A SIGN OF KHUSHŪ

 FAJR REMINDER: A SIGN OF KHUSHŪ‘

By: Umm Affān

Rabī' Al-Awwal 8, 1448 (21-August-2026)

Crying during prayer does not, in itself, invalidate the prayer. On the contrary, tears that flow out of fear of Allāh, love for Him, hope in His Mercy, or deep reflection upon the Qur’ān are a manifestation of Khushū‘—humble reverence, solemnity, and complete submission before Allāh. Rather than being a flaw, such tears may indicate that the heart has been deeply affected by what it recites and hears.

Ibn Juzayy (Raḥimahullāh) beautifully explained the reality of Khushū‘, saying: “Humble submission (Khushū') is a state of heart, which results from fear of Allāh, awareness that Allāh is watching, and humility before the Greatness of the Lord, may He be glorified and exalted. The impact of that is seen in the limbs, which become still, and also includes focusing on the prayer, not looking around, weeping, and beseeching.” [Tafsīr Ibn Juzayy 2/48]

Indeed, one of the clearest examples of crying during Ṣalāh is found in the prayer of the best of creation, our beloved Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). He was the greatest of those who knew Allāh, feared Him, loved Him, and submitted to Him, yet he would weep during his prayer. Abū Muṭarrif reported: “I saw the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) while he was praying. His chest made a sound like a boiling pot of water from his crying.” [Sunan Abī Dāwūd 904]

However, it is important to understand that not crying does not mean that a person has failed to attain Khushū‘. Khushū‘ is fundamentally a state of the heart, and people differ in how they express what they experience inwardly. Many of the Ṣaḥābah (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhum) described aspects of the Prophet’s prayer without mentioning that he wept. Yet there is no doubt that he was the foremost of mankind in fearing Allāh and submitting humbly to Him.

At the same time, a person should not deliberately manufacture tears merely to appear more humble before others. Genuine Khushū‘ cannot be created through pretence or performance. When Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn (Raḥimahullāh) was asked about making oneself weep loudly during congregational prayers in the mosque to create an atmosphere of Khushū‘, he replied: “Making oneself cry artificially—as some people do—is not prescribed in Islāmic teachings... pretending to weep is something that is not prescribed and is not appropriate; rather what is required is to reflect on the Words of Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted, with sincerity and understanding the meaning...” [Al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri 5/8]

The goal, therefore, should not be to make ourselves cry. Rather, we should strive to make our hearts sincere, attentive, and conscious of the One before whom we are standing. When the heart is genuinely affected, the tears may come naturally.

But what if a person cries during Ṣalāh because of personal problems—grief, stress, loss, hardship, or some other worldly concern? Does this invalidate the prayer? The scholars agree that crying out of fear of Allāh does not invalidate the prayer. However, they differed regarding some details related to crying for worldly reasons. This distinction is important because not every form of crying during Ṣalāh has the same ruling.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn (Raḥimahullāh) also said: “...If the crying results from remembering a personal misfortune that has occurred, or something similar, then this invalidates the prayer. This is because something external to the prayer has intruded into it. It is obligatory upon the person to restrain himself from this crying so that he does not invalidate his prayer. It has been legislated for him not to concern himself with anything unrelated to the prayer. He should not think about other matters, since thinking about matters that are not connected to the prayer greatly diminishes the reward of the prayer.” [al-Fatāwā Nūr ‘alā ad-Darb. Vol. 9, Pg. 141]

Dear brethren, do not be ashamed of tears that genuinely flow for the Sake of Allāh. If a verse touches your heart, if the remembrance of Allāh overwhelms you, or if you contemplate your sins, His Mercy, His Greatness, or the Day on which you will stand before Him, allow your heart to respond sincerely.

Do not become so concerned about whether you are crying that you forget the One before whom you are standing. The objective is not tears themselves; the objective is Khushū‘—a heart that is humble, attentive, submissive, and conscious of its Lord. Sometimes, tears are simply a sign that the heart is present. Therefore, do not worry merely because you cry in Ṣalāh. Rather, be concerned about a heart that has become so hard that it is never moved by the remembrance of Allāh or the Words of His Book.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ) to soften our hearts, grant us sincere Khushū‘ in our prayers, and make our Ṣalāh a source of nearness to Him. Aameen.