Prohibition of raising one's eyes towards the sky during the Salaah
بسم الله والحمد لله
والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
Chapter: Prohibition of
raising one’s eyes towards the sky during the Salaah
1754 Narrated Anas
bin Maalik رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: “What is wrong with those people who look
towards the sky during the prayer?” His talk grew stern while
delivering this speech and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “They should stop
(looking towards the sky during the prayer); otherwise their eyesight would be
taken away.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (750)]
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
Anas Ibn Maalik رضي الله عنه narrated that the
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
prohibited that a person should raise his eyes towards the sky. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “What is wrong with those people who look towards the sky
during the prayer?”; meaning: What is the matter with them? Why are
they raising their eyes towards the sky? Either they should stop doing that or
their eyesight would be snatched away. This is a threat, a proof that it is
prohibited for a person to raise his eyes towards the sky while he is praying.
I have seen some people, when one of them rises up from
Rukoo` (bowing) and says: ‘Sami` Allaahu liman Hamidah’ (Allaah has listened to
the one who has praised Him), he raises his eyes and his face (towards the sky)
and this is Haraam (prohibited) for him (to do so). Some of the scholars’ رحمهم الله were
of the opinion that this action (of looking towards the sky) invalidates the
prayer (of the one doing so)*, because he
did a thing which is prohibited, and this prohibition is specifically connected
with the prayer. And the Qaa`idah (religious principle) is that: “the one who
does a prohibited thing while he is carrying out an act of worship, and this
prohibition is connected to that specific act of worship, then his worship is nullified.”
*[Note: the Lajna (the permanent Committee) is of the opinion
that looking at the sky does not invalidate the prayer.
http://alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&PageID=2193&PageNo=1&BookID=7]
Moreover, they pointed out another fault with this. They
said that this is having bad manners with Allaah. The person, when he is
praying, is required to humble himself, lower his head (and look down towards
the place of prostration). They also mentioned (another) fault saying that the
person is commanded to face the Qiblah with his complete body (facing in that
direction); so when he raises his eyes and face towards the sky, then his face
is facing the sky and not the Qiblah, and this also invalidates his prayer.
This matter is grave indeed and this is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم emphasized it when he
said: “They should stop (looking towards the sky
during the prayer); otherwise their eyesight would be taken away.”
If a questioner asks: Where should I look (while praying)?
We say: Fix your sight at the place of your Sujood (i.e.
the place where you place your forehead while prostrating), except for the time
when one raises his finger while supplicating in Tashahhud. In this situation,
he should look at his (pointing/index) finger because when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used
to raise his (index) finger, his sight would not exceed beyond that (i.e. he
would look at his index finger while pointing with it). [Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (1160)]
Some of the scholars’ رحمهم الله made
it an exception to see the Imaam so that one can follow him (in the prayer),
especially when the person is not able to hear (the Imaam), and he is not able
to follow him except by looking at him. So in this case, he can look at him,
because the Companions used to do so [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (746, 760, 761, 777)].
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
climbed a Minbar (pulpit) and prayed while he was standing on it and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “I only did this so that you could follow me and learn my
(mode of) prayer.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (917) and Saheeh Muslim (1111)]
And it was not possible for them to learn how to pray except by looking at the
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
This is why when they (the Companions) mentioned about the movement of the
Prophet’s beard in the silent prayers, it is proof that they used to look at
their Imaam (while praying).
Some scholars’ made an exception that if a person is in
Masjid al-Haraam and the Ka`bah is in front of him, then he should look at the
Ka`bah (while praying). But this exception is weak. The correct (opinion) is
that he should not look at the Ka`bah while he is praying because nothing has
been reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Moreover, this is a cause for distraction
and disturbance because then he will be looking at the people making Tawaaf, and
others coming and going. Also the saying of some of them that looking at the
Ka`bah is an act of worship is wrong and not correct. Nothing has been reported
from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
- neither a Saheeh narration nor a Dha`eef one – that looking at the Ka`bah is
an act of worship.
[Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (6/508-509)]
۩•۞•۩
From Sharh of Saheeh Muslim by Shaikh Ibn
al-`Uthaymeen:
Jaabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه reported: The
Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: “The people who lift their eyes towards the
sky in Prayer should avoid it or they would lose their eyesight.”
[Saheeh Muslim (862)]
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
The prohibition of raising the eyes and looking towards the
sky while praying is confirmed, as has been mentioned in this Hadeeth. And in
it there is a threat: “The people who lift their
eyes towards the sky in Prayer should avoid it or they would lose their
eyesight”, meaning: their eyesight will be snatched away – and Allaah’s
refuge is sought. This is a proof that raising your eyes towards the sky while
praying is a major sin.
The way it has been (authentically) reported about the
prohibition of raising the eyes towards the sky and the mentioning of the severe
threat regarding it, then this is proof that it is a major sin, because raising
the eyes towards the sky is a kind of bad manners (towards Allaah).
Since the man has been commanded to be humble and lower
himself before Allaah عز وجل,
raising his eyes is not from good manners. Therefore his recompense for such an
act would be to threaten him with this stern warning.
The scholars have differed whether this act would
invalidate the prayer or not?
Some of the scholars’ said that it invalidates the
prayer, because he has done something which he was specifically prohibited from
doing while praying. And the Qaa`idah (principle) is: “that which has been specifically
prohibited while doing a certain act of worship, then it invalidates that
worship.”
They (further) said: And also because he is not facing
the Qiblah with his whole body.
And this opinion is not far from being correct, because
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
prohibited it and mention the threat regarding it. From this we know that it is
a mistake for one to raise his head towards the sky when he says: “Rabbanaa wa
lakal-hamd”.
Another issue: Is raising the eyes and looking towards
the sky while supplicating – outside of prayer – also prohibited or not?
Answer: Some of the scholars have said that it is
prohibited because this is bad manners towards Allaah عز وجل. But the correct opinion is that there is
no problem in doing so (outside of prayer).
Anyways, what is important is that raising the eyes
towards the sky while praying is prohibited and it is from the major sins. But
as for looking here and there without looking up towards the sky, then this
does not invalidate the prayer but it does reduce the reward without doubt.
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