the door. This action, if the door is nearby, is minor, because the Messenger ﷺ opened the door for Aisha (1).

Another example: A man is praying while he has an animal with him, holding its reins in his hand. The animal begins to pull against him, and when it does so, he must move—either by pulling it back or by being led along with it. This is minor, for the Companions did likewise, as mentioned in the hadith of Abu Barzah al-Aslami, who was praying with his animal’s reins in his hand. The animal began to pull against him, and he began to follow it. A man from the Khawarij then said, “O Allah, deal with this old man!” When Abu Barzah had finished, he said: “I heard what you said. I fought alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in six, seven, or eight campaigns, and I witnessed his facilitation. Indeed, my turning back with my animal is dearer to me than leaving it to return to its familiar place, thereby causing me hardship.” (2) That is, the hardship of returning to his family because of the distance.

Another example: A man is afflicted with an itch that distracts him. If he remains still, he remains still while his heart is distracted; but if he moves and scratches it, the irritation subsides and he can turn his attention to his prayer. It is therefore preferable for him to scratch it and focus on his prayer, because this is a minor action and serves the interest of the prayer.

Another example: A man has a pen with him and has forgotten what he had memorized. When he begins the prayer, he remembers it, and the examination is near, while the passage is five lines long,