Wandering Your Eyes in Salah?

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu!

How heedless are we in our prayers? Let's take a look at Surah Al Ma'un and see what Allah has talked about people who pray.

Surah Al Ma'un

So woe to those who pray 

                     [But] who are heedless of their prayer -

Allah has woed and cursed those who pray but with heedlessness. In tafsir As Sa'di, Saahun is defined as those who DELAY their prayers and leave it to their last hours. Neglecting the proper time of prayer is considered as Saahun. 
Allah isn't cursing the one do not pray but He curses those who PRAY but pray with heedlessness. How Scary is that! May Allah not make us from amongst them. Ameen!

In one of the most authentic tafaaseers, Ibn Kathir, it is mentioned on the authority of Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu that,"This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private." [At Tabari 24:632] Meaning these people only pray when others are praying along with him otherwise he never prays when he is alone. He only prays to please people or to impress them.

Saaahun has also been defined as to not fulfill the pillars of Salah properly that is the proper wudhoo, proper posture, the humility and contemplation of its meanings. 


Usually, we don't have the Khushoo and Khudhoo in our prayers because of the distractions around us, or doing something before the salat which could really occupy our minds, or maybe because we simply don't know the meanings of what we are reciting in our prayers. 

The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “The worst thief is the one who steals from his own prayer.” People asked: ‘Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from his own prayer?’ He said: “By not completing its rukoo and sujood” [at-Tabarani]

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “He who does not complete his rukoo and sujood, his prayer is void” [Abu Dawood]

The answer is simple to that. When we want to gain consciousness and humility in our prayers we need to remove and avoid all those things which occupy us before we perform our prayers. It's basically what kind of life we are living. If we have been living a life of entertainment, you will find yourself in the thoughts of movies or some scenes from what you last saw. If your life is busy from working, then your salah might be engrossed on what you have to do next after salah. If your life is involved with lots of socializing then you will find yourself in thoughts of people and what they spoke to you or when you'll speak to them again. These are mere distractions and nothing else and this is nothing but the tricks and planning of shaitaan. Hence, we need to balance our lives and live a moderate life. 

“The Prophet (P.B.U.H) used to pause after each verse of Surah al-Fatiha. [Abu Dawood]

Sometimes, we also need to memorize the translation of the surahs we are reciting in our prayers, memorize the meaning of the tasbeeh we do in ruku' and in sujood. Be slow and relaxed in performing your salat, Do not be in a hurry, do every step of posture with contentment. Do not speed up your ruku' and sajdah. Repeat the tasbeeh at least 5-7 times and with concentration and understanding. Forget the dunya for five to ten minutes. Start with a clean intention. Humility should be in the heart not by bending your head and neck in qiyaam or tashahhud. It is the bending of the eyes on the sujood and sticking it over there and that shows true humility and discipline. 


The Messenger of Allah Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said, "This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of hypocrite, this is the hypocrite. He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytaan. Then he stands and pecks four raka'ats and he does not remember Allah in them except a little." [Fata Al Bari 6:386] 

SubhanaAllah! How scary is that! Are our Prayers filled with remembrance of Allah or are we doing a favor unto Allah and doing tasleem and rushing away from Allah? We really need to focus on improving our prayers!

One of the other signs of Gaflat [heedlessness] is wandering your eyes here and there. And this is sooo common! Wallahi I have seen 5 in 20 people looking here and there in their prayers. I have seen a woman bending down, picking up a cup and a bottle of water, pouring water in the cup and drinking it IN the PRAYER! I am not exaggerating! Believe me, many people do not know how important attention and activeness is in the Salat. They just consider standing in the prayer and reciting whatever they are as enough! But let us not forget again. Allah has CURSED those who pray with heedlessness. Woe means to be removed from Allah's mercy.

“Let those who raise their gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them” (i.e. they will lose their eyesight) [Muslim]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "What is wrong with those people who look towards the sky during the prayer?" His talk grew stern while delivering this speech and he said, "They should stop (looking towards the sky during the prayer); otherwise their eye-sight would be taken away." SAHIH AL_BUKHARI [Book 1 : Volume 12 : Hadith 717]

Another common mistake we make is in our sajdah. Some women think that the prayer of a woman and man is different and hence they stick their elbows, stomach and thighs to the ground as if they are lying down in the sajdah. But I have never heard any sound hadith from them to back up their belief. Yes there should be a little shyness, the lowering of the back and body but that's it. 

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “I am commanded to prostrate on seven bones, the forehead and the nose [1], the two hands [palms 2], the two knees [2], and the two feet[2]” [Sahih Muslim]

(prostrate on seven bones means that these seven bones should touch the ground & nothing other than that because that is the proper sunnah)

Let us all take heed from this post and try to improve our prayers slowly but surely.

May Allah grant us the ability to focus on our prayers, may He accept our Salahs, may He forgive us for our heedlessness! Ameen ya Rabbil A'lameen!!

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا 

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-Manal Mirza