Cultivating Focus in Prayer: Lessons from the Imams (AS) vs. Fallible ʿĀlims

A Journey from Deliberate Posture to Inner Presence, Contrasting Divine Guidance with Human-Imposed Judgment

A brother recently asked me how to obtain focus in prayer. At first, I explained my own method: I deliberately slow the prayer down, paying careful attention to posture and the feeling of correctness in each position — folding the right foot over the left, lowering the posterior (for women), toes facing the qibla, and maintaining the appropriate spacing between the feet: for women, the feet may touch; for men, leave a small gap. These postures are not just ritual; they are therapeutic, aligning the body and mind, focusing energy through the legs, and bringing calm presence. I found that simply being aware of the body’s positioning increased my patience and centeredness in daily life.

Next, I turned to recitation — focusing on pronunciation and clarity. Then, the tasbīḥ: we are told that reciting one subḥānallāh counts as a third of the prayer’s value, three is standard, five is better, and seven is most complete. Doing so naturally lengthens ruku and sujūd, deepening focus and presence. The mustahab two-rakʿah after Isha also acts as a therapeutic stretch, and the deliberate placement of hands on the thighs, as practiced by Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (AS), channels energy through the body and increases focus.

The result or consequence of spirituality is not a goal to be grasped. Rather, the perfection of posture, movement, and pronunciation is the practice through which we draw closer to Allah. Each correct movement and precise pronunciation serves as a diagnostic tool, revealing areas for continued refinement and opportunities to deepen presence. The focus remains on submission and method, not on an anticipated mystical state or reward.

When the brother shared a story he had heard, it illustrated a very different approach. A scholar said he focuses on the meaning of the words in prayer, and a so-called great ʿĀlim responded, “Then when do you actually pray?” At first, I did not have an immediate answer. Later, reflecting in my own prayer, I realized that the ʿĀlim’s response shifts attention away from submission and correct performance toward judgment and striving for an inner result — connection or mystical experience. This is a focus on willpower and human standards, not divine guidance. It leaves the student open to confusion, guilt, and endless self-critique. The teaching comes from the teacher’s ego, not from Allah.

Contrast this with the method of the 6th Imam (AS). When a close companion and student prayed, the Imam said: “It is accepted, but I expect more from you,” and then demonstrated his own prayer audibly and with precise pronunciation. The lesson is gentle and practical: affirmation first, expectation second, demonstration last. There is no shame, no guilt, no judgment, only guidance. Submission and refinement are built step by step, leaving the result to Allah.

Even contemporary figures like Imam Khomeini (RA) illustrate this: he expressed that he could not claim to have ever prayed two rakʿahs sincerely. This is self-critique, not condemnation of others — humility before Allah rather than judgment.

From these examples, the lesson is clear: focus in prayer grows from deliberate posture, recitation, presence of heart, and patient layering of practice. The result — connection, insight, spiritual sweetness — is diagnostic, not a goal to grasp. True teaching, whether from the Imams (AS) or from sincere guidance, is marked by absence of guilt and shame, affirmation of effort, and stepwise refinement. Teaching from one’s own will, even with mystical prestige, can misalign the seeker; teaching from Allah’s guidance illuminates the path.

The focus in prayer turns to offering oneself in submission and perfect practice, rather than striving to gain a mystical state, reward, or result. The perfection of posture, pronunciation, and movement is the pathway to closeness, while the outcome serves as a diagnostic of opportunities for continued refinement.