Y10 Lesson 1 The Prophet’s ﷺ Salah & Why We Lack Khushu

A lesson on the ṣalāh and khushūʿ of our beloved Prophet ﷺ, why we struggle with khushūʿ, and the healing power of ṣalāh.

• The ṣalāh of our beloved Prophet ﷺ: The lesson draws on accounts from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and the Hadith of Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه to describe how the Prophet ﷺ prayed his weeping, his prolonged standing after rukūʿ, his lowered head, and the account of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه of finding him praying and crying under a tree until the morning of Badr.
• Why we lack khushūʿ: Four causes are examined: weak īmān, love of the dunyā and materialism, sins, and hedonism and apathy. Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله is quoted: if you find no sweetness or joy in a deed, doubt its sincerity, for Allah is ash-Shakūr.
• Adhkār within ṣalāh: Two adhkār are introduced with their sources the istiftāḥ from Muslim, with the account of twelve angels competing to carry it up, and the duʿa between the two sajdahs from Abū Dāwūd asking Allah for forgiveness, mercy, wellbeing, guidance, and sustenance.
• Ṣalāh and mental health: Qur’an 2:45–46 is quoted on seeking help through patience and ṣalāh, and the prophetic phrase “grant us rest through ṣalāh” is introduced. The lesson asks learners to write the verse and reflect on what it means for their own relationship with ṣalāh.
• Describing the Prophet’s ﷺ ṣalāh: As a closing reflection, learners are asked to imagine they witnessed the Prophet ﷺ pray as a child and are now describing that ṣalāh to their grandchildren drawing together everything covered in the lesson into a single, personal response.