nor is there any scope for pure reason in the matter, for the Sacred Law is taken directly from the Prophet — Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Nothing has been reported from him indicating that he ever placed his right hand over the left and then set them on the side of his waist; rather, such an act falls under the very prohibition just mentioned, a prohibition that, as the author (may Allah have mercy on him) explains, denotes reprehensibility.
The author then proceeds to his second chapter: “The Dislike of Praying in the Presence of Food One Craves, or While Resisting the Two Impurities.” He cites the report from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no prayer when food is present, nor while one is struggling against the two impurities.” That is, if food has been set before a person and he desires it, he should not begin the prayer until he has satisfied his need of that food, even if he hears the congregation already praying in the mosque. He may remain seated and eat until he is full. ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would hear the imam reciting in prayer while he was taking his supper, yet he would not rise until he had finished.
The reason is clear: when someone enters the prayer with a preoccupied heart, he finds neither composure nor humility; his thoughts remain fixed on his meal. A worshipper ought to stand in prayer only after he has cleared his mind of other matters, in keeping with the divine words, “So when you have finished, then devote yourself earnestly, and to your Lord turn with longing” (94:7-8). Nevertheless, he should not make it a habit to delay his dinner or lunch until the very moment the iqāmah (final call announcing the start of the congregational prayer) is given.
Secondly, he must not pray while resisting the two impurities—urine and stool—for that, too, destroys humility. A person so constrained cannot tell whether he is battling the urge to urinate or to defecate, and the distraction unavoidably undermines his attentiveness in prayer.