their prayers?!” He voiced this rebuke so forcefully that he declared, “Let them desist, or their eyesight will surely be snatched away,” recorded by al-Bukhari.

As mentioned earlier, the worshipper should keep his gaze fixed on the spot of prostration; he should not allow his eyes to wander over the walls, decorations, inscriptions, and the like in front of him, for such things distract him from his prayer.

It is likewise disliked in the prayer to close one’s eyes without need, because that was the practice of the Jews. If, however, a necessity exists—such as distracting ornamentation or elaborate designs before him—it is not disliked to shut his eyes; this is the gist of what Ibn al-Qayyim explained.

Also disliked is the posture of iqʿāʾ during the sitting, which is to spread the feet flat and sit back on the heels, for the Prophet said, “When you raise your head from prostration, do not sit as a dog sits,” narrated by Ibn Mājah and other reports with a similar meaning.

Finally, it is disliked for a worshipper who is standing to lean against a wall or the like, unless there is a need, because leaning removes the hardship of standing. If he does so out of necessity, such as illness, there is no objection.