Tips to Improve your concentration (Khushoo') in Prayer

Have you ever wondered why you reach for the same mug when you make a cup of coffee? Have you realised you usually do the same thing in the mornings and your day pans out in a structured routine. If you track your day and your week you realise man is a creature of habit. Even our Dua and tasbeeh are in a routine. We read the same Surahs from the Quran in every prayer. With worship being treated as another chore and another routine.

1) Reflect and understand what you are reciting.

Do they, then, not reflect on the Qur'an? Or are there locks on their hearts? Quran 47:24

With these words from the Quran we learn a very important aspect of the Quran is understanding it and reflecting on it's meanings. In fact it is a Sunnah act to pause at the end of every verse to reflect on it as it is mentioned in the following Hadith narrated by Ibn Al-Qayim:

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to interrupt his recitation, pausing at the end of every verse, so he would say: “Al-hamdu Lillahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen (All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)),” and pause; “ar-Rahmaan ir-Raheem (The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)”, and pause; "...

Another aspect of being able to understand the Quran is knowing sufficient Arabic to understand what you are reciting in prayer so you'd not only be more conscious in prayer but the words of the Quran can penetrate your heart. In addition carrying what you while making a conscious decision of what you will recite will help improve your concentration and awareness while in prayer.

2) Awareness that Allah Sees you

Remind yourself frequently that God sees all you do. Having Taqwa (consciousness of God) is a hallmark of a Muslim, it encourages him to perform good while helping him to prevent committing any sins. It's a characteristic that'll help not only during your prayer but your daily lives as well.

While praying the best practice is to consider God in front of you. Death as being behind you, ready to leave this world at any moment. Heaven on your right side with all its beauty and pleasures. Hell on your left with its heat and punishments.

3) Make lots of Duaa

Prayer is not only a means to worship Allah and completing an obligation but is an excellent opportunity to connect and talk directly to God, make use of this time to ask of anything you wish, praise God and send salutations upon our prophet Muhammed (pbuh).

4) Perform your Wudu with care

Wudu in of itself is an act of worship as it is so much more than just that. It is the spiritual cleansing, washing away your sins to prepare you for another form of worship, ie. Salah. Having the right intention when performing Wudu, keeping in mind you're preparing yourself for prayer and of the benefits of performing of Wudu.

5) Being in the right state of mind

Just like performing Wudu with care is an important step to being ready for prayer, being in the right state of mind is just as important. Reminding yourself of the importance and benefits of prayer as well as physically being ready by not postponing your prayers so late that you rush through them or you're too tired and lazy by the time you get round to it.

Being disciplined in praying your prayers as soon as possible will not only help with your prayers but will help in keeping your discipline for your worldly affairs as well.