Lost in Thought – Lessons from the Sunnat – Hazrat Moulana Thanwi  رحمه الل

Who can surpass Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)? Yet, he would never be totally lost in thought in Namaaz. He says himself:
“I have in mind lengthening the Salaat when I come [for Salaat], but then I hear the cry of a child. I therefore shorten the Salaat for fear of the child’s mother becoming distressed.”
In those days women were permitted to come to the Masjid. However, when the danger of fitnah [evil, mischief] reared its ugly head the ban came into force.

So Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would hear the cry of a child in Namaaz. We learn from this that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would not be lost in thought in Namaaz. And from this we also learn that being lost in the thought of Namaaz in Namaaz is not perfection.
Another mas-alah [Shar’i ruling] is deduced from this [incident]. Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:
مَََافَةَ اََََََنْ تَ فُْتَََ اَُمُّه
It means: “… due to the possibility of the mother becoming distressed.” From this we learn that the kashf [inspiration] of the Ambiya is not on a perpetual basis. Therefore, the kashf of the Awliya [the pious and holy personages of Islam] can never be perpetual. [In other words, kashf which laymen use as a yardstick to judge the greatness of the Awliya and Buzrugs is not within the free and full control of the Saahib-e-Kashf. He cannot produce kashf at any time and whenever he wishes. It is a condition which occurs sporadically and which is itself subject to Shar’i sanction. It can, therefore, never be a basis for judging the rank of a saint.]

We also learn from this that khushoo’ [concentration and humility] is not, being lost in thought, because it is a certainty that Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would have khushoo’ in Namaaz, and why not when Allah Ta’ala declares about the Kaamil Mu-mineen:
قَدْ اََفْ لَحَ اَلْمُؤْمِنُ وْنََ. اَََلَّذِيْنَ هَُمْ فَِِْ صََلوتَِِمْ خََاشِعَُوْنََ.
“Indeed the Mu-mineen who have khushoo’ in their Namaaz are successful.”
Since khushoo’ is a corollary of Imaan, it will therefore be a corollary of Nubuwwat to a greater extent. And Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was never lost in thought. Thus khushoo’ and concentration is one thing and being lost in thought is something else.
If both were one and the same thing it follows that two contradictors have been combined because the Aayat requires Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) having khushoo’ and the Hadeeth indicates that he was not lost in thought. If both were one and the same thing it follows that the same thing is found and not found, which is absurd.
Some people have erroneously understood khushoo’ and being lost in thought to be the same thing. And khushoo’ is the essence of Salaat, so istighraaq [to be lost in thought] will be the essence of Salaat as well. And when there is no istighraaq then there is no essence.

When there is no essence then of what benefit is a Namaaz without essence? In consequence, they have taken their Namaaz to be worthless in view of there being no istighraaq, whereas it has just been proven that istighraaq is something entirely different and it is not the essence of Salaat, otherwise it would follow that the Namaaz of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was devoid of essence. [Na’oothu Billah!]

Lessons From The Essence Of Taraaweeh
(Condensed)  Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi  رحمه الله