al-Khushu fi al-Salah fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safeer Press
al-Khushu fi al-Salah fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah (Humility in Prayer in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a specialized treatise on devotional humility and attentiveness (khushu) in Islamic ritual prayer by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) .
Composition and Sources
The work was completed on the afternoon of Saturday, 20 Jumada al-Akhirah 1430 AH (June 13, 2009 CE) . In its full subtitle, the author describes it as an examination of the concept, distinctions, virtues, knowledge, practice, benefits, causes, etiquettes, and legal rulings pertaining to khushu . As noted in the treatise, al-Qahtani drew extensively upon the scholarly analyses and legal preferences of his teacher, Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz .
Structure and Contents
The treatise is organized into twenty-one thematic sections (mabahith) :
- Sections 1–5: The linguistic and legal definitions of khushu; the distinction between genuine humility born of faith and superficial humility rooted in hypocrisy; khushu as both beneficial knowledge and righteous deed; its virtues; and conceptual distinctions between khushu, awe (wajal), devout obedience (qunut), tranquility (sakinah), humble submission (ikhbat), and inner stillness (tuma'ninah) .
- Sections 6–10: The legal ruling (hukm) of khushu in prayer; its station within worship; the ruling on wandering thoughts and satanic whisperings (waswasah); khushu as an integral aspect of establishing prayer; and warnings against neglecting it .
- Sections 11–13: Attentive prayer as a source of joy and inner comfort; the contemplative stations within prayer; and the various categories of worshippers in their levels of attentiveness .
- Sections 14–16: Historical models of devotional humility, examining the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions, and the Successors (Tabi'un) .
- Sections 17–20: Khushu during Quranic recitation inside and outside prayer; the degrees and spiritual fruits of humility; and how it enables the worshipper to experience the sweetness of prayer .
- Section 21: Practical causes and measures that remove heedlessness and foster khushu .
The final section is the most extensive, detailing fifty-three distinct causes and practical steps to attain and preserve khushu . These include spiritual foundations such as knowing God and treating hardness of the heart, alongside behavioral etiquettes such as repeating the words of the muezzin, walking to the mosque with composure, avoiding unnecessary movement or glancing around, refraining from looking upward or resting the forearms flat in prostration, varying the opening supplications and Quranic passages, supplicating earnestly at designated postures, perfecting ritual purification, and maintaining post-prayer remembrances and regular voluntary prayers (al-sunan al-rawatib) .
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