#kushoo

Set aside 5 or so minutes before each salah to make dhikr. This will bring your focus back to Allah from whatever you have been doing.

Pause after each verse of the Fatihah. This is sunnah: “Abu Dawood (4001) and at-Tirmidhi (2927) narrated that Umm Salamah said: the Messenger of Allah (swt) used to interrupt his recitation, so he would recite ‘AlhamdullilahiRabbil’Alameen’ then pause; ‘ar-RahmaanirRaheem’ then pause.” Ibn al-Jazari (ra) said this is a hasan Hadith and it’s isnad is sahih, and al-Albaani said it’s sahih. If Arabic is not your mother tongue, say each verse to yourself in your language after you recite in Arabic, so that you understand the meaning of what you’re saying and connect more personally to the conversation you’re having with your Rabb.

Learn some dua to say in salah. It’s helpful to have a pocket-sized copy of Hisnul Muslim that you can read from. Start with the dua after the first takbir and before Fatihah.

Abu Huraira reported: the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “the servant is closest to his Lord during sujood, so increase your supplications therein” (sahih muslim 482). Learn dua from the sunnah or make your own dua in sujood. Ask for sincerity and focus in your salah.

Read about how the Prophet (saw) would pray and try to emulate this. This will mean you’re focusing on every action in your salah. (A good source is al-Albaanis “the Prophets prayer”)

Pray sunnah prayers. (2 rakats before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after dhuhr, 2 after maghrib, 2 after isha).

Walaikom Assalam wa Rahmahtullahi wa Barakatuhu :D

I have a few posts that relate to kushoo :) For some reason hyperlinks aren’t working for me atm sooo here ya go

Making Salah More Beneficial:

http://formyummah.tumblr.com/post/144776204013/salam-i-hope-you-can-give-me-advice-im-muslim

A Whole BOOK on Khushoo:

https://www.kalamullah.com/salah.html

Another BOOOOOK on Kushoo:

http://www.muslim-library.com/dl/books/english_33_Ways_of_developing_Khushoo_in_Salaah.pdf

Some general posts that may be beneficial:

http://formyummah.tumblr.com/tagged/kushoo

Assalam Alaikom,

The connection could be an issue with a low iman. Read all about improving iman here.

However, it could also be a need to perfect salaah/kushoo (concentration in salaah):

Tips for Improving Salaah

Kushoo Advice

These should help, but if they don’t let me know so we can try to figure out what’s going :D

Walaikom Assalam wa Rahmahtullahi wa Barakatuhu:)

Like any salah, kushoo (concentration) is very important in taraweeh. Specific to taraweeh, here are some suggestions (geared towards the masjid)

Kushoo in Taraweeh

THE BEST TIP: Read with the imam. Follow the recitation in the Quran.

Read the surahs the imam will be reciting beforehand

Focus on the meaning of the ayat

Don’t eat too much before taraweeh

Keep your eyes on the place where you will make sujood

Dress nicely & comfortably

Brush your teeth before you go

Don’t wear heavily perfumed clothing (or food smelling)

Take deep breaths in salah

If you’re distracted by kids, bring coloring sheets of Ramadan themed stuff for them to attempt to keep them busy

Be positive. Do not think “AHH so long, so slow, so tired”. Think of the reward

Think about what your saying & mean it

Bring water to drink in between rakat sets

Listen and reflect on the khatirah (little sermon between the middle of taraweeh)

Make adhkar while going to the masjid & after each set of rakat

Make dua for ihsan & concentration

Pray in the front row!!

Remember this: You are praying in front of your Lord, King of all mankinds. When your mind wonders, remember who you are bowing to, who you are praying for, why you are doing that action

Tips for Taraweeh

Walaikom Assalam sis,

Firstly, we all have to remember that salat is really truly for ourselves. During times when you’re overwhelmed & stressed out that’s when you really have to work hard to make salat. Even if you’re praying mindlessly, that means you must work on focusing during salat and keeping your obligation to Allah. There is no excuse for missing salat when we are able to do so.

When we miss salat, nothing else will align. We will feel restless. If we are stressed out already, we will be more stressed. Salat is a cure to so many problems, we just have to give ourselves a chance to really perfect our salat - so that we can worship our Lord and benefit our iman.

Here are some techniques to make salat more beneficial to your soul:

Pray in a quiet, serene area (find an empty room that doesn’t have crazy colors and loud noises close to you). Make sure it’s not smelly or hot (if you can).

Be as comfortable as possible. So if you need to use the restroom before, go. Take of your jewelry so it’s not a huge distraction. If your throat is dry get some water, etc.

Pray as soon as possible, don’t delay it just because you can

Make sure you make wudu properly, and do not rush through it

Clean your teeth prior to salat (it’s a sunnah)

Dress yourself in a particular way that prepares you to face your Lord (like for me, I have a prayer set .. even when I’m wearing abaya I try to wear this because it changes my mentality)

Before you say “Allahu Akbar” clear your mind as best as you can. Make niyyah and focus on where you are. Relax your shoulders and get yourself in God conscious state

Keep your eyes on the place that you will make sujood

Make a lot of dua in sujood

Go through the motions slowly, pause when necessary.

Think about the meanings of the surahs you’re reciting - reflect on it

Afterwards, make dhikr and recite ayatul Kursi. Rushing away from salat can become a bad habit. Reflect on the moments of the day that you were grateful for and what can be improved

Please read this online version of a great book on Kushoo (concentration in salat) for more help

Secondly, feeling these emotions about Islam shows that your iman is dipping low a bit. This happens to everyone. Our iman (faith) is something we must constantly be considering. If we reach a high point in our iman, that’s great, but unless were continue to nurture that, it will go down. So I really suggest investing in improving your iman. It’s something we must do regularly.

Here are some iman boosters (read another list here):

Repent to Allah for your previous sins

Get past the issues you’ve had before, beating yourself up is often not motivating in moving forward - get optimistic

Read more Quran

Make more dua

Make more dhikr (remembrance of Allah) (more here)

Pray sunnah prayers

Pray tahajjud

Fast more (Mondays and Thursdays are a sunnah to fast)

Surround yourself with those who are also striving to improve themselves as Muslims

Go to the masjid more

Watch/listen to Islamic lectures (I personally love Nouman Ali Khan & Omar Suleiman)

Read about jannah

Read about the stories of the prophets (peace be upon them all)

Choose a few goals (improve modesty, be more kind, cuss less, etc) and go after them

Study hadith and implement more sunnahs in your life

Read more about hijab

Read about the pious women of our religion (Maryam, Khadijah, Aisha, etc. (may allah be pleased with all of them))

Do more charity work (whether it’s physical volunteering or donations [list here])

Give your friends gifts related to Islam (perfect for Ramadan)

Work on destroying your sinful habits (part of this is just doing more good anyway)

Read more books on Islam

Thirdly, if we act on temporary feelings - those actions will haunt us. Right now, your iman is a bit low, you’re feeling overwhelmed, and if that leads you to taking off hijab or losing parts of what hijab means to you, you will regret that once you’re iman is higher. I firmly suggest to read more about hijab and reflect on what it means to you. If you feel it’s purpose (to remind you of your deen) is not being completed, then work on that :D Our religion is something we must attend to continuously and there is no shame in renewing intentions and starting over again. 

There are so many people who miss salat and think nothing of it, so clearly Allah’s mercy on you was to make you feel as though something needs to change. Alhumdulillah.

Don’t forget, Ramadan is coming and during that month your iman will have easier chances to be improved - but - don’t wait for Ramadan to begin to improve :)

I’ve compiled some stuff i found on the internet to answer your question:

“Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2] – i.e., fearing Allaah and in a calm manner. 

Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquillity, dignity and humility. What makes a person have this khushoo’ is fear of Allaah and the sense that He is always watching. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Daar al-Sha’b edn., 6/414). Khushoo’ means that the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission. (al-Madaarij, 1/520).It was reported that Mujaahid said: “’…and stand before Allaah with obedience” [al-Baqarah 2:238 – interpretation of the meaning]’ – part of obedience is to bow, to be solemn and submissive, to lower one’s gaze and to humble oneself out of fear of Allaah, may He be glorified.” (Ta’zeem Qadr al-Salaah, 1/188).The site of khushoo’ is the heart, and its effects are manifested in the physical body. The various faculties follow the heart: if the heart is corrupted by negligence or insinuating whispers from Shaytaan, the worship of the body’s faculties will also be corrupt. The heart is like a king and the faculties are like his troops who follow his orders and go where they are commanded. If the king is deposed, his followers are lost, which is like what happens when the heart does not worship properly.”

To increase kushu:

Increase your Khushoo’ by knowing that Allaah responds to prayers

Placing the right hand on the left hand on your chest.Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the meaning of placing one hand on top of the other when standing in prayer. He said: “It is humility before the Almighty.” (Al-Khushoo’ fi’l-Salaah by Ibn Rajab, p. 21)Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The ‘ulamaa’ said: the meaning of this posture is that it is the attitude of the humble petitioner, it is more likely to prevent fidgeting, and it is more conducive to khushoo’.” (Fath al-Baari, 2/224).

Increase your khushoo’ by thinking of how the previous generations were when they prayed. This will increase one’s khushoo’ and motivate one to follow their example. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “When one of them stood in prayer, he would be too fearful of his Lord to allow his eyes to be drawn to anything, or to turn aside or to fidget by playing with pebbles or anything else or to think of any worldly matter, unless he forgot, during prayer.” (Ta’zeem Qadr al-Salaah, 1/188)