Al-Qawa'id al-Nuraniyya - Ibn Taimiya - (78)

Al-Qawa'id al-NuraniyyaIbn Taimiya

Further evidence that humble submission in prayer is obligatory is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, threatened those who forsake it, such as one who raises his gaze toward the sky. Lifting the gaze entails moving and raising it, which is contrary to the state of one who is humbly submissive. Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “What is the matter with people who raise their eyes during their prayer?” He then spoke sternly about it, saying: “They must stop doing that, or their eyesight will surely be snatched away.” Jābir ibn Samura reported: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered the mosque while some people were praying with their eyes raised toward the sky. He said: ‘Certain men must stop fixing their eyes upon the sky, or their eyesight will never return to them.’” The first is recorded by al-Bukhārī and the second by Muslim; both are also found in the Sunan collections of Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī, and Ibn Mājah.

Muhammad ibn Sīrīn said: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to raise his gaze during prayer. Then, when the verse, ‘The believers have indeed succeeded—those who are humbly submissive in their prayer’ [al-Mu’minūn: 1–2], was revealed, his gaze would not go beyond the place where he prostrated.” Imam Ahmad related this in his Book of the Abrogating and the Abrogated.

Since raising the gaze toward the sky is incompatible with humble submission, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prohibited it and threatened punishment for it.

As for turning aside without need, it diminishes humble submission but does not negate it. It therefore detracts from the prayer, as al-Bukhārī, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Nasā’ī related from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about a person turning aside during prayer. He replied: ‘It is a theft by which Satan steals from the servant’s prayer.’”

وَيَدُلُّ عَلَى وُجُوبِ الْخُشُوعِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ تَوَعَّدَ تَارِكِيهِ كَالَّذِي يَرْفَعُ بَصَرَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ حَرَكَتُهُ وَرَفْعُهُ، وَهُوَ ضِدُّ حَالِ الْخَاشِعِ، فَعَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ﵁ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: " «مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ يَرْفَعُونَ أَبْصَارَهُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ؟ " فَاشْتَدَّ قَوْلُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: " لِيَنْتَهُنَّ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لَتُخْطَفَنَّ أَبْصَارُهُمْ» "، وَعَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: «دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَسْجِدَ وَفِيهِ نَاسٌ يُصَلُّونَ رَافِعِي أَبْصَارِهِمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ: " لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ رِجَالٌ يُشْخِصُونَ أَبْصَارَهُمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَوْ لَا تَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ أَبْصَارُهُمْ» " الْأَوَّلُ: فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ وَالثَّانِي: فِي مسلم، وَكِلَاهُمَا فِي سُنَنِ أبي داود وَالنَّسَائِيِّ وَابْنِ مَاجَهْ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ: " «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَرْفَعُ بَصَرَهُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ ﴿قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ﴾ [المؤمنون: ١ - ٢] لَمْ يَكُنْ يُجَاوِزُ بَصَرُهُ مَوْضِعَ سُجُودِهِ» " رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ فِي كِتَابِ النَّاسِخِ وَالْمَنْسُوخِ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ رَفْعُ الْبَصَرِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ يُنَافِي الْخُشُوعَ حَرَّمَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَتَوَعَّدَ عَلَيْهِ. وَأَمَّا الِالْتِفَاتُ لِغَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ فَهُوَ يُنْقِصُ الْخُشُوعَ وَلَا يُنَافِيهِ. فَلِهَذَا كَانَ يُنْقِصُ الصَّلَاةَ كَمَا رَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ وأبو داود وَالنَّسَائِيُّ عَنْ عائشة ﵂ قَالَتْ: «سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْتِفَاتِ الرَّجُلِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ: " هُوَ اخْتِلَاسٌ يَخْتَلِسُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَبْدِ» ".