Shaikh Hasan bin Muhammad Ba Shu’aib [from the people of Knowledge from Hadramout] wrote in his book At-Tasheel wal-Eedaah Li Kafiyyatis-Salah:
“Where does the one praying look during his prayer?
The opinion of the majority of the Scholars is the recommendation of looking at the place of prostration in all the prayer, except for the position of Tashahhud. He looks at his index finger [in this position]. They have for this opinion Ahaadith, however all of them are weak except the fact that looking at the place of prostration is closer to Khushoo’.
As for looking at the index finger in the position of Tashahhud, then there is the Hadith of Abdullah ibn az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him):
كَانَ إِذَا قَعَدَ فِي التَّشَهُّدِ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ بَصَرُهُ إِشَارَتَهُ
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat to say the tashahhud, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and pointed with his forefinger, and his gaze did not go beyond he finger with which he was pointing
Reported by Ahmad (4/3), Abu Dawood (no. 990), and Nasaai (no. 1274). Graded authentic by al-Albani.
The Malikiyyah took the opinion to look forward. Their proof is:
1. The Hadith of Baraa ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him):
وَكَانَ، غَيْرَ كَذُوبٍ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا صَلَّوْا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ قَامُوا قِيَامًا حَتَّى يَرَوْنَهُ قَدْ سَجَدَ.
Whenever we offered prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he raised his head from the bowing, we used to remain standing till we saw him prostrating [Bukhari no. 747]
2. The Hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the Eclipse prayer:
قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، رَأَيْنَاكَ تَنَاوَلُ شَيْئًا فِي مَقَامِكَ
O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! We saw you trying to take something while standing at your place [Reported by Bukhari no. 748]
So in these Ahaadith is the evidence that those behind the Imam look at their Imam. Bukhari placed a chapter: (Raising the eyes to the Imam in prayer)
Ibn Battal rahimahullah said: “In this Hadith is evidence for Malik that the gaze of the one praying is towards the Qiblah”
Hafidh Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy upon) said: “It is possible that the meaning of the chapter is that the origin of the one behind the Imam is to gaze at the place of the prostration because that is desirable for Khushoo’ except if he needs to look at what the Imam is doing to follow his example. And Allah Knows Best” [Fathul-Bar (2/233)]
He also said: “It is possible to separate between the Imam and the one who is behind the Imam. So it is recommended for the Imam to look at the place of prostration. Likewise the one behind the Imam except when he needs to observe his Imam. As for the one who is alone, then his ruling is the ruling of the Imam” [Fathul-Bari (2/232)]
Al-Albani rahimahullah said: “It is a good combination [between the evidences]”
[Asl as-Sifah (1/233)]
[At-Tasheel wal-Eedaah Li Kafiyyatis-Salah (pg (35-36)]
Shaikh Muhammad bin Hizaam (may Allah preserve him) wrote:
“First Issue: The Place the One Praying Looks in Prayer
Hafidh Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy upon him) said in the Tafsir of His statement, the Exalted:
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at Makkah) [2:144]
“The Malikiyyah used this verse as evidence that the one who is praying should look in front of him not towards the place of sujud as Shafi’ee, Ahmad, Abu Hanifa took as the view. The Malikiyyah said due to the verse:
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at Makkah) [2:144]
If he looks at the place of sujud, then that would require unnecessary burden by having a type of bowing”
The Malikiyyah also used as evidence the Hadith of Khabab in al-Bukhari (no. 761) that they [the Sahabah] used to knew the recitation of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) by the movements of his (ﷺ) beard.
The majority used as evidence for looking at the place of sujud the Hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported with al-Hakim (2/393) and al-Bayhaqi (2/283) that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to raise his head to the sky and his eyes would look here and there until Allah, revealed:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ – الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ
Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness [23:1-2]
So then he lowered his head and lowered himself to the ground. This Hadith is from the Maraaseel of Ibn Sireen. al-Bayhaqi, an-Nawawi, ad-Dhahabi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Rajab and other than that have also argued that it is Mursal.
The majority also used as evidence the Hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the Ka’bah, his eyes would not pass the placed of his sujud. It is reported al-Hakim (1/479) and al-Bayhaqi (5/158). It is from the narration of Amr bin Abi Salamah from Zuhair bin Muhammad at-Tamimi. The narrations of the people of Sham from Zuhair is Munkar. This [narration] is from them and Abu Haatim detested it.
I say: There is nothing authentic and clear in this issue which is relied on. So the one who is praying looks to the place which is closer to Khushoo’ and it is the place of Sujud. And Allah Knows best [See: al-Fath Ibn Rajab and al-Fath Ibn Hajar (no. 746) and Nayl (2/190)]”
[Fathul-‘Allam (2/641)]
Translated by
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
