Towards the Attainment of Khushoo.

Khushoo' fis-Salaah. The Importance of The Attainment of Khushoo. This subject has been rather on my mind a lot of late. When I first reverted, I didn't realise that prayer was so important, even though I had it explained to me, (luckily, I wasn't overloaded with too much information, as can be the case with new reverts) at the beginning. My husband explained to me in stages, just how important it is to pray. I'd recieved a prayer pack, from a sister, when I married 10 days after I reverted, which included a cotton prayer rug with directions for perfoming the prayer, and the prayer itself. So I started to pray, except I preferred to pray alone, as I was shy doing in front of d/h, even though he helped, because I didn't know how to pronounce any of it, and I'd always hated "performing" in front of anyone (I used to sing )... Over the months since then, my prayers were not very regular, and I'd only ever used prayer (pre-islamic days) in time of need or grief, and I didn't really understand the spiritual meaning and importance of prayer. That part of the understanding of prayer and khushoo, only came gradually in stages.. It slowly dawned on me that prayer was one of the 5 pillars of Islam for a reason, and a very good reason, at that... Because Allah wa ta'Ala, enjoins it... We do it because we fear Allah. Along with this realisation, came the feeling of a short of shyness, which is very hard to explain. I noticed when I did pray, how my faith would become stronger and the need to pray became so strong, it became paramount in my life. That was about the time I came across the word "khushoo", and I was intrigued by it, because even though I was aware that prayer should not be "empty" , didn't know what the guidleines were. "Verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us." and He said: "And for the men and women who humble (before their Lord - Allaah.. Allaah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward." The most honourable worshippers who preserve it, are those of the believers having been described with al-Khushoo', as He says: "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their prayer with al-Khushoo" And those endowed with knowledge have been described with al-Khushoo' and truthful speech, as He says: "Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it was recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord, must be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility." he foundation of al-Khushoo' is: Soft-heartedness, tranquillity, humility, subserience and yearning. So when the hearthas Khushoo', it is followed by the Khushoo' of all the limbs and bones, since they follow the heart, as the Prophet, salallahu alaihi wa sallem, said: "Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, if it is sound, then the whole body is sound and if it be corrupt, then the whole body is corrupt. Indeed it is the heart." So when the heart has Khushoo' then the everything of that person, from the 5 senses to EVERYTHING that makes that person, has Khushoo', such that to the extent that the Prophet, salallahu alaihi was sallem, would sayin the rukoo of the Prayer: "Humbled to Your are my hearing, my seeing, my marrow, my bone." In another narration: "And whatever my feet carry." So when we next pray, let as be aware of al-Khushoo' and how it is so important to develop this important trait within ourselves and make our appoach toward Allah, wa ta'Ala, more worthy, amin.