As for turning with one’s face, it occurs when a person twists his neck, pointing it to the right or the left. The worshipper is commanded in his prayer to keep his face directed toward the qiblah, inclining neither right nor left. Should he turn, ʿĀʾishah reported that the Prophet ﷺ forbade turning during the prayer, saying, “It is an ikhtilās (a covert snatching) that Satan snatches from a servant’s prayer.” Ikhtilās means to seize something stealthily—that is, Satan gains influence over the worshipper while he prays and causes him to glance right or left so as to reduce his reward. Allah, exalted is He, turns toward His servant; but when the servant turns away from his Lord, it is likely that Allah will turn away from him. For this reason the Prophet ﷺ prohibited turning in the prayer, as is related in the ḥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik: “Turning during the prayer is ruin.”

If, however, there is a genuine need, there is no blame—such as when one hears an animal about to charge and turns, or when someone in urgent need calls and one turns—provided the movement is limited to the head. Turning the entire body invalidates the prayer because it constitutes turning away from the qiblah, and facing the qiblah is one of the conditions of the prayer.

Some people do not turn by twisting the neck but only with their eyes: you see them letting their gaze wander right and left—if someone stands, they look at him; if he moves, they look at him. This unquestionably diminishes the reward of the prayer. A worshipper should keep his gaze in line with his face, looking toward the place of prostration and not glancing right or left. Allah is the One who grants success.