Al-Qaasimee (rahimahullaah) said: It is desirable that you renew the mention of the Greatness of Allaah the Sublime during them, that you strive to soften your heart, renew your khushoo’ and that you sense and realise the power of your Master and His transcendency and then your own lowliness and insignificance. Seek help from Allaah to establish all of that in your heart and upon your tongue. Glorify Allaah (above all defects) then give testimony for His Grandeur and that He is mightier than every single thing. Repeat this so that it is confirmed and established (in your heart). By saying: Allaah listens to the one who praises Him, which means He will respond to the one who is grateful to Him, you raise your head from the rukoo’ with certain hope. Then follow that with additional gratefulness by saying: O Lord to You belongs all praise. Then fall into prostration which is the highest form of submission and yielding oneself (to Allaah). Place and fix the noblest of your limbs, the face, upon the lowest of things and that is the dust. Along with this renew in your heart the greatness of Allaah and say: Glorified is my Lord the Highest then raise your head while declaring His greatness and asking Him for your need by saying: O Lord forgive me and show mercy to me. Confirm your modesty and humility by repeating this a number times and then return to the sujood for a second time.

The Tashahhud

Al-Ghazaalee said: When you sit then sit courteously and declare that all of what you express is from the salawaat and the tayyibaat, that is from the pure characteristics of Allaah. Likewise, that the dominion belongs to Allaah, and this the meaning of tahiyyaat. Recall in your heart the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his noble personality when you say: Peace be upon the Prophet and the Mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Send peace upon yourself and upon all of Allaah’s sincere slaves. Then testify to the oneness of the Exalted and to the messengership of Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) thereby, renewing the covenant with Allaah the Sublime with these two words of testification. Send prayers upon the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam), like those of Ibraheem and then seek refuge in Allaah from the four things: Punishment of the Fire, punishment of the grave, the trial of life and death and the trial of Dajjaal, the Maseeh. Then with the final salutations, intend peace and security for the angels and those besides you. Feel grateful to Allaah for giving you success and capability over this act of obedience. Fill yourself with awe and humility because you might have been negligent in your prayer and fear that it may not be accepted from you, that you might be disliked for a sin that you committed and as a result of which your prayer is thrown back at your face. Along with all of this hope that Allaah will accept your prayer with His Generosity and Bounty.

This then, is the explanation of the prayer of the khaashi’een, those who are humble and submissive in their prayers, the ones who guard their prayers, the ones who are constant in offering them, the ones who converse with Allaah to the extent that they are able to become enslaved to Him. Let the worshipper turn himself to this prayer, let him rejoice to the extent to which it has been made easy for him and let him be grieved to the extent that the prayer has passed him by, and let him strive to find the cure for that.