You Can't Call This Namaz!

Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari (ra) once visited Sayyid Hashim Haddad (ra). Sayyid Hashim Haddad (ra) asked him, "Tell me, what do you think while you pray namaz? Where is your concentration during Namaz? Are you able to negate external thoughts during prayers?"

Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari (ra) replied, "No, I am not able to prevent external thoughts from entering my mind during Namaz." Sayyid Hashim Haddad (ra) asked him what he did to prevent this, to which he replied, "I concentrate on the meaning of the words."

Sayyid Hashim Haddad (ra) was surprised and asked him, "If that is what you do, then when do you pray?"

Sayyid Hashim Haddad (ra) then told him that what you do cannot be considered Namaz. You are concentrating on the words rather than Allah and hence giving the words more importance than Almighty Allah Himself. Rather than focusing on the words, focus on who you are talking to.