What is Mindfulness? How does a mindfulness act differ from an habitual act?

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What is Mindfulness?
How does a mindfulness act differ from an habitual act?

Bismillah! Al Hamdulillah!
Wa Salatu AsSalamu A’la Rasulillah!

AsSalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu!
> Wa A’laikum AsSalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu!

Mindfulness vs Habit – Analogy 1:

What’s the name of your son?
> Aabdullah

Why did you name him Aabdullah?
> Because of its meaning and also it is the most favourite name to Allah.

What’s the meaning of it ?
> Slave of Allah.

So do you mean he is a slave of Allah?
> Yes. I wish him to be a beloved slave of Allah.

So, you name your son as ‘Aabdullah’ because you think he is a slave of Allah, you want him to be a beloved slave of Allah.
> Exactly.

Now tell me, when you call him during the day, do you consciously call him by thinking in your mind ‘O slave of Allah’
Or by meaning ‘O my son, be slave of Allah’
Or ‘I mean you to be slave of Allah?’

You don’t do it.
It just became a name only, merely an identifications to you, isn’t it?
> That’s right.

Of course, You had the mindset when you named him but then it became only a ritual, merely a habit, right!

Mindfulness vs Habit – Analogy 2:

And the same goes about Salam!
What’s the meaning of Salam?
> It means we are making a Dua that peace, Allah’s Mercy (Rahmah) and Blessings (Barakah) be on you!

Subhanallah!
What a Dua (prayer) that a Muslim makes for another Muslim just upon seeing him!
Allahu Akbar!

It’s in everywhere! Every places!
Be at the Masjid or on the street,
Be it on the bus station or at the market place!
Be a known or unknown Muslims to each other!
Be it while leaving home or entering home to the own families!

Allahu Akbar!
What a thing is this about being Muslims!
What a blessings it is being a Muslim!
Al-Hamdulillah!

But then, the same situation applies here too.
Do we consciously mean that Dua when we make Salam to a Muslim brother?
No, we don’t.

Subhanallah!
It’s just became a ritual to us.
We do it just only out of habitual act.
Though we consciously do it as giving a right to a Muslim brother.*
But sadly, we don’t consciously mean it to such a huge Dua.
May Allah forgive us. Yet we ask Allah to accept from us.

The event that requires Ultimate Mindfulness:

What is the most significant event of a Muslim that requires his Ultimate Mindfulness?
It is Salah!
But what has Salah became to us today?
The act that requires the most significant mindfulness of a Muslim became so much shameless act of habit that it is unforgivable!

Salah is a private One-to-One meeting with our Rabb, Al-Malik, the King, the Most High, Al-A’la.
No king on earth would accept such a parrot-like private meeting from his slave as a form of respecting him, praising him, a way of asking/ begging from him, a way of submitting to him.

Also Abdullah ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه) reported that Rasulullah Sallallahu A’laihi Wa Salam said,
“Indeed, the first thing to be lifted from this Ummah will be Khushu’ (humility and mindfulness), until you will not find a single person with Khushu’.”
(Majma’ al-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id, Vol. 7, p. 280, by Imam Nur al-Din al-Haythami (رحمه الله)

That’s what Salah became now to most of the Muslims, including myself often, it is just a parrot-like habit only, no humility, nu mindfulness. May Allah forgive us.

Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported that Rasulullah Sallallahu A’laihi Wa Salam said,
“How many people pray but gain nothing from their prayer except fatigue“
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Iqamah as-Salah, Hadith 1690.) 

May Allah forgive us.
Rarely Salah means to us standing before Allah for praising Him consciously.
Rarely it means thinking that ‘I am standing now to PRAISE Allah’,
And that ‘I am standing now to beg Allah Ajja wa Jalla
and that’s what He created me for.

Thinking that ‘You are in my heart, O my Rabb’,
Thinking that ‘I am submitting to You, O my Rabb’,
You created me to do stand before You,
and that’s the purpose of my living today!

Thinking that ‘I am bowing to You, O my Rabb’, because You created me to do this Ruku’a and that’s the purpose You allowed me breathing today!
Thinking that ‘I am prostrating to You, O my Rabb’, because You created me to do this Sujud.
and that ‘make that my last action before You take me back to meet You!’, O my Rabb!

May Allah make us among those who remain mindful about Him all the time.
May Allah grant us mindfulness in Salah.
May Allah forgive us.
Ameen.

“Allahumma Aa’inni A’ala Zikrika Wa Shukrika Wa Husni Ebadatika”
O Allah, help me to remember You, be thankful to You and beautify our Ebadah for You.
Ameen.