Some people tell me that I sometimes look away when I do salah, not move my head but like quickly look at my right side, etc. Will this invalidate my salah?
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1It is at least makrooh! You should look in front -towards the qiblah- of you or better to the place of where you would prostrate (both are different madhab views). Note that while praying you are in front of your Creator, it would be disrespectful if you look around!– Medi1Saif ♦Commented Mar 20, 2017 at 10:35
2 Answers
Looking around during salah without any genuine need is disliked (makrooh).
According to Ibn Qudaamah, it is mustahabb for the worshipper to fix his gaze on the place of prostration. Ahmad said – according to the report of Hanbal – : Proper focus and humility (khushoo’) in prayer means that (the worshipper) should fix his gaze on the place of prostration - [Al-Mughni, 1/370]
Narrated by Aisha (R.A):
I asked Allah's Apostle about looking hither and thither in prayer. He replied, "It is a way of stealing by which Satan takes away (a portion) from the prayer of a person." - [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 718]
Anas (r.a) relates that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.w) said to him:
“Be careful about turning during the salah as turning in the salah is disastrous. If you must do it, then do it in the voluntary prayers but not in the obligatory prayers.” [related by at-Tirmidhi who calls it sahih]
Hadrat Abu Dharr (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said:
"Allah faces the slave while he is in the salah and keeps facing him as long as he does not turn. If [the slave] turns, [Allah] turns away from him." -Related by Ahmad and by Abu Dawud.
So if you turned your gaze anywhere but prostration unknowingly or in case of emergency then I hope your salah will be validade but Allah know the best.
How about when someone is doing sajda sahu, he has to say salaam and turn and look to his right (as per sunnah), and then perform 2 sujood and read tashhhud again (completing the salah) until he does another pair of salaam.
Question: opinion regarding looking sideways during the first salam before doing the 2 sahu sujood? Because the salah hasn't ended yet and yet one has to look to his right before the sahu sujood