Ibn Al-Qayyim said that a sign of a lover when he meets the beloved is he looks down, out of shyness and reverence- and this is exactly how we should be. In Salah (Prayer), the second pillar of Islam, Muslims stand before Allah with humility, lowering their gaze and submitting their hearts to Him. They set aside worldly distractions and focus entirely on their prayer, engaging the body, mind, and tongue in devotion. Humility was mentioned in the Holy Quran more than 15 times to reflect the qualities of the submissive and their rewards from Allah. Allah says in Surah Al-Mu’minun (23:1–2):

Certainly will the believers have succeeded. They who are during their prayer humbly submissive.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ. الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

In Ayah 10 and 11 of the same Surah, Allah mentioned their rewards and said:

Those are the inheritors. Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally.
أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ. الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُون

Allah has linked the success of those who pray to their humility in Salah, which shows that whoever does not have humility is not among the truly successful. If mere performance of prayer were enough for success, then every person who prays would be among the successful. But the condition is humility within it. Humility (Khushu) is the soul of prayer; without it, prayer becomes nothing more than a series of empty movements. Humility (Khushu) is a state of the heart, consisting of fear, mindfulness, and submission before the greatness of the Almighty. Its effects then appear on the limbs through stillness, attentiveness in prayer, avoiding distractions, weeping, and supplication. The correct understanding is that humility goes beyond mere presence of the heart, for the heart may be present yet not humble. It is also the softness of the heart and tenderness of the heart, if the heart feels the tranquility, in consequences, the limbs follow it, the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said,

”Beware In the body there is a piece of flesh if it becomes sound and healthy, the whole body becomes sound and healthy but if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.” 

      Narrated by Jubair bin Nufair: from Abu Ad-Darda who said:
“We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) when he raised his sight to the sky, then he said: ‘This is the time when knowledge is to be taken from the people, until what remains of it shall not amount to anything.” So Ziyad bin Labid Al-Ansari said: ‘How will it be taken from us while we recite the Qur’an. By Allah we recite it, and our women and children recite it?’ He (ﷺ) said: ‘May you be bereaved of your mother O Ziyad! I used to consider you among the Fuqaha of the people of Al-Madinah. The Tawrah and Injil are with the Jews and Christians, but what do they avail of them?'” Jubair said: “So I met ‘Ubadah bin As-Samit and said to him: ‘Have you not heard what your brother Abu Ad-Darda said?’ Then I informed him of what Abu Ad-Darda said. He said: ‘Abu Ad-Darda spoke the truth. If you wish, we shall narrated to you about the first knowledge to be removed from the people: It is Khushu (humility), soon you will enter the congregational Masjid, but not see any man in it with Khushu (humility).” 

how to attain humility in prayer?

Ibn Alqyiam, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

    ”A prayer without humility and presence of heart is like a lifeless body without a soul. Should a servant not feel ashamed to present as a gift to another human being—a fellow servant—something dead, like a lifeless slave or maid? Then what does he think of presenting such a “gift” to a king, a ruler, or anyone of high rank? In the same way, a prayer devoid of humility, attentiveness, and gathering one’s focus upon Allah is like that dead slave being offered as a gift. For this reason, Allah does not accept such a prayer from His servant—although it may discharge the obligation in the rulings of this world, it brings no reward—since the servant has nothing from his prayer except what he understood and was mindful of.”

Depending on this saying of Ibn Alqyiam, it is noticed that he emphasized that prayer is the essence of submission to Allah, and therefore a Muslim must attain humility before Him.

Firstly, this humility begins with strengthening one’s faith and gaining sound Islamic knowledge—by learning about the importance of prayer and the need to perfect it. Once a believer truly understands that prayer is offered first and foremost to Allah, consequently it should be performed in the best and most complete manner. The believer must awaken both heart and mind to the greatness of Allah, remembering that if the entire universe were summoned by Him, it would submit to Him in complete humility. If this is your last summon to show how much you submit to Allah, how humbly your prayer will be! A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me but make it concise.’ He said:

”When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell. Do not say anything for which you will have to apologize. And give up hope for what other people have.”

Secondly, the mind and heart must be fully prepared for the great meeting with Allah. A Muslim should not begin prayer while his thoughts are preoccupied with worldly matters. The place of prayer should also be free from distractions such as food, drink, television, excessive decorations, or noise. Lady Ayisha

”I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “No Salat (prayer) should be performed when the food has been served, nor should it be performed when a person is in need of relieving himself.”

 

Thirdly, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) also gave us practical guidance on how to attain humility in prayer, that he must direct his eyes to the spot of Sujood, It was narrated that Az-Zuhri said:

Fourthly, when a Muslim entrusts his needs and desires to Allah through Dua, he has already taken half the path—for it is only Allah who can guide us to the perfect way of worshiping Him. This sincere need for His guidance is fueled by the immense rewards of prayer and the blessings Allah has promised to those who perform Salah properly. The Prophet Muhammad said:

“When the time for a prescribed prayer comes, if any Muslim observes proper ablution, humility and bowing, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and that means for all time.”

Humility in prayer is the essence of true worship and the key to attaining closeness to Allah, may Allah forgive our sins, open for us the doors of His mercy, grant us humility in prayer, guide us, and grant us steadfastness.