defense form the part of the prayer. When a muslim looks here and there in his Sal?t, Shait?n seizes this chance at once and steals some of the muslim’s attention lest he be fully given to his Rabb. (1)

Such an act does not, however, nullify one’s Sal?t except when one turns his back to the Qiblah, as Ibn Abdil Barr stated; he said: ‘The Jumh?r agreed that looking here and there does not render one’s Sal?t null and void provided that it is slight’.

It is also detested for a muslim to perform his Sal?t towards that which may distract one’s attention from Sal?t or in a place full of pictures or even on a carpet attractively decorated, as was mentioned previously. This all distracts a muslim’s attention from being fully given to Sal?t or fully directed towards the Qiblah.

[5/ 19] Closing one’s eyes in Sal?t:

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: ‘Closing one’s eyes in Sal?t is not of the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) Sunnah. It is proved that he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to direct his eyesight towards his index finger when reciting Tashahhud nowhere else’. (2)

Al-Fair?za’b?d? said: ‘The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to open his blessed eyes in Sal?t; and never closed them as some “worshippers” do these days’. (3)

Many ah?d?th indicate that which Al-Fair?z’ab?d? affirmed such as: he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) once stretched his hand -during doing Sal?t Al-Kus?f- to pick grapes from Jannah which was presented for him, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) also once saw Hell-fire and the woman who was being tortured in it because of causing death to a cat, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) once walked towards his Sutra because there was an animal trying to pass in front of him, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) also pushed away a boy and a little girl who were trying to pass in front of him, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to return Sal?m to those greeting him using his hand, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) once saw Shait?n in his Sal?t [trying to