KHUSYU = HUMBLE, SUBMISSIVE, AND FILLED WITH ANXIETY

For a long time, many Muslims have associated khusyu with complete concentration, fully understanding every verse being recited, and cutting off all thoughts related to worldly matters. However, I personally question whether such a definition truly comes from Allah’s guidance (Al-Haqq) or is merely a human interpretation.

Etymologically, the word khusyu derives from the root letters KHA – SHA – ‘AIN (خ - ش - ع). Through a reflective (tadabbur) approach to the verses, I classify the manifestation of khusyu into two dimensions:

1. Physical/External Dimension

A state of outward submission and humility, as described in QS. Taha: 108:

يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥۖ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلۡأَصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسۡمَعُ إِلَّا هَمۡسٗا

“On that Day they will follow the caller without deviation, and all voices will be humbled before the Most Merciful; you will hear nothing but a whisper.”

Here, khusyu describes a visible condition of lowered posture and subdued sound a tangible expression of submission.

2. Psychological/Mental Dimension

An inner state of feeling lowly and powerless before the Lord, as illustrated in QS. Ash-Shura: 45:

وَتَرَىٰهُمۡ يُعۡرَضُونَ عَلَيۡهَا خَٰشِعِينَ مِنَ ٱلذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرۡفٍ خَفِيّٖۗ

“And you will see them being exposed to it, humbled with disgrace…”

In this verse, khusyu reflects an inward emotional state a deep awareness of one’s weakness and vulnerability before Allah.

The Condition of Khusyu

I emphasize that the “key” to understanding true khusyu lies in QS. Al-Anbiya: 90. In this verse, the characteristics of those who are khusyu are explained through three main indicators:

1. They hasten toward good deeds – possessing a strong ethic of action.
2. They pray with hope (raghaban) – having strong desire and optimism for Allah’s solution.
3. They pray with fear (rahaban) – feeling anxious, uneasy, and worried if they do not receive His help.

The verse states:

فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ وَأَصۡلَحۡنَا لَهُۥ زَوۡجَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبٗا وَرَهَبٗاۖ وَكَانُواْ لَنَا خَٰشِعِينَ

“So We responded to him, and We granted him Yahya, and We made his wife fertile for him. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate to Us in hope and fear, and they were humble (khāshi‘īn) before Us.”

Khusyu as “Problem Solving”

Therefore, true khusyu is not “static calmness,” but rather “dynamic emotional engagement.” Logically speaking, no human being can completely freeze their thoughts, because humans are alive and conscious. Only the dead experience total stillness of mind.

From these three verses, we understand that khusyu is a combination of desire (hope) and anxiety (fear). Thus, prayer (shalat) is not a place to forget problems, but a place to bring problems before Allah with intense emotional awareness.

This explains why many worldly matters are sometimes unexpectedly resolved during prayer even something as simple as remembering where a lost key was placed. This challenges the assumption held by some teachers, scholars, preachers, and religious figures who define khusyu as disconnecting from worldly thoughts entirely, or as perfect concentration. According to that view, remembering worldly matters during prayer indicates a lack of khusyu or temptation from Satan.

On the contrary, the story of Yahya and his wife in QS. Al-Anbiya: 90 shows that worldly concerns are precisely what should be brought into prayer. Often during prayer, when a person remembers a problem and then discovers its solution, that moment becomes a form of two-way communication between servant and Creator a genuine process of seeking divine guidance and problem-solving.

Conclusion

Khusyu is total submission accompanied by emotional turbulence hope and fear intertwined. A khusyu prayer does not have to be sterile from worldly thoughts; rather, it becomes a sacred space where a person deeply feels their need for Allah in resolving their worldly anxieties.

In other words, khusyu is an honest mental condition an acknowledgment of human fragility before God.

@AbuMusa2026