Where should the eyes be looking while praying?

[Jalal~]

:sl:
i heard when standing, the eyes should be focused on the area of prostration, but does that apply during rukoo? is it ok if i close my eyes during prayer, because that helps me focus usually. Jazakallah Khair

[Who Am I?]

When standing, I usually look down at the floor (with maybe a quick glance sideways at the brothers next to me to see if I'm doing the motions right since I am still learning how to pray).

When prostrated, that is when I usually close my eyes and concentrate on Allah.

Now keep in mind that I am a new brother and as such, I am not the best source for this, so don't pay too much attention to me.

[Innocent Soul]

Read this thread and you will get the answer.
http://www.islamicboard.com/search.php?searchid=2202

[brmm]

Assalam alaikom,
Usually we look to our head/toes place and there is no need to close the eyes.

BRMM

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[Ramadhan]

is it ok if i close my eyes during prayer, because that helps me focus usually.

When prostrated, that is when I usually close my eyes and concentrate on Allah.

Don't close your eyes while praying. It is makrooh (shouldn't be done) to close your eyes while praying. Try to concentrate while keeping your eyes open. In fact when you close your eyes, how do you concentrate on Allah? it could lead you to ideas about Allah SWT etc.

heard when standing, the eyes should be focused on the area of prostration, but does that apply during rukoo?

When rukoo', just keep your eyesight downwards.

[Who Am I?]

See, that's a holdover from my Christian days. We always closed our eyes during prayer, to concentrate on God.

When I am praying at the masjid with the congregation, sometimes I admit I sneak a glance to the side to make sure I am doing the motions right. I'm still trying to figure all of this out.

[Just_A_Girl13]

When I am praying at the masjid with the congregation, sometimes I admit I sneak a glance to the side to make sure I am doing the motions right. I'm still trying to figure all of this out.

I'm sure it's not that big of a deal; I always have to keep glancing at a piece of paper where I wrote down the opening surah and Tashahhud because I can't remember, lol :D My Arabic is dreadful.

[Ramadhan]

See, that's a holdover from my Christian days. We always closed our eyes during prayer, to concentrate on God.

To tell you the truth, when I started to become practicing again, I also did my shalah with my eyes closed, thinking it was better to concentrate, but it is not actually. with your eyes closed, your mind tend to wander and create ideas or imageries. It is better to concentrate on your reading (thats why for you in the long run when you have memorised al fatihah and other surah and iftitah or tashahud du'a, it would better also to memorise the meanings so it would be easier to concentrate on your shalah) while keeping your eyes open. When you are able to concentrate on your readings and keeping in mind that when you are in shalah, you are actually in front of Allah SWT, so try to visualize that without any imagery, that means you are in true concentration, instead of forced concentration with eyes closed.

When I am praying at the masjid with the congregation, sometimes I admit I sneak a glance to the side to make sure I am doing the motions right. I'm still trying to figure all of this out.

I'm sure it's not that big of a deal; I always have to keep glancing at a piece of paper where I wrote down the opening surah and Tashahhud because I can't remember, lol My Arabic is dreadful.

These things are perfectly acceptable. You both are still learning.
May Allah SWT give you both ease in learning deen and steadfast on the deen. amiin.

[Abdul-Raouf]

The range you can view while praying...is.... from your toe ...to ...the place where you place your head.

...Thats what i have heard from my masjid imam.

[Who Am I?]

I am learning Al-Fatiha for prayer. I've learned it in English. Not perfectly yet, but I can stumble through it without looking in the Qu'ran now.

I'm also learning the first couple of lines in Arabic. I still can't read it yet, but I at least can understand the opening when it is read to me in Arabic.

[Jalal~]

Jazakallah Khair for all the answers. @Innocent Soul, i think the link is dead

[crimsontide06]

Question: can I recite the prayer in English after the Arabic...because when I say it in Arabic I don't know what I am saying, so how can it be counted as a prayer?

[Snowflake]

:sl:

In ruku your eyes should be looking towards your feet. Personally when I pray standing up, I look at point between my two big toes.



Refresher insha Allah

[Ramadhan]

Question: can I recite the prayer in English after the Arabic...because when I say it in Arabic I don't know what I am saying, so how can it be counted as a prayer?

In shalah, the only obligatory surah to recite is Al Fatiha. It is very short, only 7 verses.
You said you want to recite the prayer in english, this means you already know the meaning of al fatiha in english, do I understand you correctly?
So why repeat it in english?

In shalah, we are supposed to recite verses from the Qur'an, and there is only one Qur'an, and that is not in english.
You may, however, want to offer extra prayer after shalah, which is called du'a (supplication) and you can offer supplications in any language you are comfortabale with.
You can also offer du'a during sujood (prostration) during the shalah, which is one of the best times to offer du'a, and you can offer your du'a in english, but you are not supposed to say it out loud, just offer it by heart.

I guess one of the wisdoms why we must only recite from qur'an verses during shalah is as a way to preserve Al Qur'an, that we msut memorise it.
Anyway, Allah has taught us the best supplications and prayers in the Qur'an, and the best one is Al fatiha, so why not use them as much as we could?
What can be the best du'a/supplications/prayers than the ones taught to us by the Creator?

[crimsontide06]

I dont know arabic at all, besides a few words. I know what the 7 verses mean, but I feel like if I say it in english(after saying it in arabic) it will mean more..

You said you want to recite the prayer in english, this means you already know the meaning of al fatiha in english, do I understand you correctly?
So why repeat it in english?

[Ramadhan]

I dont know arabic at all, besides a few words. I know what the 7 verses mean, but I feel like if I say it in english(after saying it in arabic) it will mean more..

Well I don't understand/speak arabic myself, but I am learning.

I am also like you, so when I recite al fatiha, I am usually reciting it while remembering their meanings, so it is more meaningful to me.

[crimsontide06]

Makes sense, I know what the words as a whole mean but I don't know which specific Arabic word means which English word.

Well I don't understand/speak arabic myself, but I am learning.

I am also like you, so when I recite al fatiha, I am usually reciting it while remembering their meanings, so it is more meaningful to me.

[Ramadhan]

Try to recite al fatiha more slowly so you'll have time to remember the meanings of each sentence (ayat).
after a while, you'll get used to it and you'll be able to recite al fatiha as if arabic is your first language.

[Who Am I?]

:sl:

One thing that struck me when I first heard Qur'an recitings in Arabic is the lyrical quality of the original text. I can understand a little of it now, but most of it I still don't. It is still a beautiful thing when done right though. Just lovely.

[~ Sabr ~]

:salamext:

I have heard the eyes should either be closed, or be fixated on a point where you do the sujood.

And Allaah knows best.

[sohail1234]

assalam o alikum
According to my point of view, it is obligatory to keep your eyes open while you are offering namaz... try to concentrate on the verses you are reciting, it will protect you from the random thoughts,
our eyes should be kept on the jai-namaz...

[tearose]

Here is a quote from the book 33 Ways of Developing Khushoo’ in Salaah by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid:

There is a question in the minds of some people who pray, which is: what is the ruling
on closing the eyes during prayer, especially when a person feels that this increases
his khushoo’?
The answer is that this goes against the Sunnah that was reported from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that was just referred to above. Closing
the eyes means that a person misses out on the Sunnah of looking at the place of
prostration and at his finger. But there is more to the matter than this, so we should
listen to the opinion of an expert, al-‘Allaamah Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Ibn al-Qayyim,
which will explain the matter further. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “It is
not part of the Prophet’s teaching to close the eyes during prayer. We have already
mentioned how he used to look at his finger during the Tashahhud and the du’aa’, and
he would not let his gaze wander beyond his finger… Another indication [of the fact
that he kept his eyes open] is the fact that he stretched his hand forth to take the bunch
of grapes when he saw Paradise, and he also saw Hell and the woman (who had
tormented) the cat, and the owner of Stick (al-Mihjan). Likewise, he pushed away the
animal that wanted to pass in front of him whilst he was praying, and he pushed back
the boy, and the young girl, and the two young girls. He used to wave to those whom
he saw greeting him (whilst he was praying). There is also a hadeeth that describes
how the Shaytaan tried to tempt him whilst he was praying, so he grabbed him and
strangled him, as he had seen him with his own eyes. From these ahaadeeth and others
we learn that he did not close his eyes when he prayed.
The fuqahaa’ differ as to whether closing the eyes during prayer is makrooh. Imaam
Ahmad and others did count it as makrooh, and said: “This is the action of the Jews,”
but others allowed it and did not count it as makrooh. The correct view is that if
keeping the eyes open does not affect a person’s khushoo’, then this is better, but if
keeping the eyes open affects a person’s khushoo because of decorations, adornments
etc. in front of him, which distract him, then it is not makrooh at all for him to close
his eyes. The opinion that indeed it is mustahabb in this case is closer to the principles
and aims of sharee’ah than saying it is makrooh. And Allaah knows best. (
Zaad al-
Ma’aad
, 1/293, Daar al-Risaalah edn.)
Thus it is clear that the Sunnah is not to close one’s eyes, unless it is necessary to do
so in order to avoid something that may adversely affect one’s khushoo’.



This is similar to what I heard in the Maliki madhab, that closing the eyes is makruh unless you find that you cannot concentrate with your eyes open and get distracted. I feel that sometimes this gets easier with time, I used to pray with my eyes closed because I couldn't concentrate otherwise, but now with practice, alhamulilah it is easier to focus on the place of prostration and concentrate.

[Ahmad H]

I heard that one should be looking right in front of their feet and their eyes should not wander. When you are in the sitting position, I heard in a Hadith that the Holy Prophet (saw) did not look past his finger when he raised it. So the limit of where we can look in that position is determined. This is what I have both read and heard from reliable sources such as a sheikh and the Sunan Ahadith. I won't add any of my own opinions to it.

[Tauheed123]

Assalaamu Alaikum Brother,

I Usually Look At The Place Of Sujood But I Also Close My Eyes During Salat As It Helps Me Focus As Well. Usually Most People Look At The Point Of Sujood While Reciting. Hope This Helps In Sha Allah :)

[Scimitar]

I was told you should not close your eyes in salaah. I was told this whilst in jamaat. Any truth to this?

Scimi

[crimsontide06]

I was told you should not close your eyes in salaah. I was told this whilst in jamaat. Any truth to this?

I was told this too, as others have said...look at the ground right in front of your feet.