Understanding prayer helps restore khushuʿ
“Understand what you're reading and it makes you love the prayer.”
Maintaining khushuʿ after Ramadan requires guarding the heart, preparing consciously for prayer, understanding its words, removing distractions, seeking Allah’s help, and remembering death.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines taqwa and reflects on post-Ramadan spiritual self-assessment.
- Defines khushuʿ as humility, stillness, attentiveness, and awareness of Allah in prayer.
- Uses stories of Abad ibn Bishr, Musa, and Abu Hanifa to illustrate deep devotion.
- Explains that avoiding sin and increasing good deeds strengthens khushuʿ.
- Offers practical advice on wudu, Quran comprehension, slowing prayer, distractions, supplication, and remembering death.
- Closes by connecting excellence in prayer with accountability in the Hereafter and prays for oppressed Muslims.
In the khateeb's words
“the less sinning you do, the less haram you do, and the more good you do, the more you feel a connection to God.”
“Understand what you're reading and it makes you love the prayer.”
“No, you disconnect from the world to connect to Allah. And change your perspective of Salah. Make it a gift and an appointment with God and we all want to meet God and talk to Allah.”
For the dinner table
The khateeb invited us to reflect on our prayer after Ramadan and keep nurturing the closeness to Allah we may have felt during that month. He explained that khushua means praying with humility, calmness, attention, and awareness of Allah. Caring for our hearts means leaving sins, doing good, and returning to Allah for forgiveness when we make mistakes. He offered practical steps: make wudu calmly, prepare our minds, learn the meanings of what we recite, slow down, and silence distracting devices. He encouraged us to see prayer as a gift and an appointment with Allah, and to ask Allah for help remembering Him, thanking Him, and worshipping Him well.
- What could help you feel calmer and more ready before your next prayer?
- Which short surah would you like us to learn the meaning of together?
- What would you like to ask Allah to help you with in your prayer?
More on Prayer & worship
The remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something very powerful.9:18ISCN · Corona, CA · Oct 24, 2026Knowing Allah makes worship joyful
Ali Khan Center · Suitland, MD · Oct 10, 2026Give the weekly prayer your full attention“Don't just time it so you get maybe five-minute kutbah and a five-minute salat, and you're out in 10 minutes.”
Don't set your floor at your peak time, like in Ramadan.19:52Al-Noor · Santa Clara, CA · Oct 24, 2026Build a sustainable spiritual floor