Khushoo’ of the Sahaba

Mujahid-rahimahullah- said:

“When one of them (sahaba) 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.”

[Al Khushoo’ fis-salah by Ibn Rajab al hanbali]

When ‘Abdullah Ibn Zubayr-Allah be pleased with him- stood up to pray, he would be like a stick (ie immobile) with Khushoo’. Once he was prostrating when a missile from a catapult was launched at him, when Makkah was being beseiged, and part of his garment was torn away whilst he was praying, but he did not even raise his head.

S’ad Ibn Mu’adh- Allah be pleased with him- said:

“I have 3 qualities which I wish I could keep up all the time, then I would really be something. When I am praying, I do not think about anything except the prayer I am doing; If I hear any hadith from Messenger of Allah- SAW- I do not have any doubts about it; and when I attend a Janazah(funeral), I do not think about anything except what the Janazah says and what is said to it.

[Majmoo’ al Fatawa li-Ibn Taymiyah]

Hatim-RA- said;

“I carry out what I am commanded; I walk with the fear of Allah in my heart; I start with the (correct) intention; I magnify and glorify Allah; I recite at a slow and measured pace, thinking about the meaning; I bow with Khushoo’; I prostrate with humility; I sit and recite the complete tashahhud; I say Salam with the (correct) intention; I finish with sincerity towards Allah; and I come back fearing that (my prayer) has not been accepted from me, so I continue to strive until I die.”

[Al Khushoo’ fis-salah by Ibn Rajab al hanbali]

When the time for prayer came, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib- Allah be pleased with him- would be visibly shaken, and the colour of his face would change. It was said to him, “What is the matter with you?”

He said, “By Allah, there has come the time of the [Trust]:

…إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الاٌّمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الإِنْسَـنُ

Truly, We did offer the Amanah to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it…”  Al Qur’an 33:72

Source: 33 ways of developing Al Khushoo’