All of my life, I've always felt that I possessed more than my fair share of concentration and attention-to-detail. Little did I know that upon taking my Shahada, that my limits of unparaleled single-mindedness of purpose would be put to the ultimate test every time I stood up to perform my salah.

One minute I was focused on the task at hand, and the next my mind was off on a fanciful flight into never-never land. All of a sudden I remembered where my keys were, wondered if I had paid the gas bill and contemplated what I would be cooking for dinner.

What was I to do? For Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And offer the salahs perfectly at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night (i.e., the five compulsory salahs). Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful." (11:114) Offering the salah perfectly, this was my challenge. Later I was relieved to find out that I was not the only one struggling with this command of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, and that He, in His limitless Mercy through the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, had given us the means of accomplishing this task. Allah says, "And seek help in patience and in salah. Truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi'un (those who have devotion)." (2:45)

Khushu' means devotion, humility, awe and the full awareness of Allah. About it the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, told us that it would be the first thing taken from his nation, so much so, that when one entered the masajid, one would not be able to find anyone there who possessed Khushu'. All of us can identify with this hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, from what we have seen of others and from what we can acknowledge in ourselves. There are strategies, set forth in the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions, that if implemented will increase us in Khushu' and enable us to perform the salah perfectly. There are numerous examples, but let us take a look at the following: preparing for salah; waiting for the salah; reciting the Qur'an correctly and remembering death.

If any one of us were invited to meet with someone who is important, like the president of the company for which we worked, he would make sure that his hair and clothing were neat and clean. He would take special care to make sure that he smelled and looked his best. yet how many of us roll out of bed in the mornings, barely making the proper wudou, and feeling perfectly fine in standing in front of the Lord of the Universe in our pajamas. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, advised us to wear our best clothes when going to the masjid to offer salatul jumuah. He also taught us to make the wudou properly. When we make wudou, we should pay attention to what we are doing, and not go about it haphazardly, becuse it serves not only to cleanse us, but also to prepare us psychologically for the task we are about to perform.

When we finish with our wudou, we should sit quietly and wait for the muathin to pronounce the time for the salah. We should not be talking or joking or catching up on work or school assignments, but we should be repeating his words and contemplating them in our hearts. Between the athan and the iqamah is the best time to make du'aa to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. By staying mindful of Allah before the salah, it will be easier to do so within it.

At the start of the first takbeer, we should be aware that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, is watching over us. Even though we can not truly see Him, we should be aware that He sees us. He knows if we are truly present, in our minds and hearts or not. One of the ways to be truly present in the prayer, is to recite the Qur'an properly and with understanding. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, would recite the Qur'an one verse at a time in a slow and methodical manner. He never rushed his recitation, for Allah says, "...and recite the Qur'an (aloud) in a slow, pleasant tone and style." (73:4)

When the companions stood in salah, they would sweat and shake and cry, out of fear and hope in Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. We, on the other hand, go through our salah like robots, with our hearts and minds busy somewhere else. The best way to cure this is to remember death. If you knew this was your last salah, how would you perform it? This level of attentiveness and awareness of Allah is what we should be striving for, every time we stand to make the salah.

For the believers, the first thing they will be called to account for on ethe Day of Judgment will be their salah. If this is in order, then the rest of their affairs will be in order. By developing Khushu', we can offer the salah perfectly, and in doing so we can safeguard our affairs in this life and the next.