Allah g

said, “The prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times superior to the prayer
offered by the person alone” (Bukhārī).
It is however, more virtuous for a woman to pray at home than in the masjid.
In another ḥadīth, he g warned, “Whoever hears the adhān and does not come
(to the masjid), his ṣalāh is not valid, unless if he has an excuse” (Abū Dāwūd).
When ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās  was asked about what constitutes an excuse he
replied, “Illness or fear.”
Always aim to arrive early, before the opening takbir (takbīrat al-taḥrīm). The
Prophet g said, “Whoever performs ṣalāh for Allah for forty days in the
congregation, catching the first takbīr, he will be recorded as being free from two
things: free from the Hell-fire and free of hypocrisy” (Tirmidhī). Moreover, he
g also said, “A Muslim is not regular in attending the masājid for ṣalāh and dhikr,
except that Allah welcomes him happily just as people welcome their loved ones
happily upon their return from a journey” (Ibn Mājah).
Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib  said, “For thirty years, the mu’addhin has not made the call
to prayer except that I have already been in the masjid.”
Muḥammad b. Samāʿah al-Tamīmī  said, “I did not miss the first takbīr for forty
years except for once: the day when my mother passed away.”
When you see a man who is careless in regards to the first takbīr,
then wash your hands of him.”
- Ibrāhīm al-Taymī 
Coming to ṣalāh before the iqāmah is an indication of you

honouring ṣalāh.”
- Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah 
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Be Punctual With Your

Sunnah Prayers
Being punctual with the sunnah and nafl prayers will help you to attain khushūʿ
in ṣalāh.
Performing the sunnah prayers before the farḍ prayers is akin to stretching before
exercising. Starting with the sunnah prayers awakens your heart and prepares you
for attaining greater khushūʿ in the farḍ prayers. Performing sunnah prayers after
the farḍ prayers compensates for deficiencies in the farḍ prayers.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “The first action which a servant of Allah will be
held accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be his ṣalāh. If it is complete,
he will triumph and succeed; if it is defective, he will fail and be doomed. If there
is something defective in his farḍ prayers, then the Almighty Lord will say, ‘See if
my servant has any voluntary prayers that can make up for the shortcomings in
his farḍ prayers.’ Then, the rest of his deeds will be [judged] like that” (Tirmidhī).
Try your best to perform the 12 rakʿahs known as the rawātib or sunnah
mu’akkadah prayers on time. These were prescribed by the Messenger of Allah g:
two before Fajr, four before Ẓuhr, two after Ẓuhr, two after Maghrib and two after
ʿIshā’. Whenever you feel lazy, remind yourself of the reward: “There is no Muslim
slave who prays twelve rakʿahs for Allah every day voluntarily, apart from the farḍ
prayers, except that Allah will build a house for him in Paradise” (Muslim).
He g also said, “Whoever maintains four rakʿahs before Ẓuhr and four after it,
Allah will make the Hell-fire unlawful for him” (Abū Dāwūd). Furthermore, he g
stated, “The two [sunnah] rakʿahs of Fajr are better than the world and everything
it contains” (Muslim).
Moreover, the Prophet g made a special duʿā’ for the one who prays the sunnah
prayers before ʿAṣr: “May Allah have mercy upon a person who prays four rakʿahs
before ʿAṣr” (Aḥmad).
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One way to ensure you always arrive before the first takbīr of the congregational
prayers is to always come for the sunnah prayers before ṣalāh. If you are delayed
for any reason, you will still likely be on time for the first takbīr.
Similarly, if you seek always to pray your sunnah prayers, then aim to arrive early
enough to perform nafl prayers. Accordingly, if for any reason you are delayed
on the way, you’re still likely to arrive on time to complete the sunnah prayers
inshā’A llah.
Whoever takes adab (the best manner of doing things) lightly will
be punished by being deprived of the sunnah. Whoever takes the
sunnah lightly will be punished by being deprived of the farā’iḍ
(obligations). And whoever takes the farā’iḍ (obligations) lightly
will be deprived of becoming acquainted with Allah b.”
- ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak 
Before praying ṣalāh, always try your best to remove distractions. Anything which
may distract or worry you in ṣalāh will reduce the khushūʿ in your ṣalāh.
10
Eliminate Distractions
Ibn Kathīr  says, “Khushūʿ in ṣalāh is only attained by the one who has emptied
his heart totally for it, who occupies himself fully for it and does not pay attention
to anything else besides it, and who prioritises it over everything else. At that
point it becomes a source of comfort and intense joy.”
So if you are hungry, eat before you pray. Similarly, if you need to relieve yourself,
do it before you pray. The Messenger of Allah g said, “Ṣalāh should not be
performed when the food has been presented, nor when one is fighting the urge to
go to the bathroom” (Abū Dāwūd). He g also said, “If dinner is served, and the
iqāmah for ṣalāh has been given, then start with the dinner” (Bukhārī).
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Imām al-Munāwī  explains that the above narrations indicate that it is more
important and virtuous to pray with the presence of the heart, than to pray at the
start of the prayer time.
An insightful person attends to what he needs to before ṣalāh so

that he may enter the ṣalāh with his heart unburdened.”
- Abū al-Dardā’ 
How to eliminate distractions
• Find a quiet place to pray. Avoid praying where others are talking or where
there is a noise that is likely to distract you.
• Mentally go ‘offline’ for your ṣalāh by ensuring your phone is on ‘silent
mode’. Avoid checking your phone between the farḍ and sunnah prayers.
• If you have a small child, where possible, ask someone to look after them
whilst you pray.
• Avoid performing your ṣalāh whilst you have urgent matters waiting. For
instance, if you are cooking, then turn off the cooker for the duration of the
ṣalāh to stop you worrying about it during your ṣalāh.
• Pray where you are comfortable. Avoid anywhere where it is too cold or
too hot, as this might hinder your ability to focus.
• Pray in clothes which are not distracting. The Prophet g once returned a
garment which had patterns on it to one of his Companions  because it
distracted him during his ṣalāh (Bukhārī).
• Ensure you are not surrounded by distracting objects. The Prophet g told
his wife ʿĀ’ishah  to remove a curtain because its pictures had diverted his
attention in ṣalāh (Bukhārī).
• Pray towards a sutrah (a barrier or a wall in front of you). The Messenger of
Allah g said, “When one of you prays towards a sutrah he should stay close
to it and not let Shayṭān interrupt his ṣalāh” (Abū Dāwūd). The wisdom
behind using a sutrah is to prevent your eyes glancing further than the
sutrah and, therefore, beyond your place of prayer. It also stops people from
passing in front of you, and stops ṣhayṭān from passing by and ruining your
prayer.
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Occasionally, during ṣalāh, we may find ourselves distracted due to thinking about
petty matters. On such occasions, we should try to remember the greatness of the
One we are conversing with and the majesty of the One looking at us. We should
think about death and the hereafter, and rein in our thoughts to bring our minds
back to ṣalāh.
Once a fire broke out in the house of ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn , whilst he

was prostrating. People around him began to say, “O son of the
Messenger of Allah g! Fire! Fire!” However, he did not raise his head
until the fire was extinguished. When this was mentioned to him, he
remarked, “The other Fire (i.e. Hell-fire) distracted me from it.”
Learn the fiqh of ṣalāh
Learn and regularly refresh your knowledge of the legal rulings of ṣalāh,
so that you are not distracted by thoughts like, ‘Is my ṣalāh valid/should
I be repeating the prayer, or is sajdah al-sahw sufficient?’ This will help
you to pray ṣalāh more calmly and with greater khushūʿ.
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Realise in your soul the greatness and sublimity of being
able to speak intimately with Allah b. Focus your attention
to Who it is you are speaking with, how you are speaking,
and what you are speaking. At that moment, your brow
should sweat with shame, your sides should tremble in
awe, and your face should turn pale with fear.
- Imām al-Ghazālī 

1 What are the four means you can employ to attain the maʿrifah of Allah b?
2 Why is safeguarding your gaze so significant? How is it linked to your heart?
3 How can you soften your heart?
4 Riyā, ʿujb and kibr are some of the diseases of the heart. Define each one and
explain how they are linked to your ṣalāh.
5 On hearing the adhān, what are the five ways in which you can respond?
6 What is the wisdom behind praying the sunnah prayers before and after ṣalāh?
7 Internalising the importance of ṣalāh is the first step to attaining khushūʿ in
ṣalāh. You will always struggle with khushūʿ until ṣalāh becomes one of the most
important matters in your life. Imagine a situation where you are diagnosed
with cancer and, therefore, find yourself needing to write a will for your young
children, which they will read a few years later. Write the section where you
will share your feelings with them about ṣalāh.
8 Do you feel emotionally connected to the Names of Allah? What steps can you
take to help you achieve this connection?
9 Which of the following describes you best in relation to khushūʿ?
Complacent (‘As long as I’m praying I don’t need to worry about khushūʿ’)
Lost hope and given up Actively trying hard
The first two are amongst shayṭān’s strategies. Why is it vital that we are aware
of this fact?
10 What are the external distractions that are most likely to occur frequently when
you are praying?
Smartphone Children People around you talking
Household chores Pending work Other: .................................
11 What steps are you going to take to limit the above distractions?
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HAPTER THREE
HOW TO DEVELOP
KHUSHŪʿ:
10 STEPS DURING ṢALĀH
Chapter Three - How To Develop Khushūʿ: 10 Steps During Ṣalāh
Once the Prophet g was returning with his Companions  from the battle of
Dhāt al-Riqāʿ. They stopped to rest at a place. Two of his Companions  offered
to keep watch for the night: one was from the Muhājirīn, and the other from the
Anṣār. The Muhājir decided to take a nap, and the Anṣārī got up to pray. A man
from the enemy came and shot an arrow at the Anṣārī. It hit him, but the Anṣārī
removed the arrow from his body and continued to pray. The enemy then shot
another arrow. The Anṣārī removed it once again and continued to pray. When he
shot the third arrow, the Anṣārī could no longer bear the pain, so he went into rukūʿ
and sujūd, and completed his prayer. He then woke the Muhājir up. Upon seeing
him seeped in blood, the Muhājir exclaimed, “Subḥanallāh! Why did you not wake
me up the first time he shot the arrow?” The Anṣārī replied, “I was reciting a sūrah
and I did not like to cut it off.” (Adapted from Abū Dāwūḍ)
Allāhu Akbar! Imagine the level of his khushūʿ. In order to experience a similar
attachment and joy in ṣalāh, we have to take steps outside ṣalāh as well as within
ṣalāh itself. This chapter explores ten further steps which you can adopt within
your ṣalāh, so that you can enjoy your ṣalāh and taste its sweetness.
Fight Shaytan and His Whispers

Have you ever started praying and then found yourself suddenly remembering an
item you thought you'd lost or a message you’d forgotten to reply to?
The Prophet g stated that these recollections during ṣalāh are the work of Shayṭān.
Shayṭān is always busy trying to preoccupy you with thoughts of everything other
than Allah b. He g said, “When the call to prayer is announced, Shayṭān takes
to his heels and passes wind loudly so that he does not hear the adhān. When the
adhān finishes, he comes back. When the iqāmah is proclaimed, he takes to his
heel (again). When the iqāmah finishes, he comes back so that he can obstruct the
person’s heart with his whispers, saying ‘Remember such and such, remember
such and such,’ things which he did not remember before, to the extent that the
person no longer knows how much he has prayed” (Bukhārī).
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Ṣalāh is a link (ṣilah) to your Lord which your arch-enemy, Shayṭān, strives to
break by any means. Therefore, he comes to you with all kinds of whispers and
doubts.
Shayṭan is like a relentless highway robber. The harder the slave tries to turn to
Allah, the harder Shayṭān tries to rob him and divert him from this noble path.
It is for this reason that when one of the predecessors  was asked, “Indeed the
Jews and Christians say that they do not experience these whispers (in their acts
of worship),” he remarked, “They are telling the truth. What will Shayṭān do with
a demolished house?”
Anyone who turns to Allah b will be assaulted with these kinds of whispers,
particularly during the beginning of your journey where Shayṭān will try his best
to divert you. At the start of your journey to Allah b, Shayṭān will have a greater
‘share’ of your ṣalāh than you. You will then compete with him, going back and
forth, until you secure half of it. You must then continue to fight until you can
secure all of your ṣalāh. The Prophet g said, “A man returns from his prayer
and only a tenth, ninth, eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third or half of it, is
recorded for him” (Abū Dāwūd).
The initial stages of ṣalāh are the period when Shayṭān will try to convince you
that this is a lost battle and there is no hope. Do not give up. Remain steadfast and
continue to work on your khushūʿ in ṣalāh.
Shayṭan will not go near the person whose heart has khushūʿ.”
- Sahl al-Tustarī 
ʿUthmān b. Abī al-ʿĀṣ  came to the Messenger of Allah g and said, “O Messenger
of Allah, indeed Shayṭān comes in between me and my ṣalāh and my recitation of
the Qur’ān and causes me to doubt.” The Messenger of Allah g told him, “That is
a shayṭān known as Khinzab. When you feel his presence, seek Allah’s protection
from him and spit lightly to your left three times.” He says, “I did that and then
Allah made him go away from me” (Muslim).
The aforementioned ḥadīth indicates the importance the Companions  gave to

ṣalāh and the matter of khushūʿ. It also highlights the existence of a specific shayṭān
who is assigned just for this task, showing us the severity of this matter. Mentally
prepare yourself before ṣalāh, and remember you are in a fight with Khinzab.
Always be on guard and remember that your enemy is lurking, ready to ambush.
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How To Fight Whispers
Say:
ْ َّ َ ۡ َّ َ ّٰ ُ ُ َ
ْ
ِ ‫’أعوذ بِاهّٰللِ مِن ٱلشيطٰ ِن ٱلر‬,
‘‫جي ِم‬
and spit lightly to your left three times as mentioned in the above ḥadīth. Continue
to do this whenever you feel his presence and not just once in a while (avoid spitting
during the congregational prayers).
Ignore the whispers and carry on praying. Fight back the whispers and do
not let them drag you down.
Try hard not to yawn during prayer and, if this is not possible, then cover your
mouth. The Messenger of Allah g said, “If one of you yawns during ṣalāh, let
him suppress it as much as he can as Shayṭān enters (the mouth)” (Muslim).
Force yourself to think of what you are saying.
Work hard on the other ways of attaining khushūʿ. They will all aid you in combatting
the whispers during your ṣalāh.
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Some people mentioned to ʿĀmir b. ʿAbdillāh b. Qays  that sometimes they lose
concentration during ṣalāh. He went on to ask them, “Do you experience this?”
They replied, “Yes.” He replied, “By Allah, I would rather be struck with spears in
my stomach than for this to happen to me in my ṣalāh.”
If you are in ṣalāh and Shayṭān says to you ‘You are showing off!’
then make your ṣalāh longer.”
- Ḥarīth b. Qays 
Understand The Meaning

and Loftiness of What
You Are Saying
Understanding what you are saying in your ṣalāh will have a profound impact on
your khushūʿ.
To do this, try your best to learn Arabic and understand the meaning of what you
say. This will make it easier to focus, thereby enhancing your ṣalāh. Along with
understanding what you say, be fully mindful when saying it. Ibn ʿAbbās  said,
“Only that which you were mindful of in your ṣalāh will be accepted from you.”
In every prayer of mine, my only concern has been what I am

saying and what is being said to me.”
- al-Rabīʿ 
Think back to the last time you found yourself in a foreign country where you barely
understood the language. Did you feel lost? Similarly, if you do not understand
what you are saying in your ṣalāh, you will feel out of place and not find the peace,
belonging and desire to remain in ṣalāh.
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Some people avoid learning Arabic as they think it is ‘too difficult’. However, this is
not true. Like any other language, it will require effort, commitment and time;
but the outcome will be sweet.
If you cannot learn Arabic, then, at the bare minimum, memorise and reflect
on the meaning of what you say in ṣalāh. This includes: (1) the meanings of the
adhkār and (2) the meanings of the small sūrahs.
Moreover, even if the above is not currently possible, then think of death and
the Day of Judgement. Think of how it will feel to stand before Allah b on that
terrifying day. Recall and reflect on the greatness of Allah b and bear in mind that
He is watching you.
I am amazed at the one who recites the Qur’ān and yet does not
know its meaning. How can he enjoy its recitation?”
- al-Ṭabarī 
Move your lips when reciting
Move your lips and tongue when reciting the Qur’ān and the adhkār of ṣalāh.
Ensure that you are physically uttering the words in a way that you can hear
yourself (assuming you can hear soundly and it is a quiet environment). Merely
‘reciting’ in your mind is not sufficient and renders your ṣalāh invalid.
Reciting in this manner will help you to concentrate and to repel the whispers of
Shayṭān.
There is a misconception amongst some that reciting Qur’ān solely

in the mind is acceptable (during and outside ṣalāh) and considered
‘recitation’. Others are embarrassed to recite audibly due to fear that
their tajwīd is not perfect. However, reciting audibly is the best way
to feel the beauty and serenity in Allah’s words. Remember, even
if you are struggling with the recitation, Allah al-Ra’ūf (the Most
Compassionate) will grant you two rewards: one reward for the
recitation, and another for struggling!
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Reflect on what you are saying
Develop khushūʿ by reflecting on the weight and gravity of what you are uttering.
The words may be easy to pronounce, and may roll off your tongue effortlessly, but
they are in themselves mighty and heavy. The Prophet g said that subḥānallāh
and alḥamdulillāh fill up what is in between the heavens and the earth (Muslim).
Though it may be difficult to understand, the words of praise and glorification
leave the worldly realms and travel up to the Throne of Allah. These words gather
around His throne “buzzing like bees, mentioning to Allah the person who
uttered them” (Ibn Mājah). Try to imagine that! Visualise the words that you
utter ascending upwards and acting as your representatives. And this is only in the
world. Imagine their impact in the hereafter, where they will come to your rescue,
protect you from the Hell-fire and guide you to Paradise!
A Companion  once uttered a sentence of praise in ṣalāh. After the ṣalāh finished,
the Prophet g said that more than 30 angels were competing with each other to
ascend with these words to Allah. On another occasion, he g said that the doors
of the heaven opened for a single utterance of the Companion  in his ṣalāh! Can
you imagine this? One single utterance resulted in the doors of the heaven being
opened.
Ibn al-Qayyim  wrote, “By Allah, if you could hear the sound of the pens of the
angels writing your name amongst those who remember Allah, you would die out
of joy.”
Likewise, the Qur’ān is the mighty word of Allah b. Allah refers to it as a “weighty
discourse” (73:5). It is a lofty book, revealed by the Most High from above. Stored
in a lofty place, a lofty angel brought it down and conveyed it to the heart of a lofty
man: Muḥammad g. Therefore, whoever becomes of its people -the people of the
Qur’ān- becomes lofty in the sight of Allah b.
The Companion Usayd b. al-Ḥuḍayr  was reciting Qur’ān at night. His horse
became startled and disturbed, so he stopped reciting. The horse calmed down.
When he resumed his recitation, the horse once again became agitated. When this
happened a few times, he stopped reciting out of fear that his son, who was lying
nearby, would be hurt. After completing his prayer, he looked up at the sky and
saw something which resembled a cloud with shimmering lamps dangling from
the sky to the earth. The next day he came and related what had occurred to the
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Prophet g. The Prophet g told him, “Those were angels who had drawn near
you to hear you recite the Qur’ān. If you had continued, by Allah, you would have
witnessed astounding things” (Composite: Bukhārī and Ḥākim).
In summary, reflect on the greatness of Who you are speaking to and reflect on the
greatness of what you are saying.
When uttering the adhkār (everything other than the Qur’ān in your
ṣalāh), reflect on what each utterance means. Praise Allah b with
your tongue and heart. Try to feel the depth of the words you are
uttering in your heart. When reciting the Qur’ān, remember that you
are reciting His words in His presence; so recite them with utmost
reverence.
When reading the āyāt about Allah b, let your heart be overcome
with humility, awe and love. On reading the āyāt about the stories
of the past, reflect on the lessons that they convey. When you read
the āyāt of aḥkām (legal rulings), take note of what Allah is asking
you to do and make a firm resolution to obey Him. (Adapted from
Maqāṣid al-ʿIbādāt by al-ʿIzz b. ʿAbd al-Salām )
Vary The Adhkar and

Surahs You Recite
What adhkār do you recite in ṣalāh? Are they always the same adhkār? Do you
tend to repeat the ones you memorised when you first learnt how to pray?
To avoid monotony in your ṣalāh, try to memorise and pray the different adhkār
and duʿās within your ṣalāh (particularly in voluntary prayers). This will increase
your khushūʿ, help you to taste the sweetness of ṣalāh, and encourage you to reflect
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on the words you are saying. The adhkār of the Prophet g are very powerful
and comprehensive. It would be a huge loss to pass a lifetime without having ever
invoked Allah b with these adhkār in your ṣalāh. (see chapter four)
Try to alternate the sūrahs you recite during ṣalāh. This will mean making an
effort to memorise more of the Qur’ān. Also, make a conscious decision before the
ṣalāh to choose which sūrah/dhikr/duʿā’ you will pray. By the will of Allah b, this
will also help to increase your khushūʿ.
Reflect on the meanings of the various adhkār
Once you have memorised the adhkār, try to reflect on their meanings in each
ṣalāh. Your ṣalāh will become lengthier, and the connection between your heart
and Allah b will deepen.
Three Benefits of Varying Your Adhkār
1 2 3
It becomes easier
It is a means
Follow the to reflect on the
of reviving the
Sunnah more meanings, in
(abandoned adhkār
comprehensively. comparison to
of the) Sunnah.
reading out of habit.
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Reflect and Interact

with The Qur’an
A powerful way to attain khushūʿ in ṣalāh is to reflect upon the Qur’ān. This is
known as ‘tadabbur’ in Arabic.
The Qur’ān is the eternal book of guidance. It is a cure for every disease - be it
spiritual or physical. It is a light which illuminates the path of truth amidst the
darknesses of falsehood. The Qur’ān contains legal rulings for humans to live on
Allah’s earth as His subservient slaves. It is a book of blessings and eternal wisdom;
a warner and a giver of glad tidings.
Accordingly, reciting the Qur’ān or memorising its words is in itself not enough.
Although both of these acts are essential, they must be accompanied by reflection
and a deep commitment to ‘live’ the Qur’ān.
Reflection Recitation
Calling to it CONNECT
Memorisation
TO THE
QUR’ĀN
Acting upon it Understanding
Becoming of its
‘special people’
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Allah b says, “This is a blessed Book which We revealed to you, so that they reflect
upon its verses, and those with understanding may take heed” (38:29); and “Do
they not, then, ponder upon the Qur‘ān? Had it been from someone other than
Allah, they would have found in it a great deal of discrepancy” (4:82).
Al-Saʿdī r explained, “Allah b has commanded His servants to reflect on His Book,
to ponder on its meanings, and to ponder deeply on its principles and lessons,
along with pursuing whatever is necessary to achieve this noble aim. Reflecting on
the book of Allah is the key to knowledge and all sciences. It is the source of all
good and the fountain of all the sciences. It increases the īmān in one’s heart and
makes it firmly rooted in it. The Qur’ān gives the slave the maʿrifah (knowledge
and deep awareness) of his Lord; how all attributes of perfection belong to Him,
and how He is pure from all deficiencies and shortcomings. It sets out the path that
leads to Him, describes the characteristics of the people who are treading this path
and what they will attain when they come to Him in the hereafter. It informs about
the real enemy, the path which will lead to punishment, the characteristics of the
people who are treading this path, and how they will be justly punished. The more
the slave ponders upon the Qur’ān, the more he will increase in knowledge,
good deeds and insight.”
For the Messenger of Allah g and the pious predecessors , tadabbur was not a
practice limited to Ramaḍān. It was their way of life. It was how they prayed. For
without tadabbur, there is no ṣalāh.
Reflect
The Qur’ān and You
How would you describe your relationship with the Qur’ān? When
you recite the Qur’ān, do its words pierce your mind? Do its meanings
penetrate your heart? Does its beauty mesmerise you? What does the
Qur’ān mean to you?
Once Abū Bakr  said to the Prophet g, “O Messenger of Allah, you have become
ُ ْ َ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َّ َ ْ ُ َّ َ
old.” He g said, “(The sūrahs) ‫ ُه ْو ٌد‬، ‫ ال َواقِ َعة‬، ‫ت‬ ‫ المرساَل‬، ‫ عم يتساءلو ن‬and ‫ِإ ذ ا الش ْم ُس ك ِّو َرت‬
have aged me’” (Tirmidhī).
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Imām al-Munāwī r mentioned that these sūrahs took a toll on the Prophet g
because they contained descriptions of the horrors of the Day of Judgement and
the punishments meted out to earlier nations. They prematurely aged him because
he feared similar punishments afflicting his ummah.
Therefore, the Qur’ān cannot just be recited or chanted only for the sake of
blessings. Rather, it has to be read with reflection and contemplation. The above
ḥadīth demonstrates that the Qur’ān did not just enter the heart of the Prophet g,
but that its impact was so profound that it physically changed him.
Why Your Heart Needs Tadabbur
Ibn al-Qayyim r wrote, “There is nothing more beneficial for the heart than
reading the Qur’ān with contemplation and reflection. This is what inspires love
and longing for Allah b. It generates fear of Him and hope in Him. It makes one
turn in repentance to Him and rely on Him. It causes one to fully submit to Him,
leave matters in His Hands and be pleased with His Decree. It inspires patience
and gratitude and is a means of acquiring all of the characteristics which give life
to and perfect the heart.
If people knew what recitation of the Qur’ān with contemplation contains,

they would devote themselves to it at the expense of anything else. When one
recites with reflection and comes across an āyah that he needs to cure his heart,
he repeats it. He may repeat it a hundred times, or even throughout the entire
night, as was reported about the Prophet g and the early predecessors . Hence,
reciting a single āyah of the Qur’ān with contemplation and reflection is better
than reciting the entire Qur’ān without any contemplation or reflection.
This is more beneficial for the heart, more likely to increase one’s īmān and leads
one to taste the sweetness of īmān and the Qur’ān. This was the habit of the early
predecessors , whereby one of them would repeat the same āyah throughout the
night until morning came. Likewise, it has been reported that the Messenger of
Allah g stood repeating one āyah till morning came.”
Abū Dharr  said, “The Prophet g stood reciting an āyah and repeating it until
morning came. The āyah was, ‘If You punish them, they are Your slaves; and if You
forgive them, indeed You, only You, are the Almighty, the All-Wise’ (5:118)” (Ibn
Mājah).
89
Do not scatter the Qur’ān (i.e. read it hurriedly) like poor-quality

dates are scattered, and do not recite it quickly like poetry is
recited. Take a pause at its wonders, move the hearts with it, and
do not let your concern be to (merely) reach the end of the sūrah.”
- ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd 
Practical Tips for Tadabbur
a Think of Who is talking to you
When you begin reciting the Qur’ān, Imām al-Ghazāli r advised that you should
bring the greatness of the One who is addressing you to the forefront of your
mind. The words you are reciting did not originate from a human being; they are
the words of the Lord of the worlds. (See p. 48 to remind yourself of the Greatness
of Allah b).
b Allah b is talking to you
Ibn al-Qayyim r said, “If you want to benefit from the Qur’ān, gather your
heart when it is recited, focus your hearing, and act like you are being directly
addressed by Allah, as it is an address from Him to you upon the tongue of His
Messenger g. Allah b said, ‘Indeed there is a reminder in that for whoever has a
heart or whoever listens attentively with his heart present’” (50:37).
Imām al-Ghazālī r said, “One is to assume that he is the one who is being
addressed in every statement in the Qur’ān. Hence, if he hears a command or
prohibition, he assumes that he is the one who is being commanded and prohibited.
If he hears a promise or threat, he does the same. If he hears the stories of the past
and the prophets, he realises that entertainment is not the objective, but rather, it
is for him to take lessons, and to extract from its content what he needs.”
Try to personalise the Qur’ān to your situation whilst reciting it. Relate it to your
own life and your own experiences. Ask yourself: what is Allah b telling me?
What is Allah b asking me to do? How can I apply it to my life?
The āyah also alludes to the importance of having a healthy and sound heart. The
Qur’ān can only benefit you if it finds a suitable recipient to enter: a pure heart.
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Your heart must be purified from shirk, sins, and the diseases of the heart (e.g.
envy, pride, hatred, hypocrisy).
Those before you saw the Qur’ān as a correspondence from their

Lord; they would ponder upon it at night and review it in the day.”
- al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī r
c Visualise
Think deeply about the words you are reciting and try to visualise the meaning
they are conveying. For instance, when reading about the descriptions of Hell-fire
in Juz ʿAmma, make the imagery come alive in your mind. To achieve this, repeat
the āyāt wherever necessary.
d Feel the emotion and repeat the āyah
The Qur’ān was sent down for us to derive guidance from it and to increase our
īmān in Allah b, the Prophet g and the hereafter. Allah b says, “And when His
āyāt are recited to them, it increases them in īmān” (8:2). Accordingly, when
reciting an āyah about Paradise, feel your longing for Paradise increasing. On
feeling this effect in your heart, continue to repeat this āyah. Similarly, when
reciting an āyah about Hell-fire, feel fear in your heart. On feeling this effect, keep
repeating the āyah. Let it move you to the point of crying over it. Similarly, when
reading an āyah about the greatness of Allah b, feel shyness and awe before Him.
Keep repeating this āyah until you feel the effect of it in your heart.
Try to recall the last time you heard Sūrah Yusuf in tarāwīḥ. Did you hear sniffling
and people rummaging in their pockets for tissues when the imām recited the
latter āyāt of the story? Even though our īmān is weak and we find it easier to cry
at the stories which tug at our hearts, the principle is the same. Whether your
recitation includes a touching story or an āyah about the creative power of Allah
b, let it move you emotionally. Let it pierce your heart.
Mālik b. Dīnār r used to recite the āyah ‘Had We sent down this
Qur’ān to a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, burst apart
from the awe for Allah...’ (59:21), and then say, “I swear to you, no
slave truly believes in the Qur’ān except that his heart bursts open.”
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e Interact with the āyāt
Strive to emulate the Messenger of Allah g by interacting with the āyāt you
are reciting during voluntary prayers. When you come across an āyah about
mercy, stop and ask Allah for His mercy. When you come across an āyah about
punishment, stop and ask Allah’s protection. When you come across an āyah
where you can make a duʿā’, stop and ask Allah. ʿAwf b. Mālik  said, “I stood
up to pray along with the Messenger of Allah g one night. He got up and recited
Sūrah al-Baqarah. When he came to an āyah of mercy, he stopped and made duʿā’,
and when he came to an āyah of punishment, he stopped and asked for Allah’s
protection” (Abū Dāwūd).
Masrūq r said, “ʿĀ’ishah  recited the āyah:
٢٨ ‫الرحِيْ ُم‬ ُّ َ ْ ‫ إنَّا ُك َّنا م ِْن َقبْ ُل نَ ْد ُع ْوهُ إنَّ ُه ُه َو ال‬٢٧ ‫الس ُم ْو ِم‬
َّ ‫رَب‬ َ ‫اهّٰلل َعلَيْ َنا َو َوقَانَا َع َذ‬
َّ ‫اب‬ ُ ّٰ ‫َف َم َّن‬
ِ ِ
‘But Allah was gracious to us and protected us from the punishment of the scorching fire. We
used to pray to Him before. He is surely the Most Kind, the Very Merciful’ (52:27).
Then she said, ‘O Allah, be gracious to us and protect us from the punishment of
the scorching fire.’ ” Aʿmash r, one of the narrators, was asked if she said this in her
ṣalāh. He replied, “Yes” (Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr).
ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb  had two black lines on his face due to weeping excessively.
Once, whilst patrolling Madinah at night, he passed by a house and heard a
man reciting in his ṣalāh, “By Mount Tūr” (52:1), until he reached, “Indeed, the
punishment of your Lord will certainly take place— none will avert it” (52-7:8).
He said, “By the Lord of the Kaʿbah, this oath is the truth!” He stepped down from
his donkey and leaned on the wall. He remained there for a short time, and then
returned home. For the next month, he remained ill. People would visit him, and
not know the cause of his illness.
Whoever loves the Qur’ān, loves Allah b and His Messenger g.”
f Study the Qur’ān. To achieve the above (points a-e), you will have to make an
effort to study and understand the meanings and message of the Qur’ān.
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Some ways you can do this are:

• Learn Arabic. This will open the door to understanding the meaning of
the Qur’ān.
• Learn the translation of the meanings of the Qur’ān. There are many
classes, books, apps and videos dedicated to this subject. Even reading a
simple translation is better than reading none at all.
• Attend Qur’ān classes. Increase your knowledge of the Qur’ān by studying
it along with the other sciences of the dīn.
• Listen to reliable tafsīr (explanation of the Qur’ān) lectures.
• Read reliable tafsīr books. Some of these have been translated into
English.
• Whenever you are reflecting on the words of the Qur’ān, always take
heed not to fall into the trap of interpreting the book of Allah according
to your own whims and desires, or speaking about His words without
knowledge.
Once you have studied the meanings of an āyah and have understood its context
and lessons, then you should memorise it, if you have not done so already.
Thereafter, recite those āyāt in your ṣalāh - especially in tahajjud. Allah willing,
you will feel a huge difference in the sweetness of your ṣalāh. Remember to: (1)
personalise, (2) visualise and (3) interact with the āyāt!
Whoever desires knowledge should read the Qur’ān, for indeed

it contains the knowledge of the earlier ones and the latter ones.”
But I am not a scholar…?
There is a misconception amongst some people that tadabbur is limited to scholars.

This is not true. The disbelievers were condemned in the Qur’ān for not doing
tadabbur. Allah b said, “Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'ān, or are there
locks upon (their) hearts” (47:24)? Therefore, as believers, we have no excuse for
failing to perform tadabbur. Tadabbur is essential to our lives and for building a
strong connection with Allah b.
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Do whatever you wish to get close to Allah b, but know you will
never get closer to Him with anything more beloved to Him than
His own words (i.e. the Qur’ān).”
- Khabbāb 
Recite The Qur’an Slowly

and Beautifully
Increase your khushūʿ in ṣalāh by reciting the Qur’ān clearly and slowly. Beautify
your voice as much as you can.
Recite with tartīl
When reciting the Qur’ān, the Prophet g was instructed by Allah b to recite
with ‘tartīl’ (73:4). Tartīl refers to reciting slowly and calmly, making each word
distinct, and not exceeding the limits. Reciting like this ensures that the tongue,
heart and the limbs and organs are in perfect harmony with each other. To recite
with tartīl, an effort must be made to learn tajwīd. Reciting with tartīl will also help
you do tadabbur.
Qatādah r narrated that Anas b. Mālik  was asked, “How was the recitation of
the Prophet g?” He replied, “It was elongated. He then recited ‫الر ِحيْ ِم‬ َّ ‫الر ْمْحٰن‬
َّ ‫ِمْسِب اهلل‬
ِ ِ
ٰ ْ َّ ْ َّ
elongating ‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ا‬ ‫ِمْسِب‬ , elongating ‫ن‬
ِ ‫مْح‬‫الر‬ and elongating ‫م‬
ِ ِ‫ي‬ ‫ح‬‫الر‬ ” (Bukhārī).
Pausing at the end of each āyah is essential as it gives you sufficient time to
reflect on the words you are reciting. Umm Salamah  said that the Messenger
of Allah g would break down his recitation of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah and would pause
at the end of each āyah (Abū Dāwūd).
Ḥafṣah  said, “I never saw the Messenger of Allah g praying voluntary prayers
(nawāfil) sitting, until a year before his death. He would pray his voluntary prayers
sitting. He would recite the sūrah slowly and distinctly until it would seem to be
longer than other sūrahs which were actually longer than it” (Muslim).
94
Sometimes we recite very fast to complete a sūrah. Similarly, we may witness ‘super
high speeds’ in the tarāwīḥ prayers during Ramaḍān. However, this is contrary
to the sunnah and does not help us attain the objectives of the Qur’ān. Slow
recitation is vital for absorbing the message of the Qur’ān and for reflecting on
what Allah b is saying.
Repeating certain āyāt is critical if you want to strengthen your īmān through
the Qur’ān. This, however, is impossible if your aim is just to reach the end of a
sūrah, juz or even the whole of the Qur’ān. A man came to ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd
 and said, “I recite all the mufaṣṣal sūrahs in one rakʿah.” Upon this ʿAbdullāh
 said, “(Do you recite it) hastily like the recitation of poetry? Indeed, there are
people who recite the Qur’ān, but it does not go down beyond their collar bones.
However, it benefits when it enters the heart and becomes deeply-rooted in it.
The best of (the actions) in ṣalāh are bowing and prostration. I am quite aware of
the similar sūrahs which the Messenger of Allah g used to combine together: two
sūrahs in every rakʿah” (Muslim).
Beautify your voice
Strive to beautify your voice whilst reciting the Qur’ān, as the Messenger of Allah
g said, “Beautify the Qur’ān with your voices” (Abū Dāwūd). He g also said,
“He who does not recite the Qur’ān melodiously is not one of us” (Abū Dāwūd).
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear the Prophet g recite the
Qur’ān? His Companion al-Barā’ b. ʿĀzib  said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah
َّ ‫ َوا ِّتل ْنْي َو‬in ʿIshā’ and I have never heard anyone who had a better
g reciting ‫الزيْتُ ْو ِن‬ ِ
voice or recitation than his” (Bukhārī).
Moreover, the spiritual intensity of his recitation is indicated in the following

ḥadīth: “Allah does not listen to anything as He listens to the recitation of the
Qur’ān by a Prophet who recites the Qur’ān audibly and melodiously” (Bukhārī).
Numerous accounts from the Companions  give us a glimpse into their

relationship with the Qur’ān and their beautiful recitation of it. Once the Prophet
g said to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī , “If you were to see me, as I was listening to
your recitation last night (you would have felt delighted). You have certainly been
given a ‘flute’ from the flutes of the family of Dāwūd (i.e. a great melodious voice)”
(Muslim).
95
Heartfelt recitation
The purpose of melodious recitation is not merely to ensure that the recitation
of the Qur’ān sounds good; instead, it is to ensure that the recitation is beautiful,
with complete focus and khushūʿ. Such a recitation would inevitably result in the
heart being moved. It should increase your fear of Allah b and provide peace. The
Messenger of Allah g said, “Of those who recite the Qur’ān with the best voice
is the one who, when you hear him recite, you think that he fears Allah” (Ibn
Mājah).
When reciting the Qur’ān, try to cry as this was the practice of the pious people of
the past. Allah b says, “When the āyāt of the Most Merciful were recited before
them, they used to fall down in prostration, weeping” (19:58).
Imām al-Nawawī r says that crying during the recitation of the Qur’ān is, “A quality
of those who have a deep awareness of Allah (maʿrifah) and it is a distinguishing
feature of the pious servants of Allah… It has been reported that ʿUmar b. al-
Khaṭṭāb  led the congregation in the morning prayer, and recited Sūrah Yūsuf.
He wept until his tears flowed over his collarbone. Another narration of the report
mentions that this occurred during ʿIshā’, indicating that this happened repeatedly.
Another narration mentions that he cried until the people in the rows behind him
heard his weeping.”
Rate your recitation: Would the Prophet g stand and listen to you
recite?
ʿĀ’ishah  said, “One night, at the time of the Messenger of Allah g,

I was late returning from ʿIshā’. When I came after some time, he g
said, ‘Where were you?’ I said, ‘I was listening to the recitation of a
man from your Companions ; I have never heard a recitation or a
voice like his from anyone.’” She says, “So he got up and I got up with
him, to go and listen to him. Then he turned to me and said, ‘This is
Sālim, the freed slave of Abū Ḥudhayfah. All praise is for Allah who
has created such men amongst my ummah’” (Ibn Mājah).
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Be Calm and Lengthen

Your Salah
Calmness and Tranquility
Attaining khushūʿ in ṣalāh requires time. Give each posture its due and perform
it according to the Sunnah. Be calm and do not rush through your ṣalāh just to
reach the end.
Abū Hurayrah  narrated that a man entered the Masjid to pray whilst the
Messenger of Allah g was in the corner of the Masjid. He then came and greeted
him. The Messenger of Allah g said to him, “Go back and pray, for you have not
prayed.” The man went back and prayed and then came to greet him again. The
Prophet g returned his greeting and said, “Go back and pray, for you have not
prayed.” On the third time, the man said, “Teach me.” He g said, “When you
stand up for ṣalāh, perform wuḍū thoroughly, then face the qiblah and do takbīr.
Recite what is easy for you from the Qur’ān, and then bow until you feel at rest in
your rukūʿ. Then raise your head until you stand straight. Then prostrate until you
feel at rest in your sajdah. Then get up until you feel at rest in your sitting posture.
Then prostrate until you feel at rest in your sajdah. Then get up and stand straight.
Then do that in your entire prayer” (Bukhārī).
On another occasion, he g saw a man who did not perform rukūʿ properly and
was pecking in his sujūd whilst he was praying. So he said, “If he was to die like
this, he would die on other than the religion of Muḥammad.” Then he said, “The
example of the one who does not perform rukūʿ properly and pecks in his sujūd
is like the hungry person who eats a date or two; they are not sufficient for him”
(Majmaʿ al-Zawā‘id).
Just as eating one or two dates will not satisfy you, rushing through your ṣalāh will
prevent you from feeling its sweetness and joy. The ṣalāh will feel laborious and
constrictive, and will not nourish your soul. It is for this reason that the Prophet
97
g forbade us from ‘pecking’ in our ṣalāh. Pecking refers to the time it takes a
bird to peck at its food. The Prophet g said, “The ṣalāh of a man who does not
straighten his back in rukūʿ and sujūd is not sufficient” (Tirmidhī).
Whilst praying, avoid glancing to your right or left. Do not fidget or play with a
thread in your clothes. Instead, be calm, give each posture its due and keep your
thoughts focused on Allah. Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib r once saw a man playing with
his beard, so he remarked, “If his heart had khushūʿ, his limbs would also have
khushūʿ, i.e. they would be still and humble.”
ʿAbdullāh b. Muslim r said about his father Muslim b. Yasār r,

“When he would pray, it was as though he was a pole. He would
not incline like this or like that.” He was also described as being like
“a discarded cloth” when he would pray. He would say to his family,
“Speak, as I do not hear what you say.” There was once a fire in his
house whilst he was praying. This was mentioned to him and he
said, “I did not realise (that it happened).”
Be Eager and Lengthen Your Ṣalāh
Lengthen your ṣalāh to attain khushūʿ. Do this especially when you feel spiritually
inspired and can ward off Shayṭān’s whispers. Likewise, aim to lengthen your
ṣalāh in virtuous places and during special occasions, such as in the holy cities and
during Ramaḍān. Your heart will be more receptive at such times and places, so
take advantage by pushing yourself to stand for long durations. Soon, inshā’A llāh,
you will taste the sweetness of standing in front of Him and will rush to it eagerly.
ʿĀ’ishah  narrated that the Prophet g used to pray (for so long) during the night
that his feet would swell up. She asked him, “Why do you do this, O Messenger of
Allah when Allah has already forgiven your previous and upcoming sins?” He g
replied, “O ʿĀ’ishah, should I not be a thankful slave?” (Muslim).
The Prophet g would stand up during the night and recite lengthy sūrahs.
Ḥudhayfah  narrates that he saw the Messenger of Allah g praying at night.
He g “prayed four rakʿāt and recited in them al-Baqarah, Āal ʿImrān, al-Nisā’, al-
Mā’idah or al-Anʿām” (Abū Dāwūd).
98
In addition to standing, the Prophet g remained in rukūʿ and sujūd for an equally
long amount of time. ʿAwf b. Mālik  says, “I stood up to pray along with the
Messenger of Allah g one night. He got up and recited Sūrah al-Baqarah. When
he came to an āyah of mercy, he stopped and made duʿā’, and when he came to an
āyah of punishment, he stopped and asked for Allah’s protection. Then he bowed
َ َ ْ ُ
for as long as he stood (reciting Sūrah al-Baqarah), saying in his rukūʿ: ‫حان ِذي‬ ‫سب‬
ُ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َْ
َ‫ك ْوت َوالْك ْرْب َيا ِء َوالْ َع َظمة‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ل‬ ‫م‬ ‫ال‬‫و‬ ‫ت‬
ِ ‫و‬‫رَب‬ ‫اجْل‬ (see p. 155). Then he prostrated for as long as he
stood, reciting the (above). Then he stood up and recited Sūrah Āl ʿImrān and
then recited many sūrahs, one after the other” (Abū Dāwūd). In another narration,
ʿĀ’ishah  mentioned that the duration of each of his prostrations would be
equivalent to reciting fifty āyāt (Bukhārī).
The Prophet g would pray for so long that even his Companions  would
become tired. ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd  said, “One night, I prayed with the Messenger
of Allah g. He prayed for so long that an evil thought came to me.” It was said,
“What was it?” He replied, “I thought of sitting down and leaving him” (Muslim).
The length of the Prophet's recitations and prostrations indicate how much joy
and contentment he experienced in his ṣalāh. Following in his footsteps, the
Companions  and the righteous of this ummah have also been known to spend
hours conversing and pleading with their Lord. ʿUthmān  would complete the
entire Qur’ān in one rakʿah. Similar feats have also been reported about Tamīm al-
Dārī, Saʿīd b. Jubayr and Imām Abū Ḥanīfah amongst others . Such lengthy acts
were only possible because Allah placed barakah in their time.
If your hearts were pure, they would never have enough of

reciting Allah’s words.”
- ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān 
99
Remember Death and The Hereafter

In and Outside Salah
Whenever you stand to pray, pray as though this ṣalāh is your final ṣalāh. The
Messenger of Allah g said, “Remember death in your ṣalāh because when an
individual remembers death in his ṣalāh, he is more likely to perfect his ṣalāh.
And pray the ṣalāh of an individual who thinks he is not going to be able to
perform another prayer” (Daylamī).
Whilst praying ṣalāh, imagine that you are standing before Allah b and your
reckoning is about to take place. Imagine you are on the Ṣirāṭ (the bridge): try to
visualise Paradise in front of you and the Hell-fire beneath you.
During congregational prayers, try to visualise yourself on the Day of Judgement

when you are standing in front of Allah b as He says, “And they will be presented
before your Lord in rows…” (18:48).
A predecessor  said, “If only you had witnessed one of them when he stood up to
pray; when he would stand in his place of prayer and commence with the words of
his Master, it would cross his mind that he is now standing in the station where the
people will stand in front of the Lord of the worlds. This would rip his heart open
and make him forget everything else.”
Allah b says, “And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult
except for those who have khushūʿ; those who are certain that they will meet their
Lord and that they will return to Him” (2:45-6).
This āyah states that in order to enjoy khushūʿ, you must firmly believe that you
will meet Allah b. To attain khushūʿ, strengthen your īmān in the hereafter and in
meeting Him. Develop the yearning (shawq) and eagerness to meet Him and see
Him in Jannah.
100
Death
Remembering death is vital to eliminate the love of this world from our hearts and
getting closer to Allah. The Messenger of Allah g said, “Frequently remember the
destroyer of pleasures” i.e. death. (Tirmidhī).
An effective way to remember death is to visit graveyards. The Prophet g said, “I

used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now go and visit them; for this softens
the heart, makes the eyes weep and reminds one of the Hereafter” (Ḥākim).
Whilst visiting the graveyard, Imām al-Qurṭubī  advises one to ponder and think
about the lives and deaths of those who have gone. Reflect on how they achieved
their worldly ambitions and gathered wealth, but were then cut off from it all.
It is no longer of any use. Consider how the earth has wiped away the beauty of
their faces; how they have disintegrated in their graves; and how their wives have
become widows and their children orphans. Reflect on the foolishness of being
deceived by material means, relying on good health and youth, and attaching
oneself to entertainment and leisure. Reflect on the inevitability of ending
up where they have ended up. Ponder on the state of the deceased: his legs are
destroyed, his eyes have liquified, the worms have eaten his tongue, and the earth
has consumed his teeth (adapted from al-Tadhkirah).
Saʿīd b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz  used to weep when he would pray and tears would drip
onto the mat. When praying on the mat, the person beside him would hear his
weeping. He was asked, “What is this crying that you do during your ṣalāh?” He
said, “Son, why are you asking me this?” The questioner replied, “I am hoping
that Allah will benefit me through it.” Saʿīd  said, “I have never stood up to pray
except that Hell-fire appears in front of me.”
It was as though he could see Hell-fire burning and raging in front of him, whilst
its inhabitants cry out, “‘Lord, let us out, and we will do righteous deeds, not
what we did before!’ - ‘Did We not give you lives long enough so that whoever
wanted to be mindful could have done so? The warner came to you, now taste the
punishment.’ The evildoers will have nobody to help them” (35:37).
101
Always Be Mindful That You

Are Talking to Allah b and That
He is Responding To You
In ṣalāh, you are conversing with your Lord. As you talk to Him, He responds to
you. Being mindful of this will increase your khushūʿ in ṣalāh.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Indeed, when one of you stands to pray, he stands
up and privately converses with his Lord. Therefore, he should be careful in how
he converses with Him” (Ḥākim).
Allāhu Akbar! Ṣalāh is your chance to privately converse with your Lord, your
Master and your Creator.
This is demonstrated beautifully in the following ḥadīth:
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Allah, the Most High, said, ‘I have divided the
prayer (i.e. the Fātiḥah) between Myself and My slave equally and My slave shall
have what he asked for.’ Therefore, when the slave says, ‘A ll praises and thanks are
due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ When
he says, ‘The All-Merciful, the Very Merciful,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has extolled
Me.’ When he says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgement,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has
glorified Me.’ (In another narration, he says, ‘My slave has entrusted his affairs to
Me.’ ). When he says, ‘You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help,’ Allah
says, ‘This is between Me and My slave and My slave shall have what he asked
for.’ When he says, ‘Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You
have favoured, not of those who incur [Your] anger, nor of those who have gone
astray,’ Allah says, ‘This is for My slave and My slave shall have what he asked
for’” (Muslim).
(See p. 136 for the Arabic & English table.)
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Imagine this! Each time you read an āyah, Allah b responds to you. Though you
may be a weak, sinful and broken slave, Allah b listens to you! Not only does He
listen, but He responds. Continuous awareness of Allah being present, listening
and responding will increase your khushūʿ in ṣalāh.
Ibn al-Qayyim r said, “How extreme is the delight and happiness of the slave
when his Lord says ‘My slave’ three times. By Allah, if the hearts were not clouded
by the smoke of desires and lusts, they would erupt from joy and delight when
their Lord, Creator and God says, ‘My servant has praised Me, My servant has
extolled me, My servant has glorified Me.’ ”
Once, the Messenger of Allah g said to Ubayy b. Kaʿb , “Indeed Allah has
commanded me to recite the Qur’ān to you.” Ubayy asked him, “Did Allah mention
me to you by my name?” The Messenger g replied, “Allah mentioned you by your
name.” Upon hearing this, Ubayy  started crying (Bukhārī). On hearing that
Allah had mentioned him by name to His Prophet, Ubayy was overwhelmed
with joy. Similarly, you should feel deep happiness and privileged to have Allah
call you “My slave”.
To be in direct conversation with the King of kings is truly a privilege. Bakr b.

ʿAbdillāh al-Muzanī r said, “Who is like you, O son of Ādam? If you wish to enter
upon your Master without permission, you can do so.” He was asked, “How so?”
He replied, “By perfecting your wuḍū and entering your place of prayer, you have
entered upon your Master to speak to Him without any intermediaries.”
It is disliked for a person to stand up for prayer whilst he is

feeling lazy. Rather, he should stand up for it happily, eagerly
and enthusiastically, as he is conversing with Allah. Truly, Allah
b is in front of Him, forgives him and responds to him when he
asks from Him.”
- ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās 
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Bring Your Heart To Salah:

Love, Hope and Fear
Think of the human being you love the most. Imagine a situation where you have
not met for a year. Now is the time for you to finally reunite.
How will you feel? What will be running through your mind? How fast will your
heart be beating?
Similarly, every ṣalāh is an occasion in which you reunite with Allah b after having
been parted. You should feel the same trepidation and excitement at its arrival. As
you journey towards Allah b, in and outside of your ṣalāh, there are three primary
emotions you should try to cultivate in your heart: hope, fear and love.
The heart in its journey to Allah is like a bird. Love is its head, and
fear and hope are its two wings. When the head is healthy, then
the two wings will fly well. When the head is cut off, the bird will
die. When either of the two wings is damaged, the bird becomes
vulnerable to every hunter and predator.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim r
Hope
Hope in Allah b (rajā’) is the first of these three emotions. Open your heart and
allow it to become overwhelmed with the mercy and kindness of Allah b. Rajā’
springs from thinking good of Him and attaching your heart to Him. In a ḥadīth
qudsī, Allah stated, “I am as My slave thinks of Me” (Bukhārī).
Remember that Allah b wants to forgive you. Allah does not want to ‘catch you
out.’ Rather He ‘catches’ you when you fall, so long as you turn to Him. Allah
b wants to forgive you, shower you with His mercy and guide you to Paradise.
Believe this from the bottom of your heart.
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Belief in the heart is not enough however. Your belief must be accompanied by
action. You must make a distinction between rajā’ and tamannī (wishful thinking).
Tamannī is when you fail to take action, yet you still hope for a good outcome.
Conversely, rajā’ is when you take the means and place your hope in Him.
Such a hope, or rajā’, is achieved by acknowledging everything Allah has blessed

you with. Always return to the Source of every blessing in your life: Allah b, the
Supreme Provider (al-Razzāq).
Another powerful way to fill your heart with hope in Allah b is by reflecting
on His Beautiful Names. The more you know Allah, the more hope you will
have in Him. Allah is al-Muṣawwir (The Fashioner); He has created you in the
most beautiful form. Allah is al-Raḥmān (The Extremely Merciful); His mercy
encompasses all of His creation. Allah b is The Concealer of sins (al-Sittīr); He
b will not expose you despite the multitude of your sins. Allah b is Gentle (al-
Rafīq); He loves gentleness. Allah is The Most Compassionate (al-Ra’ūf); His
compassion knows no ends. Allah b is The Most Modest (al-Ḥayiyy); He feels shy
to turn you back, empty-handed.
What choice do you have other than to have hope in Him?
Fear
Fear is the second emotion which should overwhelm you in ṣalāh. Fearing Allah
b should make you tremble in awe of Him and humble you in front of Him.
Some say that we should mainly focus on loving Allah b and having hope in Him.
They argue that positivity will bring people closer to the dīn. However, this is
misleading and can damage our understanding and application of the dīn. Allah
b says, “…They used to race towards the good deeds and invoke Us with hope and
fear; and they were humbly submissive to Us” (21:90).
In a ḥadīth qudsī, Allah b says, “By My Glory, I will not combine two fears nor
two assurances for My slave: if he feared Me in the world, I will grant him safety
on the Day of Judgement. And if he felt safe from Me in the world, I will make him
fear Me on the Day of Judgement” (Ibn Ḥibbān).
105
In life, you tend to run away from what you fear. For example, anyone who is
scared of spiders or rodents will freeze or run away upon seeing them. However,
fearing Allah b is unique and beautiful. It makes you flee to Him, and not away
from Him. The more you fear Him, the more you turn to Him.
A fear of worldly matters is usually accompanied by a dislike of it. However, the

fear of Allah is coupled with love and respect. You are in awe of Him. Although
Allah b is beyond all worldly examples, think of an elderly grandfather or an
older person who is well-respected. As soon as he enters the room, everyone falls
quiet out of respect for him. The silence is not because this elder is a tyrant of the
household; rather, it is because of the respect that his family accords him. This type
of fear is known as haybah or khashyah, a reverential type of fear. It is this emotion
that the senior Companion ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ  felt when he was in the presence of
the Messenger of Allah g. He said even though he g was the most beloved of
people to him, he could not describe him. This is because whenever he was in his
company, he was unable to look directly at his blessed face. He would lower his
head and humbly gaze downwards, out of deep respect and awe.
The fear of Allah b is not an irrational fear. It is a fear built on knowledge. The
more you get to know Him, the more you fear Him. You are in constant awe of His
majesty, greatness and power.
When the Prophet g saw Jibrīl in his original form, he had 600 wings, and his
huge size filled the horizon between the sky and the earth. Jibrīl is the best of
angels, who was tasked with the most prestigious responsibility of transmitting
the word of Allah b. Despite his physical and spiritual greatness, the Prophet g
saw him on the night of Miʿrāj (ascension) looking like “a worn-out piece of cloth
due to the fear of Allah” (Ṭabarānī). Jibrīl’s knowledge of Allah’s majesty and
greatness reduced him to this state.
Aim to strike a balance between excessive fear and a lack of fear. If there’s too much
fear, you’ll end up in despair. And if there’s too little, you’ll become complacent
and feel secure from Allah’s punishment. Fear is a deterrent. It prevents you from
becoming distracted, disobeying Allah and falling off the right path.
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Three steps to cultivate fear in your heart
1 2 3
Reflect on the gravity
of standing before Think about your sins
Allah b, the terrors and shortcomings.
Reflect on Allah’s of the grave, the Reflect on how little
greatness, grandeur horrors of the Day you have prepared
and majesty. of Judgement, the for your journey to
sharpness of the ṣirāṭ the hereafter.
and the torment of the
Hell-fire.
A life between hope and fear
The pious people of the past would advise that during good times, when you are
more likely to forget Allah b, you should increase your fear of Him. And during
difficult times, you should increase your hope in Him. Other scholars stated that
throughout one’s life, fear should be dominant over hope; but towards the end of
one’s life, hope should become dominant.
When Muʿādh b. Jabal  was in his final moments, he turned to Allah b and said,
“O Allah, indeed I used to fear you, but now I have hope in You. O Allah, indeed,
you know that I did not love the world nor want to remain in it for long to dig wells
or plant trees. Rather it was to experience thirst in the midday heat during the long
fasts; to struggle through standing for hours at night in prayer; and to kneel in the
company of scholars in the gatherings of dhikr.”
Anas  reported that the Prophet g entered upon a young boy

who was dying. The Prophet g asked him, “How are you?” The boy
replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I swear by Allah that I have hope
in Allah and I am scared over my sins.” The Messenger of Allah g
said, “These two (qualities) do not gather in a slave’s heart in such a
moment except that Allah gives him what he hopes for, and protects
him from what he is scared of.” (Tirmidhī)
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Love
Love is the third - and most important - emotion.
Love is the greatest station the seeker on the path to Allah b can attain. The love
of Allah b is the purest and greatest of all loves. It gives life to the heart, it is
sustenance for the soul, and is the roadway to eternal success. When your heart
overflows with His love, you will experience genuine bliss and contentment. Ibn
Taymiyyah r said, “Know that there are three things that push the hearts towards
Allah: love, fear, and hope. The strongest of these three is love; and it is something
that is sought-after in and of itself, since it is something that is desired both in this
world and the hereafter, as opposed to fear, which will disappear in the Hereafter.
Allah says, ‘For certain, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve’
(10:62).”
Our purpose in life is to worship (ʿibādah) Allah. ʿIbādah consists of: (1) utmost
humility and (2) utmost love. Without love, there is no ʿibādah. Without love, we
fail in actualising our purpose of existence. Love is the ‘soul’ of worship.
Loving Allah b is beautiful. It cannot be compared to loving any of His creation, as

His creation will cease to be, whilst He is the Ever-Lasting. His creation has limits,
whilst He is the Limitless, the All-Encompassing and the Most Able. Loving Allah
b is beautiful because there is no one kinder, more giving and more appreciative
than Him. As humans, we are prone to making mistakes, and we are prone to not
forgiving those who have erred. On the other hand, Allah b loves to forgive and
will forgive us even if we go to Him with mountains of sins. Our fellow humans tire
of our persistent questioning and begging. However, Allah b, our Generous Lord,
does not stop giving and is angered when we don’t ask from Him!
Love puts the slave on the path to his Beloved; and the speed
and strength of his journey to Him is in accordance with how
strong or weak this love for Him is.”
- Ibn Taymiyyah r
Loving Allah b can only be achieved when you prefer Him over everything else.
You must love Him more than you love your parents, children, spouse, friends and
wealth.
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Love - by the consensus of the scholars - is an obligation (farḍ) and one of the
fundamental aspects of the dīn. When considering matters that are farḍ in our
dīn, loving Allah b does often not cross our minds. Moreover, when we reflect on
loving Allah b, we tend to equate love to obedience. We often limit our perception
of Allah b as someone Very Powerful and Scary. Yes, Allah b is Extremely
Powerful, and this should make us tremble, yet equally, there is nothing more
soothing and comforting to the soul than His love.
There is a vast difference between someone who obeys Allah b out of love for Him,
and someone who obeys Him without love. When a lover obeys his beloved, the
obedience is done willingly and sincerely. Such a level of obedience differs from
that brought on by force. The former experiences happiness and joy in willingly
complying to the orders, whereas the latter feels burdened, and may even resent
the order. Love, therefore, is the driving force and the impetus of ʿibādah.
It is this love of Allah b that makes the slave-Creator relationship special. This
love makes the servant eager to be in His company, to converse with Him and
do everything possible to please Him. Obedience with love is not just a tick-box
exercise that solely involves the fulfilment of obligations. Instead, it consists of a
sincere desire to be with Him and remember Him. Love makes the slave eager to
meet Him. Love is what makes him cry out in the depths of the night, “My Lord,
do not deprive me of the greatest joy: the joy of seeing You in the Final Abode.”
The next time you stand up for your ṣalāh, fill your heart with the aforementioned
emotions: hope, fear and love.
َ َ ْ ُ ّ َ ُّ َ َ َّ ُ َ َ ُّ ُّ ْ َ َّ ُ َ َ َّ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫يِن إ ِ ٰىَل ُح ّب ِك‬
ِ ‫ وحب عم ٍل يق ِرب‬، ‫ وحب من حُّيِبك‬، ‫(اللهم) ِإ ِيِّن أسألك حبك‬
(O Allah), I ask You for Your love, the love of those whom You love, and the love of deeds which
will bring me closer to Your love (Tirmidhī).
109
Know that when the love of Allah b becomes firm in the heart,
its effects appear on the limbs: the slave diligently obeys Him,
eagerly serves Him, and strives to attain His pleasure. He finds
joy in privately conversing with Him, is content with His decree,
and longs to meet him. He derives comfort in remembering Him,
feels estranged with other than Him, flees from the people, and
seeks intimacy with Him in seclusion. The world departs from
his heart; he loves everything Allah loves and prefers Him over
everything other than Him.”
- Ibn Juzayy r
10
The Secret of Salah: Focus

Your Heart Fully on Him
We now arrive at the final and potentially the most important way to achieve
khushūʿ in your ṣalāh. Ibn al-Qayyim r has described it as ‘the secret and essence
of ṣalāh.’
The secret of ṣalāh, and what transforms it from being a lifeless body to a real,
moving and powerful force is: turning to Allah b fully and completely with your
heart. During ṣalāh it is not permissible to turn your face away from the qiblah.
Similarly, as His sincere slave, it is not befitting to turn your heart away from your
Lord to matters other than Him.
When placing your heart before Allah b, do it with utmost humility, as though
you are seeing Him. When asked by Jibrīl n to define ihṣān, the Prophet g said,
“That you worship Allah as though you are seeing Him; for if you cannot see
Him, He truly sees you” (Muslim).
The attainment of iḥsān should be every believer’s life goal. Iḥsān is to strive
to worship Allah b with the presence of the heart and watchful awareness
110
(murāqabah). The reward of this will be the best of rewards: seeing Allah b
Himself in Jannah inshā’A llah.
Ṣalāh is akin to a heavily guarded treasure chest that can be opened only with a
special key. That key is to turn towards Allah b and turn away from everything
other than Him.
Go to Allah b with full presence and concentration. Incline to Him completely.

Focus on Him Alone. If you turn to Him, He will turn to you. If you turn away
from Him, He will turn away from you.
Achieve this by removing the world from your heart and purifying your heart
from desires and doubts.
Think of a cup which is full. To add to it, you must first throw out some of its
contents. Likewise, the treasures of ṣalāh cannot enter a heart that is filled with
concerns for the dunyā, is steeped in desires, and is riddled with doubts. These
must first be removed.
Similarly, clear your mind from all evil thoughts and ideas. Instead, steer your
mind to think about Allah b: His majesty, His beauty, His kindness, His love and
His generosity.
Ḥassān b. ʿAṭiyyah r said, “Indeed two men can be performing the same ṣalāh,
but the difference between them is as vast as the distance between the heaven and
earth. This is because one of them has fully directed his heart towards Allah b,
whereas the other one is heedless and inattentive.”
When you stand to pray with humility in front of Allah b,

then stand as Allah has commanded you to do so. Beware of
forgetfulness and being distracted. Beware of Allah b looking at
you, yet you look at other than Him. Beware of asking Your Lord
for Paradise and seeking His protection from the Hell-fire whilst
your heart is elsewhere and has no idea of what your tongue is
uttering.”
- al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī r
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The 3 components of focusing your heart on Allah
1 2 3
The focus of the The focus of

heart: Safeguard reflection:
your heart from The focus of iḥsān: Contemplate on
desires, from worldly Completely give your the Qur’ān and
thoughts and the heart and its focus to each component
whispers of Shayṭān Allah b. Worship Him of the ṣalāh with
as they will reduce as though you see Him. its distinctive
the reward of ṣalāh. characteristics.
Following this chapter’s exploration of the ten ways of attaining khushūʿ in ṣalāh,
the next chapter will take you on a journey through ṣalāh. By understanding and
recollecting the significance of each posture, you will find your khushūʿ increasing
by the will of Allah b.
112
Remember death in your ṣalāh because when an individual
remembers death in his ṣalāh, he is more likely to perfect
his ṣalāh. And pray the ṣalāh of an individual who thinks
he is not going to be able to perform another prayer.
- The Messenger of Allah g (Daylamī)


1 When your mind wanders in ṣalāh, what was the practical action taught to the
Companion  by the Prophet g that you can also implement in your ṣalāh?
2 Are you able to teach a child/friend the meanings of everything you say in
ṣalāh? Learn the meanings of what you utter in ṣalāh. Continuously repeat it
to yourself (orally, by writing, listening to an audio of the meanings) until you
feel confident to teach it to them.
3 What are the three benefits of alternating between the adhkār within your
ṣalāh?
4 Why is the act of simply reciting the Qur’ān not enough? Why must it be
accompanied with tadabbur (reflection)?
5 List five practical steps to reciting Qur’ān with tadabbur.
6 How is reciting the Qur’ān slowly and beautifully conducive to attaining
khushūʿ?
7 How can you increase your hope in Allah b?
8 List three means for cultivating the fear of Allah in your heart.
9 “When the love of Allah becomes firm in your heart, its effect appears on the
body.” Explain how this manifests itself.
10 What is the secret of ṣalāh?
11 What are the different stages of the hereafter you can visualise in your ṣalāh?
12 It is vital to form a strong bond with the Qur’ān outside of ṣalāh and to feel the
sweetness of the Qur’ān within your ṣalāh. What new habit are you going to try
and cultivate starting from today to strengthen this bond?
13 Are you able to pause at the end of each āyah of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, and absorb
into your heart how Allah b is responding to you?
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115
HAPTER FOUR
A JOURNEY
THROUGH ṢALĀH
Chapter Four - A Journey Through Ṣalāh
Ṣalāh is a unique act of worship involving every one of our body parts. Every
requirement and component of ṣalāh has its own impact, its own flavour and
experience. Every action and statement have their own form of servitude
(ʿubūdiyyah) to Allah b. The journey through ṣalāh is remarkable. Each part is a
unique milestone, bringing its own sweetness (ḥalāwah) and joy.
Ṣalāh combines the recitation of the Qur’ān, dhikr and duʿā’. Each one of these is an
extremely praiseworthy act of worship outside of ṣalāh. Ṣalāh, however, combines
all three acts in one setting. Moreover, ṣalāh is an act where you simultaneously
worship Allah b using your tongue, body and heart.
Ṣalāh differs from fasting, zakāh and ḥajj in that we are obligated to perform ṣalāh
every day; not once but five times. Praying five times a day allows us to renew
our pledge to Allah b five times a day. As humans, we immerse ourselves in this
world and, therefore, tend to forget Him. As soon as we are about to drown in our
heedlessness (ghaflah), ṣalāh intervenes, offering a lifeline that pulls us swiftly out
of it. The sins perpetrated in between the prayers take us away from Him, harden
our hearts and stop us from being true slaves. Ṣalāh is, therefore, our ‘spiritual
cleanser’, expiating the sins committed between two prayers.
This chapter will take you on a journey through ṣalāh, exploring the secrets and
significance of each posture, along with their various adhkār.
Attending The Court

of The Almighty
If you are going to meet an important leader or king, you will make sure that you
are prepared. You will shower, perfume and wear your smartest clothes. When
preparing for ṣalāh, you are actually preparing to meet the King of all kings: Allah
b Himself. The Messenger of Allah g said, “When one of you performs ṣalāh, let
him wear both of his garments, for Allah is most worthy of being adorned for”
(Bayhaqī).
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Studies in psychology and science have shown that what you wear affects your
behaviour and mental state. Allah b says, “O Children of Ādam, take on your
adornment at every place of worship.” (7:31). Commenting on this āyah, the
scholars have mentioned that it is praiseworthy to adorn oneself, apply perfume
and use miswāk in preparation for ṣalāh. Doing this will:
1 Give us reward for acting upon the Sunnah.
2 Prepare us, mentally and psychologically, for ṣalāh.
3 Helps us give ṣalāh its due importance and seriousness, and thereby
improve the quality of our ṣalāh.
Adorn yourself for the honour of meeting Allah b, al-Aʿlā (The Greatest).
Preparing yourself in such a manner should be out of your humility and respect
for Him, not out of personal vanity or pride.
Miswāk
The Messenger of Allah g said,
“When the servant uses the siwāk and then stands to pray, an angel stands behind
him and listens to his recitation. The angel draws near until he puts his mouth on
(the reciter’s) mouth. Nothing of the Qur’ān comes out of his mouth except that it
enters the heart of the angel. Thus, purify your mouths for the Qur’ān” (Bazzār).
“If I were not afraid of overburdening my ummah, I would have commanded them
to use the siwāk for every ṣalāh” (Bukhārī).
“The siwāk purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord” (Nasā’ī).
Reflect
Just as you cover your body in ṣalāh (satr al-ʿawrah), Allah b, the
Concealer of sins (al-Sittīr), covers your sins. Remembering your sins (of
which only Allah b knows) should invoke shyness in you, and fill your
mind with remorse and embarrassment. It should make you lower your
head and turn to Him in the manner befitting of a sincere repentant slave.
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Wudu’
Performing ṣalāh is one of the most rewarding actions. However, its fruits are not
just within ṣalāh itself, but also extend to the preparations carried out beforehand.
The principal preparation is wuḍū’.
Wūḍū’ is a compulsory requirement for ṣalāh. Without it, your ṣalāh is invalid.
Wuḍū, however, is not just a physical action. It is deeply spiritual. Like the
majority of deeds, wuḍū’ has both an inner and an outer dimension. Whilst its
outer dimension is to purify the body’s various parts from physical dirt, its inner
dimension is to purify yourself from the ‘dirt’ of your sins. This is why Allah b
says, “Indeed Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who
purify themselves” (2:222).
To transform your wuḍū’ from a mere physical act of cleansing to the great act
of devotion that it is, try to keep in mind at least one of the four pointers below
during your wuḍū:
1 Visualise your sins being forgiven
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever performs wuḍū’, and does so in an

excellent manner, his sins will leave from his body, even coming out from under
his nails” (Muslim). In another ḥadīth, the Prophet g explained in detail how sins
leave each part of the body that is washed in wuḍū’ (Muslim).
Once, ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān  performed wuḍū’ and then smiled. He then asked, “Do
you know what made me smile?” He went on to say, “The Prophet g performed
wuḍū’ like I just did, and then smiled. He then asked, ‘Do you know what made me
smile?’… We replied, ‘A llah and His Messenger g know best.’ He g said, ‘Indeed
when the servant performs wuḍū’, and perfects it; and then enters his prayer,
and perfects it – he comes out from his prayer as he came out from his mother’s
stomach without any sins’” (Aḥmad).
119
Whilst performing wuḍū’, imagine your sins are leaving your body. Imagine the
sins committed by your hands are being forgiven as you wash them. Imagine all
the foul things that you said are being washed away as you gargle. And imagine the
sins that you walked towards are leaving you as you wash your feet.
2 Your status raised
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Shall I not inform you of that through which Allah
forgives sins and raises ranks by?” They said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!”
He g said, “Performing wuḍū’ thoroughly despite the difficulties, walking lots
of steps towards the masājid and waiting for one ṣalāh after the other…” (Muslim).
When it is cold, and you would rather remain warm under your duvet, remember
this ḥadīth and know that Allah is elevating your rank as a result of you battling
your nafs.
3 Your identity marker
Abū Hurayrah  narrated that the Messenger of Allah g once went to the
graveyard and said, “Peace be upon you, dwelling of believing people, and we
will - if Allah wills - join you soon. I wish I had seen our brothers!” They said, “Are
we not your brothers, O Messenger of Allah?” He g replied, “Of course. You are
my Companions. My brothers are those who have not yet come. I will welcome
them at the ḥawḍ (pool).” They asked, “How will you recognise those who are
still yet to appear amongst your ummah, O Messenger of Allah?” He g replied,
“Do you think that if a man had a horse with a white blaze and hoof along with a
completely jet-black horse, will he not recognise his horse?” They said, “Certainly,
O Messenger of Allah.” He g said, “They will come with radiant white faces and
marks from the wuḍū’, and I will be there to welcome them at the ḥawḍ (pool)”
(Muslim).
Reflect
• The Prophet g missed you and longed to see you.
• He will be waiting for you in the hereafter.
• How will he g know who you are? The body parts you regularly
washed in wuḍū’ will shine, and that is how he will recognise you.
120
4 Eight gates of Paradise will be opened for you
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever perfects his wuḍū’ and then says,
ّٰ َ ُ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ً َّ َ ُ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ّٰ َّ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ
‫ الل ُه َّم‬.‫ور ُس ْو ُهُل‬ ‫ وأشهد أن حُممدا عبده‬، ‫رَشيك هَل‬ ِ ‫أشهد أن اَّل إِهٰل إِاَّل اهّٰلل وحده اَل‬
َ.‫الم َت َط ّهريْن‬
ُ ‫يِن م َِن‬ ْ
ْ ‫ واجعل‬، ‫اتل َّواب ِ ْنْي‬
َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ‫اج َعل‬
َّ ‫يِن م َِن‬ ْ
ِ ِ ِ ِ
I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah. He is Alone and He has
no partner whatsoever. I bear witness that Muḥammad g is His slave and His Messenger. O
Allah make me amongst the repentant, and make me amongst those who purify themselves.
the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him. He may enter through
whichever one he wishes” (Tirmidhī).
Likewise, the Messenger of Allah g said, “Whosoever does wuḍū’ and says,
َ َ َُ ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫ أ ْس َتغفِ ُر َك وأت ْو ُب إِيَلْك‬، ‫ت‬ ‫ أشهد أن اَّل إِهٰل إِاَّل أن‬، ‫سبحانك اللهم وبِحمدِك‬
You are free from imperfection, O Allah, and all praise is to You. I bear witness that there is
no god worthy of worship except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.
it will be recorded in a parchment and then sealed with a seal which will not be
broken till the Day of Judgement” (Nasā’ī in ʿAmal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah).
Both of these duʿās will purify you from shirk (‘I bear witness that there is no god
worthy of worship except Allah’) and from sins (‘make me amongst the repentant’).
This is why wuḍū’ is a comprehensive form of purification - both externally and
internally.
In wuḍū’, we only wash those body parts that are easy to wash, which are exposed
the most, and we sin with the most.
Now that you have thoroughly purified yourself, you are ready to stand in the
court of the All-Powerful Himself.
Remember to say bismillāh before

starting your wuḍū’ (Abū Dāwūd).
121
Reflect
I will ensure my place of prayer is clean, and that my body and clothes
are both clean. I will ensure that my heart is purified for meeting my Lord
and conversing with Him. I will purify it through repentance. I will regret
my past sins and firmly resolve to abandon them in the future.
Taḥiyyat al-Wuḍū’
On completing your wuḍū’, pray two rakʿah of taḥiyyat al-wuḍū’ in the hope that
your past sins will be forgiven. The Messenger of Allah g said, “If anyone performs
wuḍū’ like that of mine and offers a two rakʿah prayer during which he does not
think of anything else, his past sins will be forgiven” (Bukhārī).
The Messenger of Allah g said to Bilāl  at the time of the Fajr prayer, “O Bilāl!
Inform me of the most hopeful act you have performed in Islam, for I heard your
footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilāl  said, “I have not done anything more
hopeful than that whenever I perform wuḍū’, be it in the day or night, I pray as
much as has been decreed for me after wuḍū’ (i.e. taḥiyyat al-wuḍū’)” (Bukhārī).
When ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn  would finish his wuḍū’ and get ready to
start praying, he would start trembling and shaking. When this was
mentioned to him, he said, “Woe to you! Do you know who I am going
to stand in front of? Who I intend to converse with?”
122
Facing The Qiblah and

Raising The Hands
Whilst turning your face in the direction of the Kaʿbah, simultaneously turn your
heart towards the Lord of the Kaʿbah, Allah b. Remove everything else other
than Him from your heart.
When soldiers or opponents surrender, they will raise their hands, as if to

say ‘You’ve got me. I’m all yours!’ Similarly, raising your hands in ṣalāh is a
physical manifestation of your surrender to Allah b. However, this differs from
surrendering to another human. It is not a surrender of humiliation or weakness.
Instead, it represents great honour and strength, for there is no greater honour in
this world than being a true servant of Allah. Even before declaring himself the
Messenger of Allah, the Prophet g described himself as the ‘servant of Allah’.
Ibn al-Qayyim r described the raising of the hands as ‘the embellishment of ṣalāh’.
Go to Allah b and give yourself up to Him. As you raise your hands, throw the
world behind you and get ready to converse with your Creator.
123
Takbir
What does Allāhu Akbar mean?
Allāhu Akbar is one of the greatest statements any human being can utter. It is the
statement through which you enter into your ṣalāh. It is also known as takbīrat
al-taḥrīm. Once you enter ṣalāh, what was previously ḥalāl for you (e.g. eating,
drinking and talking) has now become ḥarām for you. Similarly, you should make
worldly thoughts ḥarām upon yourself.
You are now entering the ḥaram: a sacred space where you prevent others and
your thoughts from coming in between you and Allah.
In Arabic, you may say: Zayd is bigger than Maḥmūd (‫)زيد أكرب من حممود‬. Here we say
Allāhu Akbar, hence, Allah b is greater than … Thus, what He is greater than has
not been specified. This lack of specification (also known as ellipsis) indicates that
Allah b is greater than everything.
Allah b is Greater than anything we can imagine. His greatness encompasses all
things: He is Great in His Essence, His Names, His Attributes and His Actions.
Allah is Supreme and Transcendent above every limitation and deficiency that is
inherent in created beings.
Our limited minds are unable to comprehend the greatness of Allah. However, we
can try to appreciate His greatness by pondering over His creation. By pondering
over the greatness of the heavens, the earth, Allah’s Kursī and His Majestic Throne,
and then realising how we are unable to comprehend them due to their greatness,
we arrive at the most important realisation: how Great must their Creator be!
124
To understand His greatness, it helps to reflect on His greatest

creation: His Throne (the ‘Arsh of Allah). The Messenger of Allah g
said, “The seven heavens in comparison to the Kursī is nothing but
like a ring thrown in a desert, and the excellence of the Throne of
Allah over the Kursī is like the excellence of that desert over that
ring” (Bayhaqī).
In other words, imagine the Sahara Desert. The entire desert is

the Kursī of Allah b, and the size of the heavens and the earth in
proportion is equivalent to a ring thrown in the desert.
Now close your eyes, and let your mind ascend. Wander around this
desert, which is now the Throne of Allah b, and remember that the
Kursī in proportion is the size of a ring. Can you even imagine the size
of the Throne of Allah b? It is truly mind-boggling.
If we cannot comprehend the above, how can we then comprehend

the greatness of Allah b?
Mean what you say!
On uttering the phrase Allāhu Akbar, you say that Allah b is greater than
everything in your heart. It is not sufficient to simply say this phrase. You have to
also believe it. To be sincere in your utterance, you cannot give greater importance
to something or someone other than Allah b in your heart. Let Him be the One.
Each time you utter the words ‘A llāhu Akbar’, remind yourself of the greatness of
Allah and say: Allah is Greater… He is greater than me, greater than my desires,
greater than my loved ones, greater than my hobbies, greater than the most
powerful armies and empires, greater than everything.
Saying Allāhu Akbar with conviction should make you appreciate the greatness
of the One whom you are standing in front of. When you remind yourself of His
greatness, your self-importance should disappear as you remember how weak
and insignificant you are. Thus, saying Allāhu Akbar also safeguards you from
pride as you will no longer think of yourself or what you possess as great.
125
Saying Allāhu Akbar humbles you in front of Allah b, and frees you from every
type of servitude other than His. It gives you the strength and courage to confront
falsehood and call to the truth.
Qiyam (Standing)
Now that you have uttered the takbīr, remind yourself
that you are standing in front of Allah.
Lower your head
Stand in front of Allah b the way a humble slave stands in front of his master.
Remember whom you are standing before. Let your worldly qiyām (standing)
remind you of the final qiyām, when you will stand on the Day of Judgement
in front of the Compeller of the heavens and the earth. Lower your head and
your gaze. Stop your eyes from wandering right or left. Do not glance at your
surroundings. Keep your gaze fixed to the ground to help keep your focus.
ʿĀ’ishah  asked the Messenger of Allah g about when one looks here and there
in ṣalāh. He g said, “It is snatching, which Shayṭān steals from the slave’s prayer”
(Bukhārī).
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Allah will continue to turn towards the slave
whilst he is in his prayer for as long as he does not look away. If he looks away,
He will turn away” (Abū Dāwūd).
Ibn al-Qayyim r wrote, “The slave of Allah b stands in front of his Lord on two
occasions: the first is when he stands in his ṣalāh and the second is when he will
meet Him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever fulfils the rights of the first standing,
the second standing will be made easy for him. And whoever belittles, neglects and
does not fulfil the rights of the first standing (i.e. ṣalāh), the second standing will
be made very difficult for him.”
126
Once, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar  recited Sūrah al-Muṭaffifīn, until he

reached the āyah:
َ ْ ‫اس ل َِر ّب الْ َعالَم‬
.‫نْي‬ ُ َّ‫يَ ْو َم َي ُق ْو ُم انل‬
ِ ِ
“The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds” (83:6).
He cried until he collapsed and was unable to resume his recitation.
The positioning of the hands

Why do you fold your hands and place them over each other?
Imagine you walk into a palace and see two groups of people: one group have
their hands on their hips, eyes roaming around everywhere, whilst the second
group have their hands neatly clasped together and are respectfully looking down.
Seeing this, you would easily identify those who are royalty and those who are the
servants. Similarly, as you are a servant standing in front of Allah, placing one
hand on the other respectfully symbolises your humility in front of Him.
Placing one hand over the other also prevents fidgeting and is conducive to
attaining khushūʿ.
When you stand in prayer, stand in obedience and humility as

Allah b has ordered you. Beware of negligence and looking
here and there. Beware of looking at something else whilst
Allah is looking at you. Beware of asking Allah b for Paradise
and seeking His protection from the Hell-fire, yet your heart is
heedless, and you do not know what your tongue is saying.”
- al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī 
127
Istiftah (Opening Duʿa’)

Now that you are in your ṣalāh, you have entered the court of Allah b. On meeting
someone you love and revere, you greet them. Likewise, when meeting Allah b,
you will greet Him with words of respect and reverence. You may also choose to
enter through the door of forgiveness (see duʿā #2), or you may combine both (see
duʿā’ #6).
You may read any of the following duʿās:
ُ ْ ‫هٰل َغ‬
.‫رْي َك‬ ِ ٰ َ ‫ َو َت َع‬، ‫ك‬
َ ٰ ‫ َو َاَل إ‬، ‫اىَل َج ُّد َك‬ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ َ ْ ُ
‫ وتبارك اسم‬، ‫سبحانك اللهم و ِحِبم ِدك‬
How Perfect are You O Allah, and all praise is Yours. Your Name is most blessed, Your majesty
is exalted and there is no god worthy of worship except You (Muslim).
َ َ ْ ُ
‫حان‬ ‫ سب‬: Negates all negative attributes from Him. Thus, Allah b is Perfect; free
from any weakness, defect and oppression. Allah b does not bear resemblance to
any of His Creation.
َ
‫ مَحْ ِد‬: Affirms all of His positive attributes. Ḥamd is to describe the praised one with
perfection, love and utmost respect.
َ ْ َ َ ََ
‫اس ُمك‬ ‫ تبارك‬: Your Name is Perfect, Exalted, Holy and is the source of all good in the
heavens and the earth.
The Name of Allah b is full of blessing and good. Uttering His Name before eating
prevents Shayṭān from sharing your meal. Similarly, if you slaughter an animal
without uttering the Name of Allah, it remains unlawful for you to eat. Thus, all
matters which are not preceded by the Name of Allah b are deficient and defective.
Reflect
If the name of Allah b is full of blessing and good, then how blessed must
the Named One be?
128
ُّ َ
‫جد َك‬: This refers to Allah’s majesty, greatness and grandeur.
‫رْي َك‬ َ ٰ ‫و َاَل إ‬:

ُ ْ ‫هٰل َغ‬ َ This is the kalimah (utterance) of tawḥīd (oneness), which all Messengers
ِ
were sent with. It means there is none worthy of worship except for Allah b.
All of the above naturally guides us to this ultimate word of truth. After affirming
and uttering Allah’s absolute unique perfection, it only makes sense that He is the
Only One who should be worshipped.
ّٰ َ ْ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ الل ُه َّم‬، ‫رْش ِق َوال َمغ ِر ِب‬
ِ ‫اللهم ْبا ِعد بي ِنـي وبنْي خط ْاي َاي كما باعدت بنْي الم‬
ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َّ ُ َ ْ ‫نَ ِّق‬
‫اي بِال َما ِء‬ ‫ اللهم اغ ِسل خطاي‬،‫ادلن ِس‬ ‫يِن ِم َن اخْل َ َطايَا ك َما ينَىَّق اثلَّ ْو ُب اأْلبيض ِمن‬
ِ
َ َ ْ َ ْ َّ َ
.‫واثلل ِج والرَب ِد‬
O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah
purify me from sins as a white cloth is purified from dirt. O Allah wash away my sins with
water, hail and snow (Bukhārī).
ً َ َ ُّ ً ّ َ ً ْ َ ً ْ َ ّٰ ُ ْ َ ْ َ
.ِ‫اراًك فِيْه‬ ‫احْلمد ِهّٰلِلِ مَحدا كثِرْيا طي ِبا مب‬
All praise is for Allah; an abundant, sincere and blessed praise (Muslim).
Anas  narrated that a man came panting and joined the row (of congregants in
ṣalāh), and then uttered [the above]. When the Messenger of Allah g finished his
ṣalāh, he said, “…I saw twelve angels competing with each other to ascend with it.”
(Muslim).
ً َ َّ ً َ ْ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ َ ً ْ َ ّٰ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ً ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫صيْاًل‬
ِ ‫ وسبحان اهّٰللِ بكرة وأ‬، ‫ واحْلمد ِهّٰلِلِ كثِرْيا‬، ‫اهّٰلل أكرَب كبِرْيا‬
Allah is Greater, the Greatest: abundant praise is for Allah, and how Perfect is Allah, in the
morning and the evening (Muslim).
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar  narrated, “Once we were praying with the Messenger of

Allah g when a man said [the above]. The Messenger of Allah g (after the ṣalāh)
asked, “Who uttered those words?” The man replied, “It was me, O Messenger of
Allah.” He g said, “I was amazed by them - the doors of heaven were opened for
them.” Ibn ʿUmar  said, “I have not stopped saying these words since I heard this
statement of the Messenger of Allah g” (Muslim).
129
َْ َ ْ ‫اَللّٰ ُه َّم َر َّب َج‬

َ ْ ‫رْبا ِئيْ َل َو ِميْ َاَك ِئيْ َل َوإ‬
‫ َاَعل ِ َم‬، ‫ات َواأْل ْر ِض‬ َ َ َّ َ ِ َ‫ ف‬، ‫رْسا ِفيْ َل‬
ِ ‫اطر السماو‬ ِ
ْ ‫ ِا ْه ِد‬، ‫نْي ِعبَا ِد َك ِفيْ َما َاَكنُ ْوا ِفيْ ِه َخَيْتَ ِل ُف ْو َن‬ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ ْ َ ْ
َ ْ ‫ك ُم َب‬
‫يِن ل ِ َما‬ ِ ‫ أنت حَت‬، ‫ب والشهاد ِة‬ ِ ‫الغي‬
ْ َ ْ ُّ َ ِ ‫ىَل‬ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ َ َّ َ ْ ّ
ُ ‫ إنك ته ِدي م ْن تش‬، ‫اخت ِلف ِفي ِه ِم َن احْلَق بإذنِك‬ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ
.‫اط مست ِقي ٍم‬ ٍ ‫رِص‬ ٰ ‫آء ِإ‬ ِ ِِ ِ
O Allah, Lord of Jabrā’īl, Mīkā’īl and Isrāfīl; Creator of the heavens and the earth; Knower of
the unseen and seen, You will judge between Your servants in what they used to differ. Guide
me in what is contentious to the truth, by Your Will. Certainly, You guide whomsoever You will
to the straight path (Muslim).
، ‫نْي‬ َ ْ ‫اأْل ْر َض َحنيْ ًفا َّو َما أَنَا م َن ال ْ ُم ْرْشك‬ َْ َ

‫ات و‬ َ َ َّ َ َ َ ْ ِ َّ ِ ‫يِه ل‬
َِ‫ج‬ ْ َ ُ ْ َّ َ
ِِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ذَّلي فطر السماو‬ ‫وجهت و‬
ُ َ َ ْ
ُ
‫هَل َوبِذلِك أ ِم ْرت‬
َ ٰ َ
ُ ‫ اَل َرَشيْك‬، ‫نْي‬ َ
َ ْ ‫ايِت هلِل َر ّب ال َعالم‬ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ‫يِت َون ُ ُس‬
ْ َ ْ ‫إ َّن َص َاَل‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫يِك وحَمياي ومم‬ ِ ِ ِ
َ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ّ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ٰ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ
، ‫ ‏أنت ر ِيِّب وأنا عبدك‬، ‫ اللهم أنت الم ِلك اَل إِهٰل إِاَّل أنت‬، ‫وأنا ِمن المس ِل ِمنْي‬
َّ ُ ُّ ْ َ َ ُ َّ َ ْ ُُْ ْ ْ ْ َ ْ َْ ُ ْ ََْ َ ْ َْ ُ َْ َ
‫ ِإنه اَل يغ ِف ُر اذلن ْو َب ِإاَّل‬، ‫مَجيْ ًعا‬ ِ ‫يِب‬ ِ ‫َظلمت نف ِيِس َواعرَتفت َ بِذن ِيِب فاغ ِفر ِيِل َذنو‬
َ َّ ْ ْ َْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ْ ْ َ َ ْ
‫يِّن َس ِيّئَ َها‬ ْ ّ ‫ارْص ْف َع‬ ْ َ َ ْ
‫و‬ ، ‫ت‬ ‫ن‬ ‫أ‬ ‫اَّل‬ ‫إ‬
ِ ‫ا‬ َ ‫ح َسن‬
‫ه‬ ِ ‫ واه ِد ِيِن ِأِلحس ِن اأْلخاَل ِق اَل يه ِدي ِأِل‬، ‫أنت‬
ِ ِ
ُّ َّ ‫ َو‬، ‫يِف يَ َديْك‬ َ ُّ ُ
ْ ِ ‫رْي لُك ُه‬ ْ
ُ ْ َ ‫ َواخْل‬، ‫ك َو َس ْع َديْك‬ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ّ َ ْ ّ َ ُ ْ َ َ
‫الرَّش‬ ‫ بَلي‬، ‫رْصف ع ِيِّن س ِيئها ِإاَّل أنت‬ ِ ‫اَل ي‬
َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ
َ ْ‫ت َو َت َعايَل‬ ْ َ َ‫ َتب‬، ‫ك‬ َ َ
َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َْ َ
.‫ أ ْستَغ ِف ُر َك َوأت ْو ُب إِيَلْك‬، ‫ت‬ َ ‫ارك‬ ‫ أنا بِك وإِيَل‬، ‫ليس إِيَلك‬
I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, turned away
from all that is false having surrendered to Allah, and I am not of the polytheists. My ṣalāh,
my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has no partners. I
have been commanded of this, and I am of those who submit. O Allah, You are the King, there
is no god worthy of being worshipped except You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave. I have
wronged myself and I confess my sins. Forgive all of my sins, for no one forgives except You.
Guide me to the best of character, for no one guides to the best of it except You; and turn the
evil of it away from me, for no one turns it away except You. Here I am, seeking Your pleasure
and at Your service. All good is in Your hands and no evil is attributed to You. My (existence,
protection and success) is from You and I am returning to You. You are Most Blessed and You
are Most Exalted. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You (Muslim).
By saying this duʿā’, you remind yourself of what Ibrāhīm  said (see 6:79). You
affirm the Oneness of Allah and disassociate yourself from shirk. The duʿā’ acts as
a reminder of your purpose in life and that everything you do is for Him. You seek
forgiveness and you ask Allah b to grant you beautiful character. You praise Him
and show your desperate need of Him.
130
َ ْ ‫احْل ْم ُد َأن‬
َْ ‫ك‬ َ َ َ َّ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ت‬ ‫ ول‬، ‫ات واأْلر ِض ومن فِي ِهن‬ ِ ‫ أنت نور السماو‬، ‫اللهم لك احْلمد‬
َ ُ ْ َ َ ٌّ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ ُّ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ُ ّ َ
‫ وقولك‬، ‫ ووعدك حق‬، ‫ ولك احْلمد أنت احْلق‬، ‫ات واأْلر ِض ومن فِي ِهن‬ ِ ‫قي ِم السماو‬
ٌّ َ َ ْ ُّ َّ َ ٌّ َ ُ َ َّ َ ٌّ َ ُ َّ َ ٌّ َ ُ َّ َ ْ َ ٌّ َ َ ُ َ َ ٌّ َ
، ‫ وانلبِيون حق‬، ‫ والساعة حق‬، ‫ وانلار حق‬، ‫ واجْلنة حق‬، ‫ ول ِقاؤك حق‬، ‫حق‬
َ
‫ت َوبِك‬ ُ ْ‫ك َأ َنب‬ َ َْ ُ ْ‫آمن‬
‫ ِإَويَل‬، ‫ت‬ َ ‫ك‬ َ َ ُ ْ َّ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ ٌّ َ ٌ َّ َ ُ َ
ِ ‫ اللهم لك أسلمت وعليك تولَّكت وب‬، ‫وحُممد حق‬
َ َ َ َْ ُ ْ َ َ
ُ ‫اك ْم‬
.‫ت‬ ‫خاصمت ِإَويَلك ح‬
O Allah, for You Alone is all praise; You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and
whatever is therein. For You Alone is all praise; You are the Maintainer of the heavens and
the earth and whatever is therein. And for You Alone is all praise; You are the Truth, Your
promise is the truth, and Your speech is the truth. The meeting with You is the truth, Paradise
is the truth, and Hell-Fire is the truth. The Final Hour is the truth, the Prophets are the truth
and Muhammad g is the truth. O Allah, I surrender myself to You Alone, I put my trust in
You Alone, and I believe in You Alone. I turn to You Alone, I complain of my opponents to You
Alone and I refer judgement to You Alone (Bukhārī).
The Messenger g would recite the above duʿā’ in his tahajjud ṣalāh.
ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ّ َ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ
َ ‫اهّٰللِ َوب‬
.ِ ‫ح ْم ِده‬ ِ ‫ سبحان‬، ‫ب العال ِمنْي‬
ِ ‫سبحان اهّٰللِ ر‬
Allah is free from imperfection, the Lord of all the worlds. Allah is free from imperfection, and
all praise is due to Him (Nasā’ī).
Rabīʿah b. al-Kaʿb  said, “I used to spend the night by the room of the Prophet g.
I would hear him stand up at night (for prayer), and he would say ‫نْي‬ َ ْ ‫اهّٰللِ َر ّب الْ َعالَم‬
ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ
‫سبحان‬
ِ ِ
ْ َ َ ّٰ َ َ ْ ُ
for a long time. Then he would say ِ ‫ سبحان اهّٰللِ وبِحم ِده‬for a long time.”
َ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ ْ َ ُ َ ‫هلل أَ ْك‬
ُ َ‫ا‬
، ‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ سبحان ا‬،
(10x)
ِ ِ ‫ احْلَمد‬،
‫هلِل‬
(10x) (10x)
‫رَب‬
، َ ‫ أَ ْستَ ْغف ُر‬،
‫اهلل‬ ُ ‫هٰل إ َّاَّل‬
‫اهلل‬ َ ٰ ‫َاَل إ‬
(10x)
ِ (10x)
ِ ِ
َ َ ْ َ َْ َ َْ ْ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ْ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫هلل ِمن ِضي ِق المقامِ يوم ال ِقيام ِة‬
ِ ‫ أعوذ بِا‬، ‫اللهم اغ ِفر ِيِل واه ِد ِيِن وارزق ِيِن واَع ِف ِيِن‬
Allah is the Greatest (10x). All praise be to Allah (10x). Allah is free from imperfection (10x).
There is no god worthy of worship but Allah (10x). I seek Allah’s forgiveness (10x).
O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me sustenance and wellbeing. I seek Your protection from
the anguish of standing on the Day of Judgement (Nasā’ī).
131
ʿĀsim b. Ḥumayd  said, “I asked ʿĀ’ishah  about what the Messenger of Allah g
used to start his night prayer with. She said, “You have indeed asked me something
which no one before you has asked me. The Messenger of Allah g used to say [the
above]” (Nasā’ī).
Istiʿadhah
Following the completion of the opening duʿā’, you will proceed on to seeking the
protection of Allah from Shayṭān.
َّ َ ُُْ َ
.‫الر ِجيْ ِم‬
َّ ‫الشيْ َطان‬
ِ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬
ِ ‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ا‬ِ ‫أعو‬
‫ب‬ ‫ذ‬
I seek protection in Allah from the rejected Shayṭān.
ُ َ َ
‫أ ُع ْوذ‬: I take refuge, safeguard myself, take precaution, and I am careful. ‫ َاَعذ‬means to
flee from that which you fear will harm you to that which will protect you from it.
Istiʿādhah (seeking protection) is essentially an act of the heart. When seeking

protection with Allah, you are: (1) throwing yourself in front of Him, displaying
your need of Him, and (2) submitting and humbling yourself in front of Him.
Istiʿādhah also acts as an acknowledgement of Allah’s ultimate power, and the

human being’s weakness and inability to combat the unseen enemy, Shayṭān.
Ṣalāh is Shayṭān’s battlefield. No other situation enrages and annoys Shayṭān

more than ṣalāh. First, Shayṭān will try to make you miss your ṣalāh. If he fails, he
will try to make you delay it as much as possible. Again, if he fails, he will try to
dissuade you from your sunnah and nafl prayers. If he still fails to deter you, he will
come to you in your ṣalāh and try to ruin it with his constant whispers.
Be vigilant and constantly guard your ṣalāh, for Shayṭān is a thief who wants to
132
‘steal’ from your ṣalāh until you have nothing left in it. Shayṭān is an evil enemy.
His invisibility makes him even more deadly. Because we cannot see him, we forget
about him. In an increasingly material world, when we have a problem, we tend
to look for physical causes. It would not be considered ‘intellectual’ or ‘scientific’
to blame Shayṭān and his cronies. Although he is not always the culprit, Shayṭan
is constantly inflicting his evil on the children of Ādam. He comes and goes. He
is described in the Qur’ān as ‘khannās’: the one who retreats and comes back. He
always lurks about to inflict maximum damage wherever possible.
Shayṭān will especially try his best to prevent you from reciting Qur’ān with
reflection (tadabbur). This is because reflecting on the Qur’ān gives life to the
heart, and is the secret of worldly and heavenly bliss.
Shayṭān rages with envy. The angels prostrated to Ādam in obedience to Allah’s
command, whilst he refused and was thrown out of Paradise. Up until today,
he tries his utmost to prevent the sons of Ādam from prostrating. When you
understand his envy and his tenacity in pursuing you, remember that you cannot
defeat him by yourself: you need his and your Master, Allah b, on your side.
It is for this reason that Ibn Taymiyyah  once told his student, Ibn al-Qayyim ,
“If a shepherd-dog attacks you, don’t bother fighting him back. Instead seek the
help of the shepherd because he will push the dog away from you and will protect
you from him.” Thus, the protection of Allah b - the All-Powerful (al-Qawiyy), the
Guardian (al-Ḥafīẓ) - is our most effective weapon to defeat Shayṭān.
You may also choose to recite the slightly longer form of the istiʿādhah:
َْ
.ِ‫خهِ َونفثِه‬
َْ َ
ِ ‫ م ِْن ه ْمزِه ِ َونف‬، ‫جيْ ِم‬ َّ َ ْ َّ َ ْ َ ْ ْ َّ ّٰ ُ ْ ُ َ
ِ ‫ان الر‬
ِ ‫أعوذ بِاهّٰللِ الس ِميعِ العل ِي ِم مِن الشيط‬
I seek protection in Allah, the All-Hearing and All-Knowing from the rejected Shaytān; from
his promptings (inciting madness), his blowing (of pride in the hearts) and his obscene poetry.
(Aḥmad).
133
Basmalah
.‫الر ِحيْ ِم‬ َ ْ َّ

َّ ‫مْح ٰـن‬
ِ ‫هلل الر‬ ِ ‫ِمْسِب ا‬
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very Merciful.
You start by asking for the help of Allah b. Through this, you are expressing your
servitude to Him. By uttering His Name, you are also asking Him to bless you in
all that you do.
‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ ِمْسِب ا‬: By stating ‘In the Name of Allah’ you are saying ‘I begin with every Name
that belongs to Him.’ This includes all of His Most Beautiful and Perfect Names,
and you are asking Him through all of His Names. By saying bismillāh, you are
acknowledging His rubūbiyyah and ulūhiyyah (Oneness in His Lordship and sole
right to being worshipped).
‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ ا‬: The only One deserving of being singled out for worship due to His Perfect
Godly Attributes. Many scholars have regarded this Name to be ‘the Greatest
Name of Allah’. It is a comprehensive name which includes all of His Names. It can
only be used for Him.
‫الر ِحيْ ِم‬ َ ْ َّ

ِ ‫ الر‬: See p. 139
134
Surah Al-Fatihah
Next, you will pray Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Have you ever wondered why Allah chose
this specific sūrah from all the other sūrahs in the Qur’ān? Why are we required to
read Sūrah al-Fātiḥah at least 17 times a day?
Why is it repeated in every single rakʿah? What’s so amazing about this sūrah?
Al-Fātiḥah means ‘the Opening’ as it opens the Qur’ān. It is the entrance for the
Qur’ān and your ṣalāh; and your entry for attaining closeness to your Lord. Ṣūrah
al-Fātiḥah is also known as the Mother of the Qur’ān, the Seven Oft-Repeated
āyāt and the Cure. It is the greatest sūrah in the Qur’ān and the key to the entire
Qur’ān. It is also both an introduction and a summary of the whole Qur’ān.
Al-Ḥasan  said, “Allah sent down 104 books from the heavens and He condensed
these books into four books: the Torah, the Zabūr, the Injīl and the Qur’ān.
Then He condensed the content of the first three books into the Qur’ān. He then
condensed the content of the Qur’ān into the Mufaṣṣal (Sūrahs 50-114). He then
condensed the content of the Mufaṣṣal into Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.” Others added that
the content of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah can be condensed into the āyah: “You Alone we
worship, and You Alone we ask for help.”
The 3 Key Themes

Sūrah al-Fātiḥah was revealed in Makkah. In keeping with the other Makkan
sūrahs it focuses on the three fundamental principles:
1 2 3
Establishing the Establishing Belief in the

Oneness of Allah b. Prophethood Hereafter
135
Ṣūrah al-Fātiḥah: A Special Conversation
A distinctive quality that makes Sūrah al-Fātiḥāh extremely special is that it forms
a unique conversation between you and Allah b. Allah b responds to you after
every āyah that you read in it.
Memorise the following ḥadīth, as it will transform your ṣalāh. (See p. 102 for the
full ḥadīth)
You say: Allah  replies:
‫نْي‬ ِ َ ْ َ‫ا‬
َ ْ ‫حْل ْم ُد ِ ّٰهّٰلِلِ َر ّب الْ َع ٰـلَم‬
ِ My slave has praised Me

َّ ‫مْح ٰـن‬ My slave has extolled Me
ِ ‫الر‬ (i.e. repeatedly praised me)
My slave has glorified Me (or

‫دلي ْ ِن‬
ِ ّ ‫ِك يَ ْو ِم ا‬ َ
ِ ‫م ٰـل‬ My slave has entrusted his
affairs to Me.)
This is between Me and My

ُ ْ ‫اك ن َ ْس َتع‬
‫نْي‬ َ َّ‫اك َن ْع ُب ُد ِإَوي‬
َ َّ‫إي‬
ِ ِ slave and My slave shall have
what he asked for.
ْ َ َ ّ َ ْ
، ‫اط ال ُم ْستَ ِقيْ َم‬ ‫الرِّص‬
ِ ‫ِاه ِدنا‬
َ ‫اط َّاذَّل ْي َن أَ ْن َع ْم‬
This is for My slave and My
ْ‫ت َعلَيْه ْم َغرْي‬
ِ ِ ِ َ ‫رِص‬ َ ِ slave shall have what he
َ ْ ّ‫الضآل‬ َّ َ َ ْ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ asked for.
‫نْي‬ ِ ‫المغضو ِب علي ِهم واَل‬
136
At the end of reading each āyah, pause like the Prophet g would when reciting
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Take a moment to reflect on Allah’s reply to you.
Reflect
On reading ‘My slave’ in the above ḥadīth, what feeling does this invoke
in you?
Think back to when you would visit your parents or grandparents, and
they would affectionately say, ‘My child/son/daughter has come.’ How
did this phrase make you feel?
Allah  is above all examples. He is the Most Powerful and the Lord
of the worlds. Despite being an unworthy sinful slave of His, He still
addresses you here as, ‘My slave.’
Ibn al-Qayyim  said, “How extreme is the joy and happiness of the slave when
his Lord says ‘My slave’ three times. By Allah, if the hearts were not clouded by the
smoke of the desires and lusts, they would erupt from joy and delight when their
Lord, Creator and God says, ‘My slave has praised Me, My slave has extolled me,
My slave has glorified Me.’ ”
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah: The Best Duʿā’
Each time you recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, do you remember that it is a

duʿā’?
Allah  taught us this perfect duʿā’ because of His endless mercy. As
humans, we continuously make mistakes and commit sins, and are
in constant need of guidance. We need this guidance more than food
and drink. By guiding us, Allah  helps us to obey Him and to stop
sinning. Thus, no evil will befall us in this world nor the hereafter. For
this reason, this sūrah is one of the most comprehensive duʿās.
The sūrah is also a lesson and a reminder on how to make duʿā’.
Firstly, you ask Allah  through His Perfect Names, and, secondly,
137
you express your servitude and need for Him. Sūrah al-Fātiḥah also
reminds you of the importance of repetition and persistence when
making duʿā’, as you make this duʿā’ at least 17 times every day.
.‫نْي‬ ِ َ ْ َ‫ا‬
َ ْ ‫حْل ْم ُد ِ ّٰهّٰلِلِ َر ّب الْ َع ٰـلَم‬
ِ
All praises and thanks are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
In the very first āyah of Ṣūrah al-Fātiḥah, the central fact of this life is conveyed to
us: who Allah b is. Knowledge of Allah b is the pinnacle of all knowledge and the
greatest of all sciences, as there is no one greater than Him.
ّٰ َ ْ َ ‫ ا‬: Endless, infinite and inherent praise belongs to Allah Alone.

ِ‫حْل ْم ُد ِهّٰلِل‬
Alḥamdulillāh is an expression encompassing both:
1 Gratitude for what Allah b has blessed us with; īmān, life, health etc.
2 Praise: Allah b is worthy of every possible praise on account of His b very
existence, His mercy, beauty, generosity and all of His other Noble Attributes
and Names. All of His Attributes are perfect; be they of His majesty (jalāl)
or beauty (jamāl). Even if none of His slaves praised Him, He would still be
worthy of all praise.
In truth, it is Allah b who praises Himself on the tongues of His slaves. Any slave
who praises Him is only able to do so following His permission for such praise.
Our praise of Him emanates from our love and reverence of Him. Our praise of
Him is, in fact, a blessing from Him which deserves even more praise. Even if we
were to spend our entire life praising Him, this would be insufficient.
How much we praise Allah b depends on how well we know Him (maʿrifah). The
more knowledge we have of Him and the more intimate we are with Him, then the
more we will praise Him.
‫ب‬ ّ َ
ِ ‫ ر‬: The Owner, The Master, The Nurturer, The One who nourishes and sustains
the whole of creation. It is He who regulates their affairs and grants them endless
138
blessings. He is their sole Creator and Provider. He is their Protector and Caretaker.
Allah b did not create the world and abandon it to its devices. Rather, He
constantly and actively manages the affairs of His creation. Rabb is a beautiful
Name that draws us closer to Him and guides us to reflect upon His endless
favours: how He created us, provides for us and takes care of us. This should make
us worship Him Alone wholeheartedly.
َ ْ ‫[ الْ َع ٰـلَم‬the worlds]: Al-ʿĀlamīn is the plural of ʿālam. According to Qatādah ,

‫نْي‬ ِ
ʿālam refers to everything in existence besides Allah.
Al-ʿĀlamīn indicates that the universe should remind us about its Creator, Allah b.
Moreover, it reminds us that Islam is a universal religion and is not restricted to
any race or nation – Allah is the Lord of everyone.
In summary, Allah b is worthy of all praise: (1) simply because He is Allah, and
(2) because He created us, nurtures us, provides for us and manages the affairs of
the entire universe.
.‫الرحِيْ ِم‬ َ ْ َّ
ِ ‫الر‬
The All-Merciful, The Very Merciful
Following on from the earlier āyah where we learnt that Allah is the Lord of the
worlds, it is logical to wonder: what kind of a Lord is He? Is He a vengeful, angry
and harsh Lord? Or is He a Loving, Kind and Generous Lord?
The answer to this question is provided in the next āyah: Allah b is an Extremely
Merciful Lord.
Allah b sustains us, but He does not do so because He needs us; rather, He sustains
us out of His mercy. His Lordship is characterised by mercy and justice, and not
oppression. Even His punishment arises from pure justice.
Both the words that constitute this āyah - al-Raḥmān and al-Raḥīm - originate
from the word raḥmah. Raḥmah can be understood as mercy, compassion and
tenderness.
139
What is the difference between

al-Raḥmān and al-Raḥīm?
Al-Raḥmān is a Name which encompasses the mercy Allah shows

to all of His creation. However, al-Raḥīm is a specific attribute that
is exclusive to the believers, both in this world and in the hereafter.
The form of raḥmah He extends to the believers - particularly to His
friends (awliyā’) - differs from His general mercy which He extends to
all of His b creation.
Al-Raḥmān can also mean the one who is extremely merciful,

whereas al-Raḥim is the one who is permanently merciful. Together,
these Names describe Allah b as extremely merciful, all the time.
Although the scholars have also mentioned other differences, it is

important to remember that both Names encompass all aspects and
dimensions of mercy.
The mercy of Allah knows no bounds. He said, “My mercy encompasses

everything” (7:156). The Messenger of Allah g said that Allah said, “Indeed My
mercy has preceded My anger” (Muslim).
Every blessing we have stems from His mercy. We were created through His
mercy; the Messengers and the Books were sent down to guide us towards the
truth through His mercy and Paradise was created through His mercy.
It is because of His mercy that we are invited to stand before Him, humbling
ourselves, pleading with Him, praising Him and talking to Him. It is because of
His mercy that – through ṣalāh – we become more aware of and closer to Him.
If we want to be recipients of Allah’s mercy, we must be merciful to His creation, as

the Prophet g said, “Have mercy on those who are on the earth, and the One who
is in the Heaven will have mercy on you” (Tirmidhī). Just as Allah b nourishes us
with love and mercy, we should nurture ourselves and those under our care with
love and mercy.
140
.‫دلي ْ ِن‬
ِ ّ ‫ِك يَ ْو ِم ا‬ َ
ِ ‫م ٰـل‬
The Owner of the Day of Judgement.
The previous āyah established the supreme and unending mercy of Allah b.
However, if it is taken on its own, we may become complacent. Excessive hope in
His mercy could lead us to neglect His rights and those of His creation. Because
of this, this next āyah reminds us that Allah is the Owner of the Day of Judgement.
What is the Day of Judgement? Allah b answers this in Sūrah al-Infiṭār, “What
will explain to you what the Day of Judgement is? Again, what will explain to you
what the Day of Judgement is? The Day when no soul will have the power to do
anything for another; on that Day, command will belong to Allah” (82:17-19).
The Day of Judgement is the Day when all souls will have to account for their
actions, and will be held responsible for everything they did in the world.
Allah b is the Mālik (Owner) and according to another recitation, the Malik
(King) of the entire universe. Thus, Allah b does not need any of His creation;
but His creation need Him. Although He is the Owner and King of the entire
universe, this Day has been singled out because, unlike in this world, on that Day,
nobody will vie with Him for Supreme Authority. All of His creation will stand
before Him; the slaves and the worldly kings, the downtrodden and the elite, the
poor and rich will all be the same. They will all be assembled in the court of Allah
b, humbled before the King of kings, waiting for their judgement, hoping for
His reward and terrified of His punishment. Allah b says, “The Day they will all
appear. Nothing about them will be hidden from Allah. Who does all authority
belong to today? To Allah—the One, the All-Dominant!” (40:16). The Prophet g
said, “Allah will hold the whole earth, and roll up the heavens in His Right Hand.
Then He will say, ‘I am the King! Where are the kings of the earth?’” (Bukhārī).
This āyah establishes a fundamental principle: belief in the hereafter. We are

reminded that life is temporary. Instead of becoming besotted with it, we should
prepare for what is to come. Death is inevitable and the hereafter is eternal.
Preparing for it will help us survive the tribulations of that Terrible Day. This
āyah reminds us to be humble before the Almighty, and to be humble before His
creation. Furthermore, it is a snapshot of the beautiful balance between mercy and
justice inherent in Islam.
141
Reflect
When you are reciting this āyah, think about your plight on the Day of
Judgement. Visualise yourself, standing in front of Allah b. Imagine how
terrified you will be: naked, thirsty, hot and desperate for water. Your
parents will disown you, your spouse will turn away, and your friends
will be disinterested. Only the Lord of the Worlds, the Master of this
Horrific Day, will have the power to save you.
ُ ْ ‫اك ن َ ْس َتع‬
.‫نْي‬ َ َّ‫اك َن ْع ُب ُد ِإَوي‬
َ َّ‫إي‬
ِ ِ
You Alone we worship, You Alone we ask for help.
َْ
‫ نعبُ ُد‬is derived from ʿibādah, a comprehensive term for every action and utterance
that Allah loves and is pleased with.
Every human has a void in his heart. Some try to fill this with the worship of
money, others with the worship of power. Others worship fame, pleasure, beauty,
knowledge, people, nature and even animals! All these objects of worship are
delusions that leave its adherents unfulfilled. To be truly free, happy, and at peace,
the heart’s void can only be filled with the worship of Allah b. We must connect
to Him, be in awe of Him, remember Him, and we must love Him above everyone
and everything, including our desires. Worship comprises of:
1 Utmost humility and submission

2 Utmost love
To be His true slave, we must submit to Him and love Him. Solely focusing on
obedience will lead to a limited focus on the external aspects of the dīn, at the
expense of the inner. And only focusing on love will lead to a rejection of Allah’s
commands. Therefore, our outer actions must complement the inner actions of
our hearts.
142
For our worship to be accepted by Allah b, it must be:
1 Sincere and only for His sake (ikhlāṣ)

2 In accordance with the teachings of the Messenger of Allah g
Reflect
What do you really worship? What is it that you really desire? Crave? Love?
What occupies most of your day? What occupies your thoughts and dreams?
ُ ْ ‫اك ن َ ْستَع‬
‫نْي‬ َ َّ‫[ َوإي‬You Alone we ask for help]: Asking Allah b makes us humble and
ِ ِ
submissive before Him. By asking Allah b we are acknowledging our dependence
upon Him and our need for Him. We are certain that He will grant us good and
remove harm from us. We are placing our complete trust in Him (tawakkul).
Istiʿānah (the verbal noun of nastaʿīn) combines trust and reliance. Trusting
someone does not mean they are necessarily reliable. Conversely, relying on
someone does not mean they are trustworthy. The reliance may be due to
compulsion or a lack of alternatives. With Allah b, we rely on Him and trust Him.
We will never trust anyone as much as Him, nor will we rely on anyone as much
as Him. He is the Most Powerful and we know that no one loves us as much as He
does, so long as we obey Him.
Ibn Taymiyyah  said, “I reflected on what the most beneficial duʿā’ was, and
realised it was the duʿā’ of the servant asking His Lord to help him achieve His
Pleasure. I then found it in ‫نْي‬ َ َّ‫اك َن ْعبُ ُد َوإي‬
َ َّ‫إي‬.” In this āyah, it is as though we are
ِ ِ ِ
saying, “O Allah, help us fall in love with You, to remember You always and to be
outstanding in worshipping You.”
143
The same meaning is also conveyed in the beautiful duʿā’ of the Prophet g:
َ َ ْ ُ ْ ٰ َ َ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ىَلَع ذِك ِر َك َوشك ِر َك َو ُح ْس ِن ع َِبادت ِك‬ ‫اللهم أ ِع ِيِّن‬
O Allah help me in remembering You, in being grateful to You, and in worshipping You in an
excellent manner (Abū Dāwūd).
The word ‘iyyāka’ has been repeated in this āyah. This repetition emphasises that
both worship and asking for help should be reserved for Allah Alone. Therefore,
I worship Only You, Ya Allah. Moreover, this āyah is also a reminder that we should
not allow our actions to become tarnished by showing off (riyā’) or seeking fame
(sumʿah). Instead, we should ensure our actions are purely for His sake Alone.
ʿIbādah is neither a chore nor a burden. On the contrary, it is where genuine

happiness and sweetness lie. It is because of this that Ibrāhīm b. Adham  said,
“If the kings and their sons knew what we experience of spiritual pleasure and
happiness, they would fight us for it with their swords.”
In conclusion, in this āyāh we are seeking Allah’s help for everything. Moreover,
we are specifically asking Him for the most important purpose and goal in our
lives: worshipping Him. Unless He helps us, we cannot achieve this purpose.
Muḥammad b. ʿAwf al-Ḥimṣī  saw Aḥmad b. Abī al-Ḥawārī  pray

ʿIshā’ by the Kaʿbah. When he finished, he stood up to pray voluntary
ْ َ
َ ْ َ َ ْ ّ ‫حْل َ ْم ُد هلِل َر‬ ْ َ َ َّ
prayers and started with ‫ب الع ٰـل ِمنْي‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ا‬. until he reached ‫اك نعبُ ُد‬ ‫ِإي‬
ُ‫اك ن َ ْستَع ْنْي‬
َ َّ‫ َوإي‬. Muḥammad al-Ḥimṣī  proceeded to do ṭawāf of the
ِ ِ
Kaʿbah and when he finished, he found Ibn Abī al-Ḥawārī  still
repeating the same āyah. He continued to repeat it till Fajr.
ُ ُ ْ َ َ َّ
Ibn Taymiyyah  would frequently say, “‫ ِإياك نعبد‬wards off showing
ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َّ
off (riyā’) and ‫ ِإياك نست ِعنْي‬wards off pride.”
144
ْ َ ِ ّ ‫ا ِْهدِنَا‬
.‫الرِّص َاط ال ُم ْس َتقِيْ َم‬
Guide us on the Straight Path:
The previous āyah involves asking Allah b for help. In this āyah, we ask Allah
b for the greatest matter in which we require His help: guidance to and on
the straight path. Attaining this guidance and direction on the straight path is
impossible without His direction, care and mercy.
The duʿā’ in this āyah is essential as guidance will determine our eternal success.
َ ْ
‫[ ِاه ِدنا‬Guide us]: O Allah, define the right path for us, explain it to us, direct us to
it and grant us the tawfīq (ability) to follow it. O Allah, we are weak and we need
You to show and guide us to Your path.
ْ َ َ ّ
‫اط ال ُم ْستَ ِقيْ َم‬‫الرِّص‬
ِ [On the Straight Path]: The straight path is the way of Allah b, the
path of truth, the path of His beloved Messenger g and the path to paradise. Allah
b has defined the straight path for us to ensure we are led to Him. On this path we
single Allah b out for worship, and remain obedient to Him and His Messenger.
It is the path of truth (ḥaqq) which is embodied in the Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah g and the way of his Companions .
There is only one path of truth and that is the path of Allah b. Allah b says,
“This is My path which is straight, so follow it. Do not follow other ways, for they
cause you to deviate from His way. This is what He has instructed you to do, so that
you will have taqwā (piety)” (6:153).
Why pray for guidance if you’re already a believer?
Why do we have to repeat this supplication every single day? Why do we repeat it
at least 17 times daily, even though, by the grace of Allah b we have already been
guided to Islam. The following are some reasons:
1 Lack of knowledge. Though you are a believer, you may lack the knowledge
of the essentials of this path. Alternatively, you may have knowledge of the
essentials, but may lack the finer details and the subtleties of the various
branches of knowledge.
145
2 Knowledge but no capability. You may have knowledge, but you face barriers
to performing righteous actions. For instance, you may wish to go for ḥajj, but
you cannot afford to do so.
3 Knowledge and capability but no determination. For example, you know

about the importance of ḥajj, and you’re able to afford it, but you have no desire
to perform it.
4 Knowledge, capability and desire but a lack of sincerity. You may have the
knowledge, the financial abilities, the desire to perform it, yet you may lack
sincerity when performing it.
5 Sincerity, but not in accordance with the Sunnah. You may have knowledge,
capability, desire and sincerity, but you may not perform the deed in accordance
with the Sunnah. For instance, you may be carrying out a deed which is an
innovation (bidʿah). Despite being sincere in your efforts, your deed will not
be accepted because it is not in accordance with the Sunnah.
6 Lack of consistency. Again, you may have knowledge, capability, desire,

sincerity and perform the deed as prescribed in the Sunnah, but you may lack
consistency. By saying ‘Guide us’, you ask Allah to give you firmness and
consistency on these deeds. Or you may be guided at this moment, but you
do not know if you will remain steadfast on the path in the future.
It is for this reason that Allah b describes the ones firmly grounded in
knowledge as saying, “Our Lord, do not let our hearts swerve from the truth
after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Yourself. Surely, You,
and You Alone, are the Great Bestower” (3:8).
7 A never-ending pursuit. Iḥsān (worshipping Allah b as though you can see

Him) and maʿrifah (knowledge of Allah b) are endless pursuits. No one can
claim to have reached their pinnacle or attained a level close to the best of
Allah’s creation. Accordingly, we are continuously in need of ‘guidance’ from
The Ultimate Guide (al-Hādī), which will help us ascend these levels.
ّ َّ َ َ ْ ْ َ َ
َ ْ ‫ٓال‬ ُ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ
.‫ِنْي‬ ‫وب علي ِهم واَل الض‬
ِ ‫ض‬ ِ ‫رِصاط اذَّلِين أنعمت علي ِهم غ‬
‫رْي المغ‬ ِ
The path of those upon whom you have bestowed favours. Those upon whom neither is there
anger nor are they astray.
146
Regarding guidance, people can be divided into three categories:
1 ْ َْ َ َ ْ ََْ
The Blessed [‫]أنعمت علي ِهم‬
The blessed people stated in this āyah are described in Sūrah al-Nisā’. Allah b
says, “Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah
has blessed: the Prophets and the Ṣiddīqīn, the martyrs and the righteous. What
excellent company such people are!” (4:69).
The Ṣiddīqīn are those who have attained the highest status of īmān, conviction
and truthfulness. Even in difficult times, their actions consistently verify their
words. Examples of such people include the best of the Prophets’ followers, such
as Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq .
This āyah reminds us of the importance of good company. Those who we spend
time with and who influence us - consciously or subconsciously - will determine
our future. The Prophet g said, “A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let
him look carefully as to whom he befriends” (Tirmidhī).
The word ‘‫ت‬ َ ‫ أَ ْن َع ْم‬- You have favoured’ indicates that bestowed guidance and
obedience are only through Allah’s tawfīq (divine enablement). Accordingly,
if Allah b had willed, we would not have been guided. Instead of taking it for
granted, we should thank Allah b for the blessings of īmān and guidance.
The āyah also reminds us to be optimistic, ambitious and extremely hopeful in

making duʿā’. Through the words of this āyah we are specifically asking Allah b
to place us in the company of His best creation. Thus, it directs us to have lofty
aspirations (ʿuluww al-himmah) and strive towards the best.
Moreover, this āyah is an antidote to loneliness. Traversing the Straight Path can be
lonely. It is a path for which we may be shunned and ridiculed. The āyah helps us
recall those who traversed this path before us. This should comfort us, and help us
to remain focused, so that we can be united with them in the hereafter inshā’A llah.
147
Reflect
Read the stories and biographies of the Prophets, our Messenger g, the
Companions  and the pious people  of the past. Be inspired by their
devotion and steadfastness, and try your best to emulate them. Consider
how you can bring their example into your own life.
ْ َْ َ
Those who incurred anger [‫وب علي ِهم‬
ُ ْ َْ ْ َ
2 ِ ‫رْي المغض‬
ِ ‫]غ‬
The second group defined by the above phrase are those who had the knowledge
but did not act upon it. Instead, they deliberately rejected the truth and invented
their own falsehood.
By making this duʿā’, we seek to safeguard ourselves from losing the guidance
and spurning the knowledge given to us. There is a danger that we may end up
belittling the truth. We may become intolerant of it and begin thinking that other
sources of guidance fabricated by humans are superior. To prevent this, we ask
Allah b in this sūrah to protect us from such transgression, to safeguard us from
sliding into error, and to keep us firm on the Straight Path.
َ ْ ّ َّ ََ
3 The misguided [‫]واَل الضٓال ِنْي‬
The third group consists of those who lacked the knowledge and hence veered off
the Straight Path.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “The Jews are those who incurred anger and the
Christians are the misguided ones” (Tirmidhī).
148
Three lessons from this āyah:
1 2 3
To only seek
knowledge is not Do not follow the
enough. To ensure ways of those who Loving and
you are amongst have deviated from hating for the
the blessed ones, the Straight Path. sake of Allah  is
you must combine Emulate those who essential.
knowledge (ʿilm) have secured their
with action (ʿamal). place in Paradise.
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah reminds me…

• of who Allah  is
• to affirm the Oneness of Allah  and to strengthen my īmān in
Him
• of the endless mercy and love of Allah 
• of my end and my ultimate destiny
• to not only contemplate deeply over Paradise and the love of Allah
, but also to think about the Hell-fire and the fear of Allah 
• to praise Allah  with His Beautiful and Perfect Names
• of the importance of gratitude
• of my purpose in life, while also answering my questions of
‘Where did I come from?’ and ‘Where am I going?’
• of the most important relationship in my life: the slave-Master
relationship
• to ask, trust, humble myself and worship Him Alone
• of who I should and should not aspire to be like
• of the importance of following the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger g
and of loving him
• not to become complacent and to always ask Allah  for
guidance and firmness.
149
Opens the door of: Protects you from:
َّ َ ُُْ َ
‫الر ِجيْ ِم‬
َّ ‫الشيْ ٰطن‬ Vanity and self-
ِ ‫هلل ِمن‬
ِ ‫أعوذ بِا‬ Clinging on to Allah 
admiration (ʿujb)

ِ ‫هلل الر‬ ِ ‫ِمْسِب ا‬ Remembrance (dhikr) Relying on yourself
ْ َ
َ ْ ‫حْل َ ْم ُد هلِل َر ّب الْ َعالَم‬
‫نْي‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ا‬ Gratitude (shukr) Ingratitude

َّ ‫مْح ٰـن‬ Love (ḥubb) and
ِ ‫الر‬ hope (rajā’)
Despair
‫دلي ْ ِن‬ َ
ّ َْ Complacency and
ِ ‫م ٰـ ِل ِك يومِ ا‬ Fear (khawf)
disobedience
ْ َ َ َّ
‫اك نعبُ ُد‬
Shirk and showing
‫إِي‬ Sincerity (ikhlāṣ)
off (riyā’)
‫نْي‬ َ َّ‫َوإي‬ Reliance on Allah 
ِ ِ Pride and stress
(tawakkul)
ْ َ َ ّ َ ْ
‫اط ال ُم ْستَ ِقيْ َم‬‫الرِّص‬
ِ ‫ِاه ِدنا‬ Supplication (duʿā’) Deviancy
َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ
‫ت َعليْ ِه ْم‬
Having pious role
ِ ‫ِرِصاط‬
‫اذَّلين أنعم‬ Loneliness
models
َ
‫وب َعليْ ِه ْم‬ ُ ْ َ ْ ْ ‫َغ‬ Submission and Arrogance and
ِ ‫رْي المغض‬ِ humility stubbornness
َّ َ َ
َ ْ ّ‫الضال‬ Knowledge and Ignorance and bidʿah
‫نْي‬ ِ ‫واَل‬
adherence to the Sunnah (innovation)
150
While the Messenger of Allāh b was sitting with Jibrīl n, he
heard a creaking sound above him. Jibrīl n looked up towards
the sky and said, “This is (the sound of) a gate that has been
opened in Paradise today, and it has never been previously
opened.” Then an Angel descended through it and came to
the Prophet g and said, “Rejoice in the good news of two
lights that have been given to you, which no Prophet before
you was given: Sūrah al-Fātiḥah and the concluding (two)
verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from
them, except that you will be given (its blessings).”
(Nasā’ī)
The previous discussion provides just an outline of this sūrah, for this sūrah is an
endless ocean. Carve out time to read or listen to its tafsīr regularly so you can stay
connected to it.
Āmīn
Remember to seal Sūrah al-Fātiḥah with Āmīn. The Messenger of Allah g said,
“When the imām says Āmīn, then say Āmīn; for indeed the one whose Āmīn
coincides with the Āmīn of the angels will have his previous sins forgiven”
(Bukhārī).
Āmīn means, “O Allah, accept my duʿā.” ʿAlī  said, “Āmīn is the seal of the Lord
of the worlds. It is with it that His slaves seal their duʿā’.”
Reciting Qur’an
Following the completion of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, you should recite a sūrah or a
selection of āyāt from anywhere else in the Qur’ān. (See p. 87 for how you should
recite in ṣalāh).
How to recite the Qur’ān in your ṣalāh:
Always recall that you are standing in front of Allah  and that you are
1
conversing with Him.
2 Recite slowly and beautifully.
Reflect on the words you are reciting. Fill your heart with love, hope and
3
fear according to the words you are reciting.
152
When you come across an āyah about mercy, stop and ask Allah for His
mercy. When you come across an āyah about punishment, stop and ask
4 Allah’s protection. When you come across an āyah where you can make
a duʿā’, stop and ask Allah.
5 Whilst reciting, try to visualise and interact with what you are saying.
6 Alternate between what you recite.
Know that everything that distracts you from understanding

the meaning of your recitation is a whispering of doubt from
Shayṭān.”
- al-Ghazālī 
Rukuʿ
Once you have completed your recitation, go down into rukūʿ, saying ‘A llāhu
Akbar’ (Allah is Greater than…!). Reflect on the meaning of this great phrase when
you say it.
Lower your head in awe of the Lord of the worlds. Straighten your back, let every
joint in your body relax, and glorify Him by uttering:
ْ َّ َ َ َ ْ ُ
x3 .‫يِّب ال َع ِظيْ ِم‬
ِ ‫سبحان ر‬
How perfect is my Lord, the Magnificent!
The Messenger of Allah g said, “As for the rukūʿ, then magnify the Lord in it”
(Muslim).
153
Rukūʿ is one of the most significant pillars of ṣalāh. Its position is one of the most
intense symbols of servitude, submission and humility. In rukūʿ, not only do you
glorify Allah b but you also simultaneously humble: the heart, the tongue and the
limbs. Feel your self-importance diminishing, whilst the awe and glory of Allah b
expand in your heart. The more your heart glorifies Allah b, the fear and awe of
His creation will slowly vanish from your heart.
Everything other than Allah b will begin to appear small and insignificant.
Do not rush this position. Take your time, prolong your rukūʿ whenever possible
and inshā’A llah you will feel the sweetness and joy in this position.
The secret of rukūʿ
The adhkār (remembrances) of rukūʿ are the secret of this pillar. Make every effort
to memorise them. They will help you in internalising the greatness and grandeur
of Allah b. The Prophet g would lengthen his rukūʿ to the same duration as
his qiyām in his voluntary prayers, repeating the following adhkār with humility,
devotion and reflection:
ْ َّ َ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫يِّب ال َع ِظيْ ِم‬
ِ ‫سبحان ر‬
How perfect is my Lord, the Magnificent (Muslim).
In stating the word ‘subḥān’, you are declaring the perfection of Allah and negating
all deficiencies. This is followed by the word ‘rabbī’ (my Lord). Note the use of
the pronoun ‘my’. Saying ‘my’ should stir a sense of closeness, bonding and love.
Allah b is my Lord, the One who created me, nurtures me, feeds me, clothes me,
heals me and manages all of my affairs. Next, you describe Him b as ‘al-ʿAẓīm’: the
Magnificent, the Great.
َ َ ْ ُ
‫هلل‬
ِ ‫ سبحان ا‬means to glorify Allah  above any imperfection or deficiency
i.e Allah b is free from all defects. Allah  is the Most Glorified who
has no partner or rival, who possesses every aspect of perfection,
and whose actions are pure and free from evil.
154
َ ْ ْ ْ
.ِ‫ وال َعظ َمة‬، ِ‫ِرْب َياء‬
ُ َ ْ َ ْ ‫ان ذِي‬
ُ َ ‫اجْل‬
ِ ‫رَب ْو‬
ِ ‫ وال َملك ْو‬، ‫ت‬
َ َ ْ ُ
‫سبح‬
ِ ‫ والك‬، ‫ت‬
How perfect is the Owner of might, dominion, grandeur and greatness! (Abu Dawūd).
ْ
ُ َ َ ‫اجْل‬
‫رَب ْو ِت‬ [might]: the origin of this word is jabr. This refers to:
a The power and might of Allah b, through which He compels His creation
according to His will, and through which He will seize the worldly jabābirah
(tyrants).
b Allah b mending and restoring the condition of those who are ‘broken’,
weak and oppressed.
c The sublimeness of Allah b which cannot be comprehended by the limited

human mind.
ُ َ ْ
‫[ ال َملك ْو ِت‬dominion]: Allah b is the King, whose dominion is everything that
surrounds us; that which we can see and cannot see. Of the latter are the Kursī, the
Throne of Allah, Paradise and the Hell-fire.
ْ ْ‫[ ال‬grandeur]: This quality is only praiseworthy for Allah b, and is not one
‫رْب َيا ِء‬
ِ ‫ك‬ ِ
that human beings should have. Only He is entirely Perfect in every sense.
َ ْ
‫[ ال َعظ َم ِة‬greatness]: There is nothing greater, more vast and more powerful than
Allah. Our limited minds cannot perceive His greatness.
َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ْ ‫ك َس ْم‬
َ ‫ َو َب‬، ‫يِع‬
، ‫رَص ْي‬
ِ ِ ‫ خشع ل‬، ‫ ولك أسلمت‬، ‫ وبِك آمنت‬، ‫اللهم لك ركعت‬
ْ ‫ َو َع َص‬، ‫يِم‬
.‫يِب‬ ْ ّ ِ ‫َو ُم‬
ْ ِ ‫يِّخ َو َع ْظ‬
ِ
O Allah, for You Alone I have bowed in prayer, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone
I have submitted. My hearing, sight, mind, bones and nerves are humble to You (Muslim).
In this duʿā’, you are affirming your devotion and submission to Allah b, the
Almighty.
ْ ‫[ َس ْم‬My hearing]: My hearing has humbled to You, thereby, ensuring I will not
‫يِع‬ِ
listen to anything that displeases you. I will not listen to evil speech, backbiting or
music.
155
َ َ
‫رَص ْي‬
ِ ‫[ ب‬My sight]: My sight has humbled to You. I will, therefore, not look at
anything unlawful.
These two senses have been singled out in this duʿā’ because they are responsible
for most of our distractions. The humbling of both these senses and ensuring they
submit to Allah b will result in an automatic decrease in the whispers of Shayṭān.
The impact of this will then appear on the rest of the body.
Reflect
Ask yourself: Have I really submitted?
Am I watching ḥarām content? Am I engaging in ribā? Am I being good to
my neighbours? Am I observing ḥijāb as per the commands of Allah , or
am I being swayed by society’s false interpretation of it?
َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ٌ ْ ُّ ُ ٌ ْ ُّ ُ
.‫الر ْو ِح‬
ُّ ‫كةِ َو‬
ِ ‫ رب الماَلئ‬، ‫ قدوس‬، ‫سبوح‬
The Supremely Perfect, The Most Pure, The Lord of the Angels and the Spirit [Jibrīl] (Muslim).
ُّ ُ
‫[ قد ْو ٌس‬The Most Pure]: Allah b is Pure from all defects and evil. He is Pure in
His b Essence and in all of His actions. He is Free from what our imaginations
perceive about Him; He transcends what we think of as ‘perfection’. He is Free
from oppression, partner or child. There is no one like Him. He b purifies the
hearts of His believing slaves, and is glorified by them and the angels.
ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ َ ْ ُ
ْ ‫اغفِ ْر‬
.‫يِل‬
ِ ‫ اللهم‬، ‫سبحانك اللهم ربنا وبِحمدِك‬
How perfect are You, O Allah, our Lord, and all praise is for You. O Allah, forgive me (Muslim).
This duʿā’ affirms the positive attributes of Allah b, and negates all negative
attributes. The praise also precedes the request for forgiveness, making it likelier
to be accepted.
156
The Prophet g would supplicate regularly with this duʿā’. ʿĀ’ishah i reported, “I
did not see the Messenger of Allah g performing any prayer since (Sūrah al-Naṣr)
was revealed, except that he supplicated or said in it [the above supplication]”
(Muslim).
This is because Sūrah al-Naṣr contains the direct commandment of Allah b to

His beloved g: “Then extol the perfection and praise of your Lord, and seek
forgiveness from Him. Surely He is Ever-Relenting” (110:3).
The above command was revealed to him at the end of his life to prepare him to
meet his Lord. Thus, he g was instructed to occupy himself in glorifying, praising
and seeking forgiveness from Him.
َ ْ ‫ح ْمد َِك َاَل إ ٰ َهٰل إ َّاَّل َأن‬

.‫ت‬
َ َ َ ْ ُ
َ ‫ك َوب‬ ‫سبحان‬
ِ ِ ِ
How Perfect are You, and all praise is for You. There is no god worthy of worship except You
(Muslim).
When the night would approach, Uways al-Qarnī  would say, “This
night is for bowing”, and he would bow until the morning. Sometimes
he would say, “This night is for prostrating”, and he would prostrate
until the morning.
Reflect
Ask yourself, how is my submission to Allah ? Do I submit to Him b
equally both in private and in public? Is my submission to Allah b the
same when I am serious and when I am joking around? Do I take jokes
too far by lying, just to make others laugh? Do I submit in times of anger
like I do when I am calm? Or do I dispose of the beautiful conduct which
my faith in Allah  requires from me, and hurt those around me?
157
Reflect
A temporary submission
Do I submit to Allah inwardly and outwardly in Ramaḍān, but then
forget Him b throughout the rest of the year?
Do I return to Allah b and beg His b forgiveness when I become ill or
am undergoing difficulty, and then forget about Him b once my health
has improved or the difficulty has passed?
Do I cry and does my heart soften when a loved one passes away, but
quickly become distracted again by the glamour and glitz of this life?
Do I wear ḥijāb when I visit the house of Allah , but then remove it
after leaving?
Practical Tips on How To Memorise

The Adhkar of Salah
1 Listen to the adhkār on repeat by downloading an app that enables you to
listen to them on loop.
2 Write them out as many times as possible. If you cannot write in Arabic then
write out the transliteration.
3 Encourage your family and friends to join in. Suggestion: Children often
memorise faster than adults, and like to see themselves outdoing the adults in
games/competitions. Allocate a set of adhkār as a competition task, and set a
treat/chore-free week to incentivise it. Inshā’A llah when they grow up, they will
appreciate your efforts.
4 To reap the full benefits of the adhkār, memorise them with the translation.
158
5 To ensure you do not forget the adhkār, read them in your ṣalāh.
6 Take advantage of the special times of the year - Ramaḍān and the first 10
days of Dhul-Ḥijjah – to memorise the various adhkār. Read them in your
ṣalāh, especially during the night prayers.
Standing Up from Rukuʿ

After rukūʿ, stand up straight and raise your hands saying:
َ ُ ّٰ ‫َس ِم َع‬
.ُ‫اهّٰلل ل َِم ْن مَح َِده‬
May Allah respond to the one who praises Him.
Take your time in this posture as it is a unique posture that precedes and prepares
you for the greatest pillar of ṣalāh: sujūd. Stand up calmly and give this posture
its due. The Prophet g used to lengthen this posture, just as he would lengthen
his rukūʿ and sujūd.
This pillar of ṣalāh is a special pillar in which you praise the Lord of Majesty and
Honour. Therefore, once you are peacefully standing, say one of the following:
ْ َ َ
.‫امهلل َر َّبنَا لك احْل َ ْم ُد‬
O Allah, our Lord, to You Alone belongs all praise.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When the Imām says: ُ‫اهّٰلل ل َِم ْن مَح َِده‬
ُ ْ َْ َ َ َ َّ َ
say: ‫امهلل ربنا لك احْلمد‬, for indeed whoever coincides in saying this with the angels, his
past sins will be forgiven” (Bukhārī).
159
ً َ َ ُّ ً ّ َ ً ْ َ ً ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ َ
.ِ‫اراًك فِيْه‬ ‫ مَحدا كثِرْيا طي ِبا مب‬، ‫ربنا ولك احْلمد‬
Our Lord, to You Alone belongs all praise; abundant, pure and blessed praise.
Rifāʿah b. Rāfiʿ  narrated, “One day we were praying behind the Messenger of
Allah g. When he raised his head from rukūʿ, he g said ُ‫اهّٰلل ل َِم ْن مَح َِده‬
A man behind him g said [the above]. When he g finished, he asked, ‘Who
uttered those words?’ The man replied, ‘Me.’ The Prophet g said, ‘I saw some
thirty-something angels racing to write it first’” (Bukhārī).
ْ َ ّ َ ُ ْ َْ َ ّ َ
.‫يِّب احْل َ ْم ُد‬
ِ ‫ لِر‬، ‫لِر ِيِّب احْلمد‬
For my Lord alone is all praise. For my Lord alone is all praise. (Abū Dāwūd)
ْ َ ‫ت م ِْن‬
‫يَش ٍء‬ َ ْ‫ات َوم ِْل َء ْاأْلَ ْر ِض َوم ِْل َء َما شِئ‬ ِ ‫او‬َ ‫الس َم‬ َْ ‫ك‬
َّ ‫احْل ْم ُد م ِْل َء‬ َ َ َ َّ َ
‫ربنا ل‬
َ َ ّٰ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُّ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ُّ َ َ ْ ْ َ َّ ََْ ْ
‫ الل ُه َّم اَل مان َِع‬- ‫ َولُكنا لك عب ٌد‬- ‫ أحق ما قال العب ُد‬، ‫ أهل اثلناءِ َوال َمج ِد‬، ‫بع ُد‬
َْ ‫ك‬ َ ْ ّ َْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ
.‫اجْل ُّد‬ ‫ واَل ينفع ذا اجْل ِد مِن‬، ‫ل ِما أعطيت واَل مع ِطي ل ِما منعت‬
O Allah, for You Alone is all praise; praise which fills the heavens and the earth, and which
fills whatever You wish after that. You are most worthy of praise and glory. The greatest truth
the slave can utter is – and we are all Your slaves - O Allah, there is none who can withhold
what You give, and none can give what You withhold; and the wealth of the wealthy does not
avail him from You (Muslim).
In this dhikr, you are praising Allah b to a level beyond your imagination!
‫ت‬ َ ْ‫[ َاَل َمان َع ل َما أَ ْع َطي‬O Allah, there is none who can withhold what
َ ‫ َو َاَل ُم ْعط َي ل َما َمنَ ْع‬، ‫ت‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ
You give, and none can give what You withhold]: This is reminiscent of the
Prophet’s advice to his cousin ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās , who narrated, “One day I
was behind the Messenger of Allah g (on a camel) and he said to me, ‘Son, I will
teach you some words: Be mindful of Allah and He will be mindful of you. Be
mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. When you ask, then ask
Allah. When you seek help, then seek help from Allah. Know that if the nation
gathered together to benefit you with something, they would only benefit you with
something that Allah has already written for you. If they gathered together to harm
you with something, they would only harm you with something that Allah had
already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried’”
(Tirmidhī).
160
ُّ ْ
‫ اجْلَد‬: Jadd means good fortune and includes: wealth, power, and fame. None of
these can protect you from the punishment of Allah b.
Reflect
I am content with all that Allah b has decreed for me. I am not anxious
or envious. I do not hold grudges in my heart towards someone who
may have more than me. Rather my daily ṣalāh - and this reminder in
particular - fills my heart with contentment and peace.
َْ ْ
ْ ْ
‫ات َومِل َء اأْل ْر ِض َومِل َء َما بَيْ َن ُه َما َومِل َء‬ َْ ‫ك‬
َّ ‫احْل ْم ُد م ِْل َء‬
َ ‫الس َم‬
ِ ‫او‬
َ َ َ َّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫اللهم ربنا ل‬
َ
ُ.‫يَش ٍء َب ْعد‬ ْ َ
ْ ‫ما شِئت مِن‬ ْ َ
O Allah, Our Lord, for You Alone is all praise; praise which fills the heavens, which fills the
earth, which fills whatever is in between them, and which fills whatever You wish after that
(Muslim).
ْ َ ‫ت م ِْن‬
، ‫يَش ٍء َب ْع ُد‬ َ ْ‫ َوم ِْل َء َما شِئ‬، ‫الس َماءِ َوم ِْل َء ْاأْلَ ْر ِض‬ َْ ‫ك‬
َّ ‫احْل ْم ُد م ِْل َء‬ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫اللهم ل‬
َ ْ ‫اذلنُ ْوب َو‬
َ‫اخْل َطايَا َكما‬ ُّ َ ْ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ْ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ اللهم ط ِهر ِيِن مِن‬، ِ‫اللهم ط ِهر ِيِن بِاثلل ِج والرَبدِ والماءِ ابْلارِد‬
ِ
ْ ُ َْ َّ
. ِ‫ُي َنىَّق اثلَّ ْو ُب اأْلبْ َيض م َِن ال َو َسخ‬
O Allah, for You Alone is all Praise which fills the heavens and the earth, and which fills
whatever You wish after that. O Allah, purify me with snow, hail and cold water. O Allah,
purify me from sins and mistakes as white cloth is purified of dirt (Muslim).
Reflect
This pillar of the ṣalāh is characterised by the praising and thanking
of Allah. Praise Him b for allowing you to bow down to Him b and to
express your humility to Him, especially as there are so many people who
do not share this privilege. Thank Him for all His b blessings upon you.
161
Sujud
You will now proceed on to say Allāhu Akbar and fall into prostration. Sujūd is the
secret of ṣalāh and its greatest pillar. Ibn al-Qayyim  stated that all the actions
before this great deed were just preludes to it.
Every preparation you make before ṣalāh is for this meeting point with Allah b.
Sujūd is the closest you can be to Allah b, despite your weaknesses and many sins.
Sujūd is a unique and special meeting point with Allah b. When you are in sajdah,
peeping at someone or something becomes very difficult. When in sajdah, you
lower your entire body, your face and ultimately your heart. You submit to Him,
glorify Him and pour out your heart to Him. There is no greater manifestation of
your servitude to Him than this great act.
Furthermore, Allah b has dignified sujūd by making its effect manifest on the
face, the most noble part of the human body. Allah b says, “…Their distinguishing
feature – as a result of prostration – is on their faces” (48:29).
According to some scholars, this āyah signifies the brightness and radiance of
their faces on the Day of Judgement. Others says it refers to khushūʿ, humility and
outstanding character as a result of their sujūd.
On the Day of Judgement, the Prophet g will recognise his ummah from their
shining faces. Their faces will be radiant as a result of their sujūd in this world. The
more sujūd you perform in this world, the more radiant your face will be in the
hereafter and the quicker you will be identified by the Prophet g.
Allah b has made the Hell-fire ḥarām for the face which prostrates itself to Him.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Hell-fire will consume all of the son of Ādam
except the mark of prostration. Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the mark
of prostration” (Ibn Mājah).
162
The 7 Objectives of Sujūd
1 Humility and showing your absolute need
In sujūd you are rubbing your face (the noblest part of your body) onto the ground,
and thereby completely humbling yourself to Allah b. Therefore, show Allah b
your absolute need for Him. Go to Him completely and broken. Think of how
weak and helpless you are.
Ensure there is no barrier between the ground and your face. The Prophet g
purposely rubbed his blessed face in the mud, demonstrating the extent to which
he humbled himself in front of Allah b.
Prostrating on the earth acts as a reminder of your humble origins and the place
of your ultimate return: the grave. People walk and trample on the earth, yet this
is the same substance you have been created from. As you lower your face, lower
your ego and place it onto the ground. Purify yourself from pride and humble
yourself to the Most Magnificent.
There is no slave who offers even one sajdah for the sake of
Allah on any portion of the earth, except that it will testify for him
on the Day of Judgement and will cry for him the day he dies.”
- ʿAṭā’ al-Khurāsānī 
Let each part of your body humble itself for Allah b and show its servitude
(ʿubudiyyah) to Him. Not only should your face be lowered and humbled, but so
should your hands, knees and feet. Lift your stomach from your thighs and your
arms from the sides of your body. Ensure your arms are not spread out on the floor.
Let each part of your body physically demonstrate its servitude to its Master and
do not let them be dependent on each other. Ibn al-Qayyim  explained that
in sajdah, the lower body ends up at a higher level than the upper body, and this
emphasises the submission of the slave. In this broken and lowly state, the slave
glorifies and magnifies Allah b.
The secret of the prostration is the prostration of the heart. Thus, it is vital that
just as your body performs sajdah, your heart should also perform sajdah. One of
the predecessors was asked, “Can the heart prostrate too?” He replied, “By Allah,
of course! A prostration from which he does not raise his head, until he meets
Allah.”
163
Reflect
The need, desperation and humility you feel in sujūd and in front of Allah
b should extend beyond your ṣalāh. You will only have internalised
servitude (your ultimate purpose in life) when you think entirely of yourself
as nothing, and desperately turn to Him for everything. Not only will you
rely solely on Him, but you will also strive to please Him and abstain from
disobeying Him. Similarly, this humility should prevent you from looking
down on others and remove every trace of pride from your heart.
2 Closeness
Savour the sweetness of being close to Allah al-Qarīb (The Ever-Near) in sujūd.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “The closest a slave is to his Lord is when he is
prostrating” (Muslim).
Allah b instructed His beloved g, “…Prostrate and draw near (to Allah)” (96:19).
The longer your sajdah, the greater your chance of enjoying Allah’s close intimacy.
In this world, we seek closeness with those whom we love since we derive peace
and tranquillity in their company. With Allah b, there is even more peace and
tranquillity if we sincerely seek His closeness. To truly feel the sweetness of ṣalāh,
you have to feel the sweetness of sujūd.
3 Duʿā’
Sujūd is one of the best times to make duʿā’. Pour your heart out to Allah b in this
time, and cry out of fear of Him. The Messenger of Allah g said, “As for sujūd,
go to great lengths in making duʿā’ in it, as it is likely that your duʿā’ shall be
answered” (Muslim).
Make duʿā’ for everything, be it minor or major. (See our publication ‘I Am Near’
for a detailed guide on how to make duʿā’). Be selfless and make duʿā’ for your
family, friends and the ummah. Be like Abu al-Dardā’  who said, “Indeed I make
duʿā’ for thirty of my brothers whilst I am in sujūd, with their names and their
fathers’ names.”
164
Have conviction that Allah b will accept your duʿā’. Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah  said,
“Whatever (evil) you know about yourself should not prevent you from making
duʿā’, because Allah accepted the duʿā’ of the worst of Allah’s creation. Iblīs - may he
be cursed - said, ‘My Lord, give me respite until the Day when they are resurrected.’
(Allah) said, ‘You are of those given respite.’ ”
Reflect
Five times a day I will knock at the door of Allah b and go to Him with
my problems, worries and needs. The longer I spend in conversation with
Him, the more at ease my heart feels. I feel lighter and I feel calmness
enveloping me. I also remember my loved ones and I make duʿā’ for all
those suffering in the ummah.
4 Sins being forgiven
Visualise your sins being perched on top of your shoulders as you are in sujūd.
The greater your khushūʿ, the more you will cry. The more sincere you are in your
crying, the faster your sins will fall off your shoulders, like leaves off a tree.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When the slave stands to pray, all of his sins are
brought and placed on his head and shoulders. Whenever he bows or prostrates,
they fall off him” (Ṭabarānī).
The greater your sins, the lengthier you should stay in sujūd. By the will of Allah
b, your tears will wash away the dirt accumulated on your heart due to your sins.
Maʿdān b. Ṭalḥah  said, “I met Thawbān , the freed slave of the

Messenger of Allah g. So, I asked him, ‘Inform me of a deed through
which Allah will grant me good and admit me into Paradise.’ He
remained silent for quite a while. He then turned to me and said,
‘Hold on to sujūd, for indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah g say:
There is no slave who performs a sajdah except that Allah raises
him a level through it, and wipes away a sin from him through it’”
(Tirmidhī).
165
5 Be with the Prophet g in the highest heaven
Rabīʿah b. Kaʿb  would spend the night in the service of the Prophet g and
bring him water for his purification and wuḍū’. Once, the Prophet g said to him,
“Ask!” Rabīʿah said, “I ask you for your company in Paradise.” When the Prophet
g asked him if he would like anything else, he replied, “Only that.” The Prophet
g then told him, “Then help me to achieve this for you through abundant
sujūd” (Muslim).
Perform additional voluntary prayers and prostrations, and have the intention
of being raised to the highest heaven so that you can be in the company of the
Prophet g.
If you saw Ḥabīb b. Abī Thābit, you would think that he has died
(due to his long prostration).”
- Abū Bakr b. ʿAyyāsh 
6 Feel happy about overcoming your enemy
Feel happy that you have overcome your greatest enemy, Shayṭan who detests
that you fall into prostration to your Lord. Visualise him crying in the corner of
your room, saying, “Woe to me! The son of Ādam was commanded to prostrate,
and he prostrated so for him is Paradise. I was commanded to prostrate, and I
refused so for me is Hell-fire” (Muslim).
7 Feel a sense of self-honour
Feel honoured that you only bow your head to Allah b and to none of His
creation. You are only relying on Him and it is Him b Alone that you ask for help.
Be like Imām Aḥmad  who said, “O Allah, as you have protected my face from
prostrating to other than You, then protect it from asking anyone other than
You.”
I saw Sufyān al-Thawrī in sajdah. I went around the Kaʿbah

seven times before he raised his head.”
- ʿAlī b. Fuḍayl 
166
The Adhkar of Sujud

It was the practice of the Prophet g to lengthen his sujūd. He said, “When one
of you prays, he should complete his rukūʿ and he should not peck in his ṣujūd,
for the example of this is like the hungry person who consumes one or two dates.
What use will they be for him?” (Ṭabarānī). He g also said, “The ṣalāh of a person
will not suffice unless he straightens his back in rukūʿ and sujūd” (Abū Dāwūd).
One way of lengthening your sujūd is by memorising and supplicating (especially

in your nafl prayers) with the following sunnah adhkār:
َْ َّ َ َ ْ ُ
x3 ٰ َ ْ ‫يِّب اأْل‬
.‫ىَلْع‬ َ ‫سبحان ر‬
ِ
How Perfect is my Lord, the Most High (Muslim).
When you are in sujūd, you are at your lowest having placed your face on the
ground. Therefore, it is most apt that you proclaim His greatness, along with
affirming His b perfection above anything which does not befit His b greatness
and grandeur.
َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ٌ ْ ُّ ُ ٌ ْ ُّ ُ
.‫الر ْو ِح‬
ُّ ‫كةِ َو‬
ِ ‫ رب الماَلئ‬،‫سبوح قدوس‬
The Supremely Perfect, The Most Pure, The Lord of the Angels and the Spirit (Jibrīl) (Muslim).
ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ْ َ ّٰ َ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫يِل‬
ِ ‫ اللهم‬، ‫حانك الل ُه َّم َر َّب َنا وبِحمدِك‬ ‫سب‬
How Perfect are You, Allah our Lord, and for You is all praise. O Allah, forgive me (Muslim).
َ ْ ‫ َاَل إ ٰ َهٰل إ َّاَّل َأن‬، ‫ح ْمد َِك‬

.‫ت‬
َ َ َ ْ ُ
َ ‫ك َوب‬ ‫سبحان‬
ِ ِ ِ
You are free from imperfection, and all praise is to You. There is no god worthy of worship
except You (Muslim).
167
ََ َ َّ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ذَّل ْي خلق ُه‬
ِ ِ ‫ سجد وج ِيِه ل‬، ‫ ولك أسلمت‬، ‫ وبِك آمنت‬، ‫اللهم لك سجدت‬
ْ َ ُ ّٰ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ َ
َ ْ ‫ح َس ُن‬
َ ْ ‫اخْلالِق‬
.‫نْي‬ ِ ‫ تبارك اهّٰلل أ‬، ‫وصوره وشق سمعه وبرَصه‬
O Allah, for You Alone I have prostrated, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone I have
submitted. My face has prostrated to the One who created and fashioned it, and who formed
its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators (Muslim).
Whilst reading this duʿā’, feel a sense of shame and shyness from the One who
granted you all of the aforementioned blessings; and yet you still disobey Him.
Imagine you were blind and Allah b had not bestowed you with the gift of sight.
Imagine you were deaf and you could not hear your loved ones or the recitation
of the Qur’ān.
َ ْ
.ِ‫ َوال َعظ َمة‬، ِ‫ِرْب َياء‬ ِ
ُ َ َْ َ
ْ ‫ َوالْك‬، ‫ك ْوت‬ ‫ل‬ ‫م‬‫ال‬‫و‬ ، ‫ت‬
ِ ‫و‬ َ ْ ‫ان ذِي‬
ُ َ ‫اجْل‬
ْ ‫رَب‬ َ َ ْ ُ
‫سبح‬
ِ
How perfect is the Owner of might, dominion, grandeur and greatness (Abū Dāwūd).
َ
َّ ِ ‫ َو َع َاَلن َِي َت ُه َو‬، ُ‫ َوأ َّو َ ُهَل َوآخ َِره‬، ‫ د َِّق ُه َوج َّل ُه‬، ‫يِب ُلُكَّ ُه‬
.ُ‫رِسه‬ ْ ْ ‫يِل َذن‬ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ْ ‫اغ ِف ْر‬ ‫اللهم‬
ِ ِ ِ
O Allah, forgive for me all of my sins: the minor and major, the first and the last, the public
and the private (Muslim).
َ ْ َ َ ُُ َ َ َ َ َ ‫يّن أَ ُع ْو ُذ بر َض‬
، ‫ َوبِك مِنك‬، ‫ َوب ِ ُم َعافات ِك م ِْن عق ْو َبتِك‬، ‫اك م ِْن َسخ ِطك‬ ْ ّ ‫ا َ ّٰلل ُه َّم إ‬
ِ ِ ِ
َ ْ َ َٰ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ً َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ
.‫ أنت كما أثنيت ىَلَع نفسِك‬، ‫اَل أح ِيِص ثناء عليك‬
O Allah, indeed, I seek protection in Your pleasure from Your anger, and in Your forgiveness
from Your punishment, and in You from Your [aforementioned anger and punishment]. I
cannot enumerate Your praise. You are as You have praised Yourself.
ʿĀ’ishah  said, “One night, I noticed that the Messenger of Allah g was missing.
I found him (in the Masjid), in prostration with his feet upright; he was saying [the
above]” (Nasā’ī).
ʿAbdul-Aʿlā al-Taymī  used to say in his sujūd, “My Lord, increase

me in my khushūʿ of You, as Your enemies increase in their aversion
to You. And do not throw us into the Hell-fire upon our faces after
they have prostrated to You.”
168
The optimum time for duʿā’

Whilst in sujūd, you can make any duʿās you wish to; you are not limited to the
above duʿās. The Messenger of Allah g said, “The closest a slave is to his Lord is
when he is prostrating, so make plenty of duʿā’” (Muslim). Therefore, you should
make as much duʿā’ as you can in your sajdah, especially in your voluntary prayers.
It is best to supplicate with the duʿās from the Qur’ān and Sunnah. (For a list of
these supplications, along with the translation, see our publication ‘I Am Near’).
Muslim b. Yasār  used to say in his sujūd, “When will I meet You and
You are happy with me?”. He would continue making duʿā’, and then
say, “When will I meet You and You are happy with me?”
Sajdah Al-Tilawah
During the prostrations of recitation, you can recite any of the aforementioned
adhkār of sujūd. The Messenger of Allah g used to also recite the following:
َ َ ‫ َو َش َّق َس ْم َع ُه َو َب‬، ‫ذَّل ْي َخلَ َق ُه‬
َ ‫ َف َت َب‬، ِ‫رَصهُ ِحِبَ ْو ِهِلِ َوقُ َّوتِه‬
ُ ّٰ ‫ار َك‬
‫اهّٰلل‬
َّ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ
ِ ‫سجد وج‬
ِ ِ ‫يِه ل‬
َ ْ ‫ح َس ُن‬
َ.‫اخْلالِق ْنْي‬ ْ َ‫أ‬
ِ
My face has prostrated to the One who created it, and who formed its hearing and sight
through His power and strength. How Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators (Ḥākim).
ْ ُ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ً ْ َ ْ ّ َ ْ َ َ ً ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ُ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
، ‫يِل عِن َد َك ذخ ًرا‬
ِ ‫ واجعلها‬، ‫ وضع ع ِيِّن بِها وِزرا‬، ‫اللهم اكتب ِيِل بِها عِندك أجرا‬
َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ّ َ ْ َّ َ َ َ
.‫يِّن ك َما تق َّبل َت َها م ِْن عبْد َِك د ُاود‬
ِ ‫وتقبلها ِم‬
O Allah, record for me a reward by You through it [i.e. the prostration] and remove from me
my sins because of it. Make it a treasure for me in Your keeping, and accept it from me as You
accepted it from Your slave Dāwūd  (Tirmidhī).
169
Between the Two Sajdahs

Following the first sajdah, raise your head and sit up straight.
The Prophet g used to lengthen this posture, to the degree that al-Barā’  said,
“The standing of (the Prophet g), his rukūʿ, when he raised his head from rukūʿ,
his sujūd and the time between the two sajdahs were almost the same” (Muslim).
To lengthen the period between the two sajdahs, memorise and supplicate with
the following duʿās of the Prophet g:
ْ ّ َ ْ ْ ْ ّ َ
.‫يِل‬
ِ ‫ب‬
ِ ‫ ر‬، ‫ب اغفِر ِيِل‬
ِ ‫ر‬
My Lord, forgive me. My Lord, forgive me (Abū Dawūd).
Imagine yourself kneeling, waiting for your name to be called out on the Day of
Fear in order to be punished. Then you are given a chance to seek pardon; this is
your chance. Before it is too late, you implore Allah: ‘My Lord, forgive me…My
Lord, forgive me…My Lord, forgive me.’
The aforementioned duʿā’ need not be limited to two repetitions; rather, it should
be repeated as many times as possible.
ْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ْ ْ‫ار ُزق‬
ِ ‫ و‬، ‫ واه ِد ِيِن‬، ‫ واَع ِف ِيِن‬، ‫ وارمَح ِيِن‬، ‫اللهم اغفِر ِيِل‬
.‫يِن‬
O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me wellbeing, guide me and grant me sustenance
(Abū Dāwūd).
All the benefits of this world and of the hereafter are combined in this duʿā’.
170
Reflect
I take a trip down memory lane… and I remember my past indiscretions.
I feel guilty about my sins; the unlawful glance, the morsel of ḥarām,
missing a ṣalāh, attacking the honour of my fellow believer, hurting
my spouse, raising my voice to my mother. I recall these sins and I
repeatedly plead to my Lord: ‘Forgive me.’
Second Sajdah
You will then go back into sajdah. It is as though one sajdah does not satiate, and
you need a second sajdah to satisfy yourself. Sujūd is repeated because it is the
most honourable and virtuous element of ṣalāh. It is the most expressive posture
of your servitude to the Almighty b and the closest you are to Him on this earthly
realm.
Tashahhud
After the second sajdah, sit up straight. You are now almost at the point of
concluding your ṣalāh assuming it is a two rakʿah prayer. Prior to concluding your
ṣalāh, you will sit before Allah b, glorifying and praising Him, while also making
any final requests.
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās  said, “The Messenger of Allah g would teach us the

tashahhud like he would teach us a sūrah from the Qur’ān” (Muslim).
171
Although there are slight variations to the wording of the tashahhud, the following
is one of them. Try your best to memorise what it means.
ُ َ ّٰ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُّ َّ َ ُّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ ُ َ ّ َّ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ّٰ ُ َّ َّ َ
، ‫مْحة اهّٰللِ َو َب َراَكت ُه‬‫ الساَلم عليك أيها انل ِيِب ور‬، ‫ والصلوات والطي ِبات‬، ِ‫حيات ِهّٰلِل‬ ِ ‫اتل‬
َ ُ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّٰ َّ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َّ ّٰ
ً‫حُم َّمدا‬ َ َٰ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ
‫ وأشهد أن‬، ‫ أشهد أن اَّل إِهٰل إِاَّل اهّٰلل‬، ‫احِل ِنْي‬ ِ ‫الساَلم علينا وىَلَع عِبادِ اهّٰللِ الص‬
ُ.‫َعبْ ُدهُ َو َر ُس ْو ُهُل‬
All royal greetings belong to Allah, as do prayers and good (deeds and words). May peace,
the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the
righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger (Bukhārī).
َّ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ّٰ ُ َّ ‫ا َ َّتل‬
ُ ‫الط ّي َب‬
.‫ات‬ ِ ‫ والصلوات و‬، ِ‫حيات ِهّٰلِل‬
ِ
ُ َ
‫[ ا َّتل ِح َّيات‬All royal greetings]: In different cultures, royalty are shown respect in
different ways. Some stand upon their arrival and wait for them to be seated before
they themselves sit down. Others bow and curtsy. Royalty are also addressed with
specific terms of honour (‘Your Honour/Majesty, Your Royal Highness’, etc.) and
protocols usually dictate what can and cannot be uttered when greeting them.
Taḥiyyāt is plural of the word taḥiyyah, and is derived from the word ‘ḥayāt’,
meaning life in Arabic. It is a form of greeting similar to ‘Long live the King/
Queen…’ For Allah b, it means that everlasting kingship, ownership and
sovereignty belong only to Him as He Alone is the Ever-Living, the only One who
will never die. Thus, He b is most worthy of all praises and greetings. This is why
we say the plural form at-Taḥiyyātu (all royal greetings) and not at-Taḥiyyatu (the
singular form) to Allah.
ُ َ َّ َ
‫الصل َوات‬‫[ و‬All prayers]: All of the ṣalāh we pray and the supplications we make are
only directed to Allah.
ُ َّ َ
‫الط ِّيبَات‬‫[ و‬All good]: Ṭayyibāt refers to pure attributes, actions and words. Allah
b is Pure and only accepts the ‘pure’. All of His Actions and Attributes are Pure.
He is the Lord of the pure ones, and it is only the pure ones who will be granted
closeness to Him in the Abode of eternal honour (Paradise). Only pure actions and
words, which are carried out solely for His sake, ascend to Him.
172
An Alternative Meaning to the Tashahhud:
TAḤIYYĀT ṢALAWĀT ṬAYYIBĀT
All verbal All physical All monetary

forms of forms of forms of
worship worship worship
ُ َ ّٰ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُّ َّ َ ُّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ
.‫مْحة اهّٰللِ َو َب َراَكت ُه‬‫الساَلم عليك أيها انل ِيِب ور‬
Along with the right Allah b, the Creator, has over you, His creation also has a
right over you. They have a right to share a portion of your ṣalāh. Accordingly, you
should begin with praying for the best of creation, Muḥammad g, and then follow
this by praying for the righteous servants of Allah.
َّ َ ُّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ
ُّ ‫انل‬
‫يِب‬ ِ ‫[ الساَلم عليك أيها‬May peace be upon you O Prophet]: al-Salām is one of the
Perfect Names of Allah b. By stating ‘peace be upon you’, you are seeking the
protection of Allah b for the person you are greeting. You are asking Allah b to
take care of him and to keep him safe from all harm and evil.
What you are saying is, “O Allah, protect Muḥammad g in his daʿwah and protect
his ummah from every type of deficiency, so that his message reigns supreme, and
the glory and honour of his ummah increase.”
ََُْ
‫هلل‬
ِ ‫[ رمْحة ا‬The mercy of Allah]: You are asking Allah b to give Muḥammad g every
possible good, and to reward him for everything he did for us.
In offering our salām to Muḥammad g we are also benefitting,

as he responds to our greetings. Allah b has greatly privileged us
by making us the beneficiaries of the duʿā’ of the greatest man to
have walked on this earth. He g said, “There is no one who sends
salām upon me, except that Allah returns my soul to me so that I may
respond to his salām” (Abū Dāwūd).
ُُ َ
‫[ َو َب َراَكته‬His blessings]: Barakāt is the plural of barakah which linguistically means
growth and increase. You are asking Allah b to bless the Prophet g and to bless
him g in his followers by: (1) increasing their numbers and (2) by occupying
them in worship as he will share in their reward.
173
َ ْ ‫الصاحِل‬ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ
َّ ‫ىَلَع عبَاد اهلل‬
.‫نْي‬ ِِ ِ ِ ِ ٰ ‫الساَلم علينا َو‬
After this, you send greetings upon yourself and upon the chosen righteous
servants of Allah b, in accordance with the command of Allah b to His beloved
g, “Say, all praise is for Allah, and may peace be upon His servants whom He has
chosen” (27:59).
The caveat here of the ‘righteous’ shows you the importance of trying your best to
be from them and to always keep their company.
The Prophet g said that when one utters the above, the supplication “reaches
every worshipper in the sky and the earth” (Bukhārī).
َ ُ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّٰ َّ َ ٰ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ
ُ ُ ‫حُم َّم ًدا َعبْ ُدهُ َو َر ُس‬
.‫وهُل‬ ‫ وأشهد أن‬، ‫أشهد أن اَّل إِهٰل إِاَّل اهّٰلل‬
Then attest to the Oneness of Allah b. Through this phrase you affirm that He
is the only One worthy of being worshipped, loved and obeyed. Everything and
anything other than Him b that is worshipped is falsehood.
َْ
‫[ أش َه ُد‬I testify]: Ash-hadu means ‘I testify’. You ‘testify’ to something being true
when you are certain of its authenticity. Accordingly, this word is befitting here
as you are certain that Allah b is the only One worthy of being worshipped and
Muḥammad g is the slave and Messenger of Allah.
When uttering these words, re-affirm these words by simultaneously raising your
index finger to indicate the Oneness of Allah b. When doing so, you must also
strive to feel the impact of these words, feeling that you are strangling Shayṭān with
this action. When ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar  would sit down in ṣalāh, he would place
his hands on his knees and point with his finger and keep his eye focused on it.
He said that the Messenger of Allah g said that the finger is “harder on Shayṭān
than iron” (Aḥmad).
174
Salawat Upon The Prophet g

Next, after greeting and paying respect to the Lord of the worlds, you now move
on to paying your respect to the best of creation g.
You are continuing your assault on Shayṭān by stating the name of the person who
irks him the most: his chief enemy, the Messenger of Allah g.
After sending ṣalāh, you will go on to making duʿā’. The adab (propriety) of duʿā’ is
that you first praise Allah b, and then send ṣalawāt upon His beloved g, before
asking Allah b for your own needs. The Messenger of Allah g said, “When one
of you makes duʿā’, he should start with praising Allah and glorifying his Lord,
and should then invoke ṣalāh on the Prophet g. He should then make duʿā’ for
whatever he wishes” (Abū Dāwūd). Hence, the ṣalawāt follow the tashahhud
which includes the praises of Allah.
Take time out to ponder on the meaning of this beautiful Prophetic utterance,
often referred to as al-ṣalāh al-ibrāhīmiyyah:
َ َّ ٰ َ َ ‫ىَلَع إِب ْ َراهِيْ َم َو‬

‫ إِنك‬، ‫ىَلَع آ ِل إِب ْ َراهِيْ َم‬ َٰ َ ‫ت‬ َ ْ‫ َك َما َص َّلي‬، ‫حُم َّمد‬
ٍ
َُ ٰ َ َ ‫حُم َّم ٍد َّو‬
‫ىَلَع آ ِل‬
َ ُ ٰ َ َ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫اللهم ص ِل ىَلَع‬
َٰ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ٰ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ََّ ُ َٰ َ َّ َّ َ ُ ٰ َ َ ْ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ ٌ ْ َّ ٌ ْ َ
‫ كما باركت ىَلَع إِبراهِيم وىَلَع آ ِل‬، ‫ اللهم بارِك ىَلَع حُمم ٍد وىَلَع آ ِل حُمم ٍد‬، ‫جَّميد‬ ِ ‫مَحِيد‬
ٌ.‫ك َمَحِيْ ٌد َّجَّميْد‬ َ َّ َ ْ َ ْ
‫ إِن‬، ‫إِبراهِيم‬
ِ
O Allah, honour and have mercy upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad as You
have honoured and had mercy upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm: indeed, You are
the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muḥammad and the family of
Muḥammad as You have blessed Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm: indeed, You are the
Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious (Bukhārī).
ّ ّٰ َ
‫[ الل ُه َّم َص ِل‬O Allah, honour and have mercy]: O Allah, have mercy upon Muḥammad
and praise him in the lofty assembly. The ‘lofty assembly’ refers to the elite angels
who are close to Allah b.
175
Ṣalāh also means ‘honour him’ i.e. honour him in this world by elevating his
mention, granting victory to his dīn and preserving his sharīʿah; honour him in
the hereafter by rewarding him abundantly, accepting his intercession on behalf
of his ummah and granting him the loftiest station of glory (maqām maḥmūd).
َُ
‫آل حُم َّم ٍد‬ ٰ َ َ ‫[ َو‬And upon the family of Muḥammad g]: This phrase could be a
ِ ‫ىَلَع‬
reference to: 1) His family 2) His followers. By invoking ṣalāh on his followers,
you are honouring the Messenger g by honouring those who are dear to him.
ْ َ
‫ارك‬
ِ ‫[ ب‬Bless]: Bārik is derived from barakah, and linguistically has two meanings:
(1) to be firm and continuous and (2) to grow and increase. Thus, it is similar to
stating, “O Allah continue to bless and honour Muḥammad g and his followers.
Increase him and his followers in every form of good. Bless him in the mission that
he came with and make his legacy universal.”
ٌ َ
‫مَحيْد‬
ِ [The Most Praiseworthy]: Allah b is worthy of all praise in His Essence, His
Attributes and His Actions. He also praises His praiseworthy slaves. One of His
greatest blessings is that He allowed His creation to praise Him.
ٌ َ
‫جَميْد‬
ِ [The Most Glorious]: His glory and greatness know no ends. He is the Most
Generous and bestows endless favours. He is Noble and Exalted.
The glory of Allah b refers to His beautiful actions combined with nobility.
The Messenger of Allah g said: “Allah has angels who travel around
the earth conveying to me the salām of my ummah.” (Nasā’ī).
Why do the ṣalawāt end with these two specific names?
In asking Allah b to bestow ‘ṣalawāt’ on His beloved g, you ask Him to praise
him, honour him, and elevate his mention. Thus, it is befitting that you ask ‘al-
Ḥamīd’ (The Most Praiseworthy) and ‘al-Majīd’ (The Most Glorious) - the real
and ultimate source of praise and glory - to increase the Messenger g in praise
and glory.
176
Why do we send ṣalawāt upon the Messenger g?
Along with complying with Allah’s command, sending ṣalawāt on the Messenger
g is a manifestation of our love, reverence and obedience to him. He was sent as
a mercy for mankind, and he always remembered us and worried about us.
On one occasion he lifted his hands and while weeping, invoked, “O Allah! My
ummah, my ummah!” Allah sent Jibrīl down with the glad tidings, “Muḥammad,
surely we will please you in regards to your ummah and we will not cause you
grief ” (Muslim).
In every ṣalāh, he would ask Allah b to forgive us (Ibn Ḥibbān). He missed us and
yearned to see us. He once said, “I wish to see my brothers!” The Companions 
asked, “O Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He replied, “You are my
Companions, but my brothers are those who have not yet come in the world. I will
welcome them at the Ḥawḍ (blessed fountain)” (Nasā’ī).
Unlike the other Messengers who had their exclusive duʿā’ accepted in this world,
the Messenger g reserved his duʿā’ for the Day of Judgement where he will
intercede on our behalf (Bukhārī).
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever sends ṣalāh upon me

once, Allah will send ṣalāh upon him tenfold, erase ten sins from
him, and will raise him ten degrees in status.” (Nasā’ī).
DUʿA’
Before the end of the ṣalāh, Allah b gives us another opportunity to make duʿā’.
This is one of the best times for duʿā’ and is likely to be accepted. The Prophet g
was asked, “Which duʿā’ is most likely to be responded to?” He replied, “During
the last part of the night and at the end of the obligatory prayers” (Tirmidhī).
177
Thus, even if you have forgotten to make duʿā’ in your sajdah, you can ask now.
Through His mercy, Allah b has blessed you with two opportunities during ṣalāh
to make duʿā’.
The Messenger of Allah g said that after the tashahhud, “He should choose any
supplication which he likes, and then ask Allah with it” (Abū Dāwūd).
During your duʿā’, it is best to utter any of the following adhkār, or to utter any
other duʿās from the Qur’ān and Sunnah; you may also ask with words similar to
them. Imām al-Ghazālī  said, “At the end of your ṣalāh, supplicate with the duʿās
transmitted from the Prophet g with humility, fear, earnest pleading and the
conviction that it will be answered. Also include your parents and the believers in
your duʿā’.” (See our publication ‘I Am Near’ for a collection of duʿās.)
Whoever performs the five daily prayers, has thanked Allah; and
whoever supplicates for his parents at the end of the five daily
prayers, has thanked his parents.” - Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah 
Try to memorise and supplicate (especially in your nafl prayers) with the following
adhkār of the Prophet g:
ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ْ ُ ُّ ُ ْ َ َ َ ً ْ َ ً ْ ُ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ فاغفِ ْر‬، ‫ت‬ ‫ واَل يغفِر اذلنوب إِاَّل أن‬، ‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن ظلمت نف ِيِس ظلما كثِرْيا‬
.‫الرحِيْ ُم‬ َ ْ ‫ك َأن‬
َّ ‫ت الْ َغ ُف ْو ُر‬ َ َّ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ّ ً َ ْ َ ْ
‫ وارمَح ِيِن إِن‬، ‫ِيِل مغفِرة ِمن عِندِك‬
O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly and no one forgives sins except You; grant me
forgiveness from You and have mercy upon me. You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful
(Bukhārī).
In this duʿā’, you are acknowledging that only He b can forgive. You are
simultaneously humbling yourself, admitting your shortcomings and asking Him
b through His Blessed Names.
َ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ْ ‫ َوم ِْن ف ِتْ َنة ال ْ َم‬، ‫ َوم ِْن َع َذاب الْ َق ْرْب‬، ‫ك م ِْن َع َذاب َج َه َّن َم‬
‫ح َيا‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أعوذ ب‬
ْ ْ َ ْ
.‫ادل َّجا ِل‬
َّ ِ‫رَش ف ِت َنةِ ال َمسِيْح‬ّ ْ َ ِ ‫َوال َم َم‬
ِ ‫ ومِن‬، ‫ات‬
O Allah, I seek Your protection from the punishment of the fire, from the punishment of the
grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl
(Muslim).
178
َ ُ ْ ُ ََ ْ َْ
َّ ِ‫ك م ِْن ف ِتْ َنةِ ال ْ َمسِيْح‬ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
، ‫ادل َّجا ِل‬ ‫ وأعوذ ِب‬، ‫رْب‬ ِ ‫ق‬‫ال‬ ‫اب‬ِ ‫َ اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أعوذ بِك مِن ع‬
‫ذ‬
ْ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ُ َ ّ ّٰ َ ْ َْ ْ ْ َْ َ ُ ُ
.‫يِّن أ ُع ْوذ بِك م َِن ال َمأث ِم َوال َمغ َر ِم‬ ِ ‫َوأع ْوذ بِك م ِْن ف ِتنةِ ال َمح َيا َوف ِتنةِ ال َم َم‬
ْ ‫ الل ُه َّم إ‬، ‫ات‬
ِِ
O Allah, I seek Your protection from the punishment of the grave, and I seek Your protection
from the trial of the al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl, and I seek Your protection from the trials of life and
death. O Allah, I seek Your protection from sin and debt (Bukhārī).
ُ ْ‫رْسف‬ َ ُ ْ‫ت َو َما أَ ْعلَن‬ ُ ‫رْس ْر‬ َ ُ ‫ت َو َما أَ َّخ ْر‬ُ ‫يِل َما قَ َّد ْم‬ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ت‬ َ ْ ‫ َو َما أ‬، ‫ت‬ َ ْ ‫ َو َما أ‬، ‫ت‬ ْ ‫اغ ِف ْر‬ ‫اللهم‬
َ َ َ ِ َ
.‫ت‬
َّ ٰ َ
َ ْ ‫ اَل إ َهٰل إاَّل أن‬، ‫خ ُر‬ّ َ ْ
ِ ‫ت ال ُمؤ‬
ْ
َ ْ ‫ َوأن‬، ‫ت ال ُم َق ّ ِد ُم‬ َ ْ ‫ أن‬، ‫يِّن‬ َ
ْ ّ ‫ت أ ْعل ُم بِهِ ِم‬ َ ْ ‫َو َما َأن‬
ِ ِ ِ
O Allah, forgive me for what I have done in the past and for what I am yet to do, for what I
have done privately and for what I have done publicly, for my excesses and for that which You
know more than me. You are the One who brings forward and the One who puts behind, and
there is no god worthy of worship except You (Muslim).
َ َ ْ ُ ْ ٰ َ َ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ َو ُح ْس ِن ع َِبادت ِك‬، ‫ َوشك ِر َك‬، ‫ىَلَع ذِك ِر َك‬ ‫اللهم أ ِع ِيِّن‬
O Allah, help me to remember You, be grateful to You and worship You in an excellent manner
(Abū Dāwūd).
َْ َ ُ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ َوأ ُع ْوذ بِك م ِْن أن‬، ‫نْب‬
ِ ‫اجْل‬ ‫ وأعوذ بِك مِن‬،‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أعوذ بِك مِن ابْلخ ِل‬
َْ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ ُ
.‫رْب‬
ِ ‫اب الق‬ ِ ‫ وأعوذ بِك مِن ف ِتنةِ ادلنيا وعذ‬، ‫أرد إ ِ ٰىَل أرذ ِل العم ِر‬
O Allah, I seek Your protection from miserliness, I seek Your protection from cowardice and I
seek Your protection from being sent back to a miserable old age. I seek Your protection from
the trials of the world and the punishment of the grave (Nasā’ī).
َ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.ِ‫ َوأ ُع ْوذ بِك م َِن انلَّار‬، ‫اجْل َّنة‬ ‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أسألك‬
O Allah, I beg You for Paradise and I seek Your protection from Hell-fire (Abū Dawūd).
ً ْ ‫ـياةَ َخ‬ َْ ‫ت‬

َ ‫احْل‬ َ ‫ـي َما َعل ِْم‬ْ ‫حيـ ِن‬ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫رْيا‬ ِ ‫ أ‬، ‫ وقدرت ِك ىَلَع اخْلل ِق‬، ‫اللهم بِعِل ِمك الغيب‬
َِ َ َّ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ ْ ّ ً ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ َ ْ ّ
، ‫ب والشهادة‬ ِ ‫ الله َم و َأسألك خشيتك ِيِف الغي‬، ‫يِّل و َتوف ِيِن إِذا عل ِمت الوفاة خرْيا ِيِّل‬ ِ
َ َُ ْ ََ َٰ ْ َ ْ َْ َ ْ َْ َ ُ ْ َ َ َْ َ َ ّ ّ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ََ
‫ وأسألك‬، ‫ وأسألك القصد ِيِف الفق ِر والغِىَن‬، ‫ب‬ ِ ‫الرضا والغض‬ِ ‫وأسألك لَك ِمة احْل ِق ِيِف‬
َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ِ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ّ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َّ ْ َ َ َّ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َّ ً ْ َ
‫ وأسألك‬، ‫الرضا بعد القضاء‬ ِ ‫ وأسألك‬، ‫نْي اَّل تنق ِطع‬ ٍ ‫ وأسألك قرة ع‬، ‫نعِيما اَّل ينفد‬
179
ْ ‫يِف َغ‬ َ َ ٰ َ َ ْ َّ َ َ ْ َ ٰ َ َ َّ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َْ َْْ َ

‫رْي‬
ِ
ْ ِ ،‫ك‬
ِ ‫ والشوق إِىَل ل ِقائ‬، ‫ وأسألك ذَلة انلظ ِر إِىَل وج ِهك‬، ‫ت‬ ِ ‫بَ ْرد العي ِش َبعد ال َم ْو‬
ُ ْ ْ َ
.‫اج َعل َنا ه َداةً ُّم ْه َتد ِْي َن‬ ‫ و‬، ‫ان‬ َ ْ ْ ِ‫ ا َ ّٰلل ُه َّم َز ّي َّنا بزيْ َنة‬، ‫ض َّل ٍة‬ ُّ َ ْ َ َّ ِ ‫اء ُم‬
ِ ‫ َواَل ف ِتن ٍة م‬، ‫رِض ٍة‬ َّ َ
َ ‫رَض‬
ِ ‫اإْليم‬
ِ ِِ ِ
O Allah, with Your knowledge of the unseen and Your absolute power over the creation, let
me live in this world as long as You know my living is good for me; and give me death when
You know death is better for me. O Allah, I ask You for Your fear in secret and in public. I
ask You for the word of truth in times of joy and anger. I ask You for moderation in poverty
and wealth. I ask You for endless blessings and perpetual delights. I ask You to make me
pleased with destiny; a cool, comfortable life after death; the pleasure of gazing at Your face,
and the longing to meet You, without any painful ordeals and tribulations that misguide. O
Allah, adorn us with the beauty of faith, and make us those who guide others and are guided
themselves (Nasā’ī).
َّ ‫ بَد ِْي ُع‬، ‫ان‬

َ ‫الس َم‬ ُ َّ َ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ ٰ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ات‬
ِ ‫او‬ ‫اللهم إِ ِيِّن أسألك بِأن لك احْلمد اَل إِهٰل إِاَّل أنت المن‬
َ
َ ْ ‫ يَا َذا‬، ‫َو ْاأْل ْر ِض‬
ُّ َ ‫ يَا‬، ‫اجْل َاَل ِل َو ْاإْل ْك َر ِام‬
ُ.‫يَح يَا َق ُّي ْوم‬
ِ
O Allah, I beg You as all praise only belongs to You. There is no god worthy of worship except
You, the Giver of all good, the Originator of the heavens and the earth. O Lord of Majesty and
Honour, O the Ever Living, O the One who sustains and protects all that exists.
Anas  narrated that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah g whilst a man
was praying. The man went on to supplicate [with the above]. The Messenger of
Allah g said, “He has certainly invoked Allah by His Greatest Name. When He
is supplicated by it, He responds; and when asked by it, He gives” (Abū Dāwūd).
َّ ‫ ْاأْلَ َح ُد‬، ‫ت‬ َ ْ ‫اهّٰلل َاَل إ ٰ َهٰل إ َّاَّل َأن‬

ُ ّٰ ‫ت‬ َ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ّ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
َ ْ ‫ك َأن‬
‫الص َم ُد‬ ِ ِ ‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أسألك بِأ ِيِّن أشهد أن‬
َ ُ ُ َّ ُ َ ْ َ ‫دِل َول َ ْم يُ ْو‬
ْ ِ َ‫َّاذَّل ْي ل َ ْم ي‬
.‫ َول ْم يَك ْن ُهَّل كف ًوا أ َح ٌد‬، ‫دَل‬ ِ
O Allah, I ask You as I bear witness that You are Allah, there is no god worthy of worship except
You, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, the One who has not given birth and was not born,
and to whom no one is equal.
Buraydah al-Aslamī  said that the Messenger of Allah g heard a man supplicating
[with the above]. He g remarked, “By the One in whose Hand is my life, he has
certainly asked Allah with His Greatest Name: when He is supplicated by it, He
responds; and when asked by it, He gives” (Tirmidhī).
180
Salam: The End of An Epic Journey

Now that you have made duʿā’, turn to your right and left side, saying,
ُ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ
ِ ‫ الساَلم عليكم َورمْحة ا‬، ‫هلل‬
.‫هلل‬ ِ ‫الساَلم عليكم َورمْحة ا‬
May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you.
When performing your salām, your intention should be to convey greetings to the
angels and your fellow congregants (when praying in congregation).
Be grateful to Allah b who has allowed you to undertake this amazing journey.
Thank Him for allowing you to be from those who remember Him b and are not
drowning in heedlessness.
Always consider the ṣalāh you are praying as potentially the last one. Feel a sense
of shyness and grief about the shortcomings in your ṣalāh. Fear Allah b not
accepting it, even though you may have done your best. It may be that a single
sin acts as a barrier between you and your ṣalāh being accepted, so seek Allah’s
َ ‫ أَ ْستَ ْغف ُر‬three times. Then spend some time seated in your
forgiveness by saying ‫اهلل‬ ِ
place of prayer and recite the adhkār after ṣalāh.
Feel sad on completing your ṣalāh, for it is the end of a special journey - a journey
in which you were conversing with The Most Loving. Similarly, be careful of
becoming conceited (ʿujb) about your khushūʿ and devotion in your ṣalāh.
When Yaḥyā b. Waththāb  completed his ṣalāh, he would remain

in his place for some time afterward, and the worry of ṣalāh would
be apparent on him. Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī  would also remain in his
place for some time after the prayer, as if he was ill.
181
Reflect
Now that you have prayed, consider how the angels are at that
moment ascending to Allah  with your ṣalāh. Think of them as
being your envoys presenting your special gift in the court of the
king. What kind of gift will you present? Have you sent the least
important thing to you? Or have you given the matter careful
thought and been diligent in preparation of the gift, and sent the
best of what you have to offer?
182
When Ḥātim al-Aṣamm  was asked about his
ṣalāh, he said, “When the time for ṣalāh comes close,
I perform wuḍu thoroughly, go to the spot where I
intend to pray, and sit there until all my limbs are in a
collected state.
Then I stand up to perform my prayer, placing the

Kaʿbah in front of my eyes, the ṣirāṭ (bridge over Hell-
fire) beneath my feet, Paradise to my right and Hell-fire
to my left, and the Angel of Death behind me, thinking
all the while that this is my last prayer.
Then I stand between hope and fear. I carefully

pronounce ‘Allāhu Akbar’. Then I recite the Qur’ān
carefully in a measured pace, bow in humility, and
prostrate submissively. I then present it with sincerity
to Allah . Then I wonder whether or not my prayer
has been accepted.”
Qunut
‫يِل فِيْ َما‬ْ ‫ َو َبار ْك‬، ‫ت‬َ ْ‫يِن فِيْ َم ْن تَ َو َّيَّل‬ْ َّ‫ َوتَ َول‬، ‫ت‬ َ ْ‫يِن فِيْ َم ْن َاَع َفي‬ْ ‫ َو َاَع ِف‬، ‫ت‬َ ْ ‫يِن فِيْ َم ْن َه َدي‬ ْ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ْ ‫اه ِد‬ ‫اللهم‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ
،‫ت‬
َ ُّ َ َّ
َ ْ‫ ِإَون ُه اَل يَذِل َم ْن َّوايَل‬، ‫ك‬ َ
َ ْ َ ٰ َ ُ َ ْ ْ َ
‫ إِنك تق ِيِض واَل يقىَض علي‬، ‫ت‬
ْ َ َ َّ َ
َ ْ‫رَش َما ق َضي‬ َ
َّ ‫يِن‬ْ ‫ َو ِق‬، ‫ت‬َ ْ‫أَ ْع َطي‬
ِ
َ.‫ت َر َّب َنا َو َت َع َايَلْت‬ َ ‫ار ْك‬
َ ‫ َت َب‬، ‫ت‬ َ ْ ‫َو َاَل يَعِ ُّز َم ْن َاَع َدي‬
O Allah, guide me amongst those You have guided, grant me wellbeing amongst those You have
granted wellbeing, and befriend me amongst those You have befriended. Bless me in what You
have given me and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed: You are the One who
decrees and You are not decreed against. Whomsoever You befriend will never be disgraced,
and whomsoever You oppose will never be honoured. You are the Most Blessed, our Lord and
You are the Most Exalted (Abū Dāwūd).
ََْ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
‫ َوخَنل ُع‬، ‫رْي َواَل نكف ُر َك‬ ‫ ونؤمِن بِك ونث ِيِن عليك اخْل‬، ‫اللهم إِنا نستعِينك ونستغفِرك‬
َ َ َ ُ ‫يِّل َون َ ْس‬ َ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َّ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ
ْ
، ‫ىَع َوحَنفِ ُد‬ ْ َ
ٰ َ ‫ ِإَويَلْك نس‬، ‫ج ُد‬ ْ ّ ‫ك نُ َص‬ ‫ ول‬، ‫ اللهم إِياك نعبد‬، ‫ونرْتك من يفجرك‬
ْ ِ
ْ ُ َّ ُ ْ َّ َ َ َ َّ َ َ َ َ ٰ َ َْ َ َ ََْ َ ْ ُ ََْ
.‫ح ٌق‬ ِ ‫اجْلد بِالكفارِ مل‬
َ
ِ ‫ إِن عذابك‬، ‫ىَش عذابك‬ ‫ونرجو رمْحتك وخَن‬
O Allah, we beg You for Your help and we seek Your forgiveness. We believe in You, we praise
You highly, and we are not ungrateful to You. We move away from and leave those who disobey
You. O Allah, You Alone we worship, to You Alone we pray and prostrate, to You Alone we strive
and hasten. We hope for Your mercy and we fear Your punishment: Your severe punishment
will surely be meted out to the disbelievers (Ibn Abī Shaybah).
َ ْ َ ُ َ َ ُُ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ‫يِّن أَ ُع ْو ُذ بر َض‬
ْ ّ ‫ا َ ّٰلل ُه َّم إ‬
، ‫ َوأ ُع ْوذ بِك مِنك‬، ‫ َوأ ُع ْوذ ب ِ ُم َعافات ِك م ِْن عق ْو َبتِك‬، ‫اك م ِْن َسخ ِطك‬ ِ ِ ِِ
َ ْ َ ََٰ َ ْ َْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ً َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ
.‫ أنت كما أثنيت ىَلَع نفسِك‬، ‫اَل أح ِيِص ثناء عليك‬
O Allah, I seek protection in Your pleasure from Your anger. I seek protection in Your
forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek protection in You from Your [aforementioned anger
and punishment]. I cannot enumerate Your praise. You are as You have praised Yourself
(Tirmidhī).
184
Adhkar After Salah
َ َّ َ ْ َ ُ َ َّ َ ْ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َ ‫أَ ْستَ ْغف ُر‬

، ‫الساَل ُم‬ ‫ و ِمنك‬، ‫ اللهم أنت الساَلم‬، ‫اهلل‬ ِ (3x)
َ ْ ْ َ َ َْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ
. ِ‫اإْلكرام‬
ِ ‫تباركت يا ذا اجْلاَل ِل و‬
I seek the forgiveness of Allah (3x). O Allah, You are The Flawless and The Source of Peace,
and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, full of Majesty and Honour (Muslim).
َ ْ َ ّ ُ ٰ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ْ َْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ٰ َ
، ‫يَش ٍء ق ِدي ْ ٌر‬ ‫لُك‬
ِ ‫ هَل الملك وهَل احْلمد وهو ىَلَع‬، ‫رَشيك هَل‬ِ ‫هٰل ِإاَّل اهلل وحده اَل‬‫اَل ِإ‬
ُّ ْ َ ْ ّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ََْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ـد ِمنك اجْلَـد‬ ِ َ ‫ َواَل ينفع ذا اجْل‬، ‫ َواَل مع ِط َي لِما منعت‬، ‫اللهم اَل مانِع لِما أعطيت‬
There is no god worthy of worship but Allah. He is Alone and He has no partner whatsoever.
To Him Alone belong all sovereignty and all praise. He is over all things All-Powerful. O Allah,
there is none who can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold; and the
wealth of the wealthy does not avail them against You (Bukhārī).
َ ْ َ ّ ُ ٰ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ٰ َ
، ‫يَش ٍء ق ِدي ْ ٌر‬ ِ ‫ هَل الملك وهَل احْلمد وهو ىَلَع‬، ‫ك هَل‬
‫لُك‬ ‫اَل ِإهٰل ِإاَّل اهلل وحده اَل رَشي‬
ُ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ُ َ ْ ّ ُ َ ُ َّ َّ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُ َّ َ ِٰ َ َّ َ َّ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ
‫ هَل ا ِنلعمة وهَل الفضل‬، ‫ واَل نعبد ِإاَّل إياه‬، ‫ اَل ِإهٰل ِإاَّل اهلل‬، ‫هلل‬ ِ ‫اَل حول َواَل قوة ِإاَّل بِا‬
َ َْ َ َ ْ ّ ُ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ُ َّ َ ٰ َ ُ َ َ ْ ُ َ َّ ُ َ َ
.‫ َول ْو ك ِر َه الاَكفِ ُر ْون‬، ‫دلي َن‬
ِ ‫ اَل ِإهٰل ِإاَّل اهلل خُم ِل ِصنْي هَل ا‬، ‫وهَل اثلناء احْلسن‬
To Him Alone belong all sovereignty and all praise. He is over all things All-Powerful. There
is no power (in averting evil) or strength (in attaining good) except through Allah. There is
no god worthy of worship but Allah, and we worship Him Alone. To Him Alone belong grace,
bounteousness and noble praise. There is no god worthy of worship but Allah. We sincerely
devote our religion for Him, even though the disbelievers may dislike it (Muslim).
185
َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ّ َ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ىَلَع ِذك ِر َك َوشك ِر َك َو ُح ْس ِن ِعبَادتِك‬
ٰ ‫اللهم أ ِع ِيِّن‬
O Allah, help me in remembering You, in being grateful to You, and in worshipping You in an
excellent manner. (Abū Dāwūd).
َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
ٰ ‫ك ِم ْن أ ْن أ َر َّد ِإ‬
‫ىََل‬ ِ‫ وأعوذ ب‬، ‫نْب‬
ِ ‫ وأعوذ بِك ِمن اجْل‬، ‫اللهم ِإ ِيِّن أعوذ بِك ِمن ابْلخ ِل‬
َْ ْ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ْ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ َ
.‫رْب‬
ِ ‫اب الق‬ ِ ‫ وأعوذ بِك ِمن عذ‬، ‫ وأعوذ بِك ِمن فِتن ِة ادلنيا‬، ‫أرذ ِل العم ِر‬
O Allah, I seek Your protection from miserliness and I seek Your protection from cowardice. I
seek Your protection from being sent back to a miserable old age. I seek Your protection from
the trials of the world and I seek Your protection from the punishment of the grave (Bukhārī).
ُ َ‫ ا‬، ُ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ ُ
، (33x)
‫رَب‬ (33x)
ِ ِ ‫ احْلَمد‬،
‫هلِل‬ ‫هلل‬
ِ ‫سبحان ا‬
(33x)
َ ْ َ ّ ُ ٰ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ٰ َ
.‫يَش ٍء ق ِدي ْ ٌر‬ ِ ‫ وهو ىَلَع‬، ‫ هَل الملك وهَل احْلمد‬، ‫رَشيك هَل‬
‫لُك‬ ِ ‫اَل ِإهٰل ِإاَّل اهلل وحده اَل‬
Allah is free from imperfection (33x). All praise be to Allah (33x). Allah is the Greatest (33x).
To Him Alone belong all sovereignty and all praise. He is over all things All-Powerful.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “He who recites [the above] after every prayer
will have all his sins forgiven even if they are as abundant as the foam of the sea”
(Muslim).
Abū Hurayrah  narrated that Abū Dharr  said, “O Messenger of Allah, the
wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and
they have surplus wealth which they give in charity; but we have no wealth which
we may give in charity.” The Messenger of Allah g said, “O Abū Dharr, should I
not teach you phrases by which you acquire the rank of those who excel you? No
one can acquire your rank except one who does the same as you.” He said, “Yes
of course, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Say [the above] after each prayer”
(Abū Dāwūd).
The Messenger of Allah g said, “There are certain utterances, the repeaters of
which or the performers of which at the end of every obligatory prayer will never
be deprived of the reward: ‘Subḥānallāh’ 33 times, ‘A lḥamdulillāh’ 33 times and
‘A llāhu Akbar’ 34 times after every prayer” (Muslim).
186
َْ ْ
،‫ات َو َما ِيِف اأْل ْر ِض‬ ِ ‫و‬ َّ ‫هَل َما يِف‬
َ ‫الس ٰم‬
ِ
ُ َ ، ‫ َاَل تَأ ُخ ُذ ُه سنَ ٌة َّو َاَل نَ ْو ٌم‬، ‫وم‬
ِ ُّ َ ْ‫هٰل ِإ َّاَّل ُه َو ال‬
ُ ‫يَح الْ َق ُّي‬ َ ٰ ‫هلل َاَلٓ إ‬ ُ َ‫ا‬
ِ
ْ َ ‫حُييْ ُط ْو َن ب‬ ُ َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ُ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َّ َ ْ َ
‫يَش ٍء ِّم ْن‬ ِ ِ ‫ يعلم ما بنْي أي ِدي ِهم وما خلفهم واَل‬، ‫اذَّلي يشفع ِعنده ِإاَّل بِ ِإذنِ ِه‬ ِ ‫من ذا‬
ْ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ َّ ‫ َوس َع ك ْرس ُّي ُه‬، ‫علْم ٓه إاَّل ب َما َشا َء‬
ُ ٓ َّ
ُّ ‫ات َواأْل ْر َض َواَل يئُ ْو ُد ُه ِحف ُظ ُه َما َو ُه َو ال َع‬
.‫يِل ال َع ِظيْ ُم‬ ِ
َ ‫الس ٰم‬
‫و‬ ِ ِ ِ ِِ ِ ِ
ِ
Allah, there is no god worthy of worship but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and
protects all that exists. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him Alone belongs
whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him
except with His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and
they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over
the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the
Most Great (2:255).
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever reads [Āyah al-Kursī] after every
obligatory prayer, there is nothing that will prevent him from entering Paradise
except death” (Nasā’ī).
َّ ‫الر ْمْحٰن‬
‫الر ِحيْ ِم‬ َّ ‫ِمْسِب اهلل‬
ِ ِ
ٌ َ ُ ُ َّ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َ َّ ُ َ ٌ َ َ ُ َ ُ ْ ُ
.‫ َول ْم يَك ْن ُهَّل كف ًوا أ َحد‬، ‫دِل َول ْم يُ ْو ْدَل‬
ِ ‫ لم ي‬، ‫ اهلل الصمد‬، ‫قل هو اهلل أحد‬
Say, He is Allah, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has not given birth and was not
born, and to Whom no one is equal (112).
ِ ِ
َ َّ َّ ّ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ّ َ ْ َ ََ َ َ ّ َ ْ َ َْ ّ َ ُْ ُ َ ُْ
‫ات‬
ِ ‫اث‬‫ف‬ ‫انل‬ ‫رَش‬
ِ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬
ِ ‫و‬ ، ‫ب‬ ‫ق‬ ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫إ‬ ‫ق‬ ‫س‬
ِ ٍ ِ ِ‫اَغ‬ ‫رَش‬ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬
ِ ‫و‬ ، ‫ق‬‫ل‬‫خ‬ ‫ا‬‫م‬ ‫رَش‬
ِ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬
ِ ، ‫ق‬
ِ ‫قل أعوذ بِر ِب الفل‬
َ َ َ ْ
.‫اس ٍد ِإذا َح َس َد‬ َ ّ ‫ َوم ْن‬، ‫يِف ال ُعقد‬
ِ ‫رَش ح‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ
Say, I seek protection of the Lord of the daybreak, from the evil of what He has created, and
from the evil of the darkening night when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots,
and from the evil of the envier when he envies (113).
ِ ِ
َّ َ
‫ذَّل ْي‬
ِ ‫ ا‬، ‫اس‬
َّ َ ْ ْ ْ ّ َ ‫ م ْن‬، ‫انلاس‬
ِ ‫رَش ال َوس َو‬
ِ ‫اس اخْلن‬ َّ ٰ َّ ‫ َم ِل ِك‬، ‫اس‬ َّ ‫قُ ْل أَ ُع ْو ُذ ب َر ّب‬
ِ ْ ِ ِ ‫ إِ ِهٰل‬، ‫اس‬ ِ ‫انل‬ ِ ‫انل‬ ِ ِ
َّ َ َّ َ َّ ْ ُ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ ُ
.‫اس‬ ِ ‫اجْلن ِة وانل‬
ِ ‫ ِمن‬، ‫اس‬ِ ‫يوس ِوس ِيِف صدو ِر انل‬
Say, I seek protection of the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from
the evil of the whisperer who withdraws, who whispers in the hearts of mankind, whether they
be Jinn or people (114) (Abū Dāwūd).
187
َ َ َُ ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ ٰ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫ أ ْستَغ ِف ُر َك َوأت ْو ُب إِيَلْك‬، ‫ت‬‫ اَل إِهٰل إِاَّل أن‬، ‫سبحانك و ِحِبم ِدك‬
You are free from imperfection, and all praise is to You. There is no god worthy of worship
but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.
ʿĀ’ishah  said, “The Messenger of Allah g never sat in a gathering, or recited

Qur’ān, or performed a prayer except that he would conclude that act with these
words.” She says, “So I asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I see that you do not
sit in a gathering, recite Qur’ān or perform prayer except that you conclude with
these words?’ He replied, ‘Yes. Whoever uttered good words, then these words
[the above] will be a seal for them, and whoever uttered something evil, then
these words will be its expiation’” (Nasā’ī).
(10x after Fajr & Maghrib)
ُ ْ‫يِي َو ُيمي‬ُْ ُ ْ ْ َُ َ ُ ْ ُْ َُ َُ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُ َّ َ ٰ َ
،‫ت‬ ِ ْ ِ ‫ هَل الملك وهَل احْلَمد حُي‬، ‫رَشيك هَل‬ ِ ‫اَل‬ ‫ه‬ ‫د‬ ‫ح‬‫و‬ ‫اهلل‬ ‫اَّل‬ ِ‫اَل إِهٰل إ‬
ُّ ََ َ ُ َ
ْ َ ‫لُك‬
ٌ.‫يَش ٍء قَ ِديْر‬ ٰ ‫وهو‬
ِ ‫ىَلَع‬
To Him Alone belong all sovereignty and all praise. He gives life and He gives death. He is
over all things All-Powerful.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “Whoever says [the above] 10 times after
Maghrib and Fajr, whilst sitting in the position of tashahhud and before moving,
Allah will write 10 good deeds for him for each time he says it. (Likewise) He will
forgive 10 sins and raise 10 stages for him. It will be a shield for him against all
repulsive things and he will be guarded from Shayṭān. No sin will be allowed to
reach him that day (i.e. destroy him or invalidate his actions) except for shirk. He
will be from the best of people in terms of actions, except for the one who recites
it even more than him” (Tirmidhī).
188
(7x after Fajr & Maghrib)
َ
.‫ار‬ ‫انل‬ ْ ‫اَللّٰ ُه َّم أج ْر‬
َّ ‫يِن ِم َن‬
ِ ِ ِ
O Allah, protect me from the Hell-fire.
The Messenger of Allah g said, “When you finish Maghrib, say [the above]
seven times. If you say that and then die during that night, it will be a protection
for you. And after praying Fajr, say the same. If you die on that day, it will be a
protection for you” (Abū Dāwūd).
After Fajr
ً َ ً َ ً َّ ْ َ ُ َ َ ْ ّ َّ ُ ّٰ َ
.‫ َوع َماًل ُّمتَق َّباًل‬، ‫ َو ِر ْزقا َط ِّيبًا‬، ‫يِّن أ ْسألك ِعل ًما نافِ ًعا‬
ِ ِ‫اللهم إ‬
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, wholesome sustenance, and deeds which are
accepted (Ibn Mājah).
3x After Witr
ُّ ُ ْ ْ َ َ ْ ُ
.‫حان ال َم ِل ِك القد ْو ِس‬ ‫سب‬
How perfect is the Sovereign, the Most Holy.
After praying witr, the Messenger of Allah g would say [the above] and would
raise and extend his voice the third time (Nasā’ī).
189

1 What are the four points you should keep in mind when performing wuḍū?
2 What is the significance of raising the hands at the beginning of ṣalāh?
3 Beyond the literal translation, what do we mean when we say “Allāhu Akbar”?
4 What is the significance of lowering the head and clasping the hands during
qiyām?
5 Why is Sūrah al-Fātiḥah the key to the entire Qur’ān?
6 What emotions should you experience in rukūʿ?
7 What are the seven objectives of sujūd?
8 What is the secret of sujūd?
9 Have you memorised the duʿā’ between the two sajdahs?
10 Can you explain al-ṣalāh al-ibrāhīmiyyah beyond a simple translation?
11 Write down the translation of the tashahhud.
12 The next time you ring or meet a friend, summarise for them the section on
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah and discuss its importance in the life of the believer. Re-read
the section if necessary.
13 Can you recall how Allah b responds to each āyah you recite in Sūrah al-
Fātiḥah?
14 What emotions does Sūrah al-Fātiḥah invoke in you?
15 “Ṣalāh is the gateway to knowing and becoming deeply acquainted with Allah
b.” Can you explain this statement in detail, in light of what you have read
about the postures and various utterances of ṣalāh?
190
191
A JOURNEY THROUGH SALAH: A SUMMARY
1 WUḌŪ 5 ISTIʿĀDHAH & BASMALAH
• Recite the duʿā’ before and after wuḍū’. • Seek protection in the mighty and invincible
• Make an intention to purify yourself from three power of Allah  against your worst enemy
impurities: (1) shirk, (2) sins and (3) dirt. (shayṭān).
• When performing wuḍū, visualise: • Start by seeking Allah’s help and blessings.
a) your sins being forgiven,
b) your status being raised,
c) the eight doors of Paradise being opened,
d) the Prophet g recognising you on the 6 QIYĀM (STANDING)
Day of Judgement because of wuḍū.
• Pray two rakʿahs after wuḍū’ (taḥiyyat al- • Clasp your arms like a humble slave and lower
wuḍū’). your gaze. Do not look left nor right.
• Always recall that you are in front of Allah 
and He is talking to you.
2 WALKING TO THE MASJID

• The masjid is the most beloved of places to Allah
7 RECITING QUR’ĀN
b. Have the intention that, by walking to the
masjid, you are returning to your Master to set • Recite slowly and beautifully.
aright your negligence of Him. • Reflect on the words you are uttering and fill your
• Walk calmly and mentally prepare to enter ṣalāh. heart with love, hope and fear (depending on
what you are reciting).
• For every step you take, hope for: a) one good
deed, b) being raised a degree and c) one sin • Vary the sūrahs you have memorised.
being wiped away. • Visualise and interact with what you are reading.
• Increase your knowledge and īmān of Allah  as
you contemplate over His words.
3 TAKBĪR
• Renew your sincerity and empty your heart of

8 FĀTIḤAH
anything besides Allah .
• Strive to eliminate pride from your heart. • Learn & reflect on its meaning.
• Magnify and glorify Allah  with your tongue • Take a moment to pause at the end of each
and your heart. āyah, and think of how Allah is responding to
you.
• As you enter the court of the Almighty,
surrender to Allah  by raising your hands • Recall and reflect on the blessings Allah  has
and mentally throw the world behind you. given you through His mercy. This will increase
your love for and hope in Him (Āyah 1-2).
• Visualise your plight on the Day of Judgement
and try to feel scared (Āyah 3).
4 THE OPENING DUʿĀ’ • Feel yourself expressing your servitude and

need of Him , whilst also magnifying Him
(Āyah 4).
• Fill your heart with the greatness of Allah  • Realise your desperate need to ask Allah for
and praise Him. guidance and steadfastness upon the Straight
• Just as you are facing the qiblah with your Path (Āyah 5-7).
body, turn your heart to Allah . • Know that Sūrah Fātiḥah is one of the best
• Renew your repentance and make a firm duʿās, so learn its meaning and recite it as
intention to stop sinning. though you really mean it!
9 ĀMĪN
• Be certain that Allah  will accept your duʿā’.

• Intend for your āmīn to coincide with the āmīn
of the angels so that you are forgiven.
13 BETWEEN TWO SAJDAHS
• Sit up straight and don’t rush this step.
• Humbly plead for forgiveness. Remember that
10
you are sitting on your knees with your eyes
RUKŪʿ lowered.
• Recite and reflect on the supplication that the
• Glorify Allah  Alone. Prophet g made in this moment: for Allah 
• Bow physically and mentally. to forgive you, have mercy upon you, grant you
well-being, guide you and provide for you.
• Remove the glorification of anyone other than
Him from your heart.
• Don’t make your humility and submission to
Allah  temporary. Be humble and submit to him
outside of ṣalāh as well.
14 TASHAHHUD
• You are now bidding farewell to your ṣalāh.
11 STANDING FROM RUKŪʿ

• Respectfully greet Allah  and pay your respect
to Him.
• Send salām on the Prophet g and feel joy
• Praise Allah  once again. knowing that he replies to you.
• Fill your heart with His love, awe and majesty. • Feel a sense of brotherhood with all the believers
• Acknowledge your servitude to Him and be generally, and with the pious slaves specifically.
َّ ٰ
َ
ُ ‫هٰل إاَّل‬ َّ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ
certain that only He can give and withhold. • Renew your tawḥīd with ‫اهلل‬ ِ ِ‫ أشهد أن اَّل إ‬and
• Hope that your praise coincides with the raise your finger to demonstrate this.
praises of the angels, so that Allah  will • In the final duʿā’, enjoy another chance to ask
forgive your sins. Allah for your needs.
12 SUJŪD 15 SALĀM & END OF ṢALĀH

• Prostrate to Allah  with humility – go to
• The salām concludes this epic journey. Intend
Allah like a beggar would.
with it that you are greeting the angels and those
• Experience delight in being close to Him, as around you.
this is the closest you can get to Him on this
• Feel sad that you are now leaving your Creator
earth.
and returning to the worries of the world.
• Take advantage and make duʿā’.
• No matter how hard you’ve tried, your ṣalāh will
• Know that your sujūd will wipe away your be deficient. Thus, seek Allah’s forgiveness and
sins. recite the sunnah adhkār after ṣalāh.
• By performing more sujūd (through additional • Beware of ʿujb (self-admiration and conceit)
nafl ṣalāh), hope to be in the company of the about your ṣalāh.
Prophet g in Paradise.
• Be grateful to Allah  who has allowed you to
• As you perform this most honourable deed, undertake this amazing journey.
consider how you are triumphing over
Shayṭān, who is now crying.
• Feel honoured that you only prostrate to Him,
and not to any of His creation.
Moving Forward
Date: / / .
Describe in detail how you would like your ṣalāh to be in one year’s time, if Allah b
blesses you with life.
What practical steps by Allah’s Permission, are you going to take to make the above a
reality?
194
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“Successful indeed are the believers, who are
humble in their ṣalāh...” (23:1-2).
As the second of Islam's ﬁve pillars, ṣalāh is one of the greatest acts of
worship. Our beloved Prophet Muḥammad  described it as the ‘joy’
of his life, and it was his greatest recourse throughout his noble years
of Prophethood.
Gifted to us directly from above the seven heavens by Allah Most High,
ṣalāh remains the key to all good. Sadly today, despite its unmatched
virtues, many of us consider ṣalāh as inconvenient, and even
burdensome. Instead of ‘wanting’ to pray, we feel like we ‘have’ to.
Taste the Sweetness of Salah is a guide on how to break this apathy;

and to start immersing ourselves in ṣalāh and begin tasting its
sweetness and joy. Interlaced with stories of the righteous, it explores
how we can attain khushūʿ (complete humility and concentration) and,
thereby, delight in this lofty worship.
With its focus on the spiritual elements and inner dimensions of ṣalāh,
this book will hopefully beneﬁt every believer, regardless of where they
are in their spiritual journey.

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Second Edition

“Stand O Bilāl (and say the call to prayer),

Alhamdulillah, donors’ contributions have enabled the charity to help over 30

We envision an Ummah that is connected to the Book of Allah; that savours

Our Areas of Focus

CHAPTER 1: KHUSHŪʿ: THE KEY TO ṢALĀH 12

Allah  wants you to give your heart to Him 13

Chapter 1 Review & Reflect 42

CHAPTER 2: HOW TO DEVELOP KHUSHŪʿ: 10 STEPS BEFORE ṢALĀH 44

1. Appreciate the importance of ṣalāh 45

Chapter 2 Review & Reflect 76

CHAPTER 3: HOW TO DEVELOP KHUSHŪʿ: 10 STEPS DURING ṢALĀH 78

1. Fight Shayṭān and his whispers 79

Chapter 3 Review & Reflect 113

CHAPTER 4: A JOURNEY THROUGH ṢALĀH 116

Attending the Court of the Almighty 117

Chapter 4 Review & Reflect 190

A JOURNEY THROUGH ṢALĀH: A SUMMARY 192

We pray to Allah al-Mannān (the Great Bestower), to bless us with continuous

Dhul Hijjah 1443 AH

1 What is your purpose in life?

3 What does ṣalāh mean to you?

5 How would you describe your ‘ideal’ ṣalāh?

Allah  Wants You to Give

ʿIbādah consists of:

Every act of worship in Islam consists of both an outer manifestation (‘action of

The outer manifestation of dhikr is to utter Subḥānallāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Allāhu

There is no soundness in the hearts until the knowledge of Allah

The Deen-Race: What makes one person superior to another?

A person’s superiority to another is determined by the actions of his heart. Allah

Taqwā is to protect yourself from Allah’s wrath and punishment by avoiding

ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd  described the Companions  as the best of this ummah

A Heart Attached to Allah b: An Early Paradise

Truly in the heart there is a certain loneliness that cannot be

Submitting fully to Allah b

Khushūʿ is the humility of the heart and the subservience of the

He is The All-Powerful, The Supreme and The Ultimate King.

His Mercy and Magnificence are endless.

His Glory and Generosity are limitless.

You are weak, and He is your Lord, The Most Powerful.

You are poor, and He is your Lord, The Most Bountiful.

You desperately need Him, whilst He needs no one.

Humble yourself to Allah, The All-Mighty.

Humble yourself to His Greatness and Majesty.

Be ashamed of your sins, and lower your head in humility.

The Importance of Khushuʿ in Salah

Similarly, Allah b says,

Two rakʿahs with contemplation are better than standing up for

Once Imām al-Bukhārī  was praying and a wasp stung him 17

Is it Not Enough That I Pray

The Virtues of Khushuʿ

2 Becoming sin-free like a newborn

ʿAmr b. ʿAbasah  narrated a long ḥadīth in which he described the virtues of

3 Having previous sins forgiven

4 Earning a guarantee of Paradise

When ʿAbdullāh b. al-Zubayr  stood up to pray, he was described

The Benefits of Khushuʿ in Salah

If your ṣalāh feels like a chore, it is because there is an absence of khushūʿ

2 Khushūʿ in ṣalāh averts evil and prevents immorality

If you pray ṣalāh as it is ought to be prayed, fulfilling its conditions and