Thus, there is no legally defined criterion for this; rather, it is referred back to customary practice.

If someone were to ask: How can we refer to customary practice in a matter of worship?

The answer is: Yes, we refer to customary practice, because the Sacred Law has not specified it. The Lawgiver did not say, for example: Whoever moves three times in his prayer, his prayer is invalid. Nor did He say: Whoever moves four times, his prayer is invalid. Nor did He say: Whoever moves twice, his prayer is invalid. Thus, it is referred back to customary usage. If people say, “This is an action incompatible with prayer,” such that whoever observes this man and his movements would say, “He is not praying,” then it is regarded as excessive. But if they say, “This is minor,” then it does no harm. Let us give some examples:

If, while a person is praying, he has a small child with him, and he carries the child in order to stop him from crying, so that the child is safe from harm and the man may focus on his prayer—if he carries the child, then sets him down when he bows, sets him down when he prostrates, and carries him when he stands—then several movements are involved: the movement of carrying, the movement of lifting, and the movement of setting down. We might also include bearing the weight, for if the child is large, he will weigh heavily upon the one praying. Nevertheless, all of this is considered minor and does not invalidate the prayer, because something similar occurred from the Prophet ﷺ (1).

Another example: A man knocks at his door, and the door is nearby. So he steps forward while facing the qiblah, or steps backward while facing the qiblah, or moves to the right while facing the qiblah, or to the left while facing the qiblah, and opens