Not Lifting Gaze to the Sky When in Salah
Concerning the prohibition on the worshipper lifting his gaze to heaven, there is the report that was narrated by al-Bukhari (750) from Anas ibn Maalik (radiyAllahu ‘anhu), who said:
The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?”
And he spoke sternly concerning that, until he said:
“They should stop that, or else their eyesight will be snatched away”
The reason for that is that lifting the gaze whilst praying is contrary to proper focus (khushoo‘), and it exposes the worshipper to the risk of being distracted by what he sees.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (rahimahullah) said: “Because lifting the gaze to heaven is contrary to proper focus (khushoo‘), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that it is haraam and warned against it.”
[End quote from al-Qawaa’id an-Nooraaniyyah, pg. 46]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) said:
The words “and lifting his gaze to heaven” mean it is makrooh (disliked) to lift one’s gaze to heaven whilst praying, whether that is when one is reciting, or when one is bowing, or when one is rising from bowing, or at any stage in the prayer, based on both evidence and reasoning.
With regard to the evidence, that is because the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (spoke sternly when) said:
“People should stop lifting their gaze to heaven whilst praying, or else their eyesight will be snatched away.”
In other words, either they should stop or this punishment will be inflicted on them, which is that their eyesight will be snatched away, and will not be given back to them.
(Again), the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) spoke sternly concerning this matter…
With regard to reasoning: that is because this reflects bad etiquette towards Allah, may He be exalted, because the worshipper is standing before Allah, so he should observe proper etiquette before Him, and not lift his head; rather he should be humble.
It is demonstrated in the humbleness and awe of ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) who said that before he became Muslim, he hated the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) so much that he wished that he could be able to kill him. But when he became Muslim, he said: I could not look directly at him (I could barely look at his face) out of awe and deep respect for him, and (so much so) if you asked me to describe him I would not be able to. (And this was his awe for the Messenger of Allah - sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
Hence the most correct (scholarly) view concerning lifting the gaze to heaven whilst praying is that it is haraam, and not merely makrooh. End quote.
[ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 3/226, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah)]
With regard to lifting the gaze to heaven outside of prayer, there is nothing wrong with it, because there is no evidence to suggest otherwise or to say that it is not allowed; rather some of the fuqaha’ were of the view that lifting the gaze is preferable (in du’a or outside prayer).
It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah:
The Shaafa‘is stated that when offering du`a (supplication) outside of prayer, it is preferable to lift the gaze to heaven.
[See: al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 8/99]
