Am i allowed to pray while my eyes closed?

Question

To less the disturbance

Answer 1

Salaam A3lykum... as for your question i am pretty sure that its wrong to close your eyes while praying.....Also i got a pretty good explanation that i found here on Y/A that someone wrote with a pretty good back up.... here it goes...

Please find attached below some information which addresses your query vis-à-vis closing your eyes whilst offering salaat, in shaa`Allaah.

1. Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Page 92a: Closing one's eyes

Source: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/law/fiqhussu...

Some say that this act is disliked while others hold that it is allowed, though disliked. Those hadeeth which state it is disliked are not authentic.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The correct position is: if keeping one's eyes open does not affect one's attention, then it is preferred to keep them open; however, if there is something in front of the person, such as some ornament or decoration, which could affect his attention, then it is, in no way, disliked to close his eyes. In fact, under such circumstances, to say it is preferred to close one's eyes is more consistent with the principles and goals of the shar'iah than to say that it is disliked."

2. Shaykh Muhammed Saalih Al-Munajjid's response: What is the ruling on closing the eyes when praying?

The scholars are agreed that it is makrooh[1] to close the eyes for no reason when praying.

a.. The author of al-Rawd stated that it is makrooh because this is what the Jews do. (al-Rawd al-Murabba', 1/95).

b.. The authors of Manaar al-Sabeel and al-Kaafi stated likewise, and added that it looks as if the person is asleep. (Manaar al-Sabeel, 1/66; al-Kaafi, 1/285).

c.. The author of al-Iqnaa' stated that it is makrooh unless there is a reason for doing so, such as fear of seeing something one should not be looking at whilst praying, such as seeing one's concubine or wife, or a non-mahram woman, naked. (al-Iqnaa', 1/127; al-Mughni, 2/30).

d.. The author of al-Mughni said likewise.

e.. The author of Tuhfat al-Mulook said that it is makrooh without discussing the ruling when there is a need to do it. (Tuhfat al-Mulook, 1/84).

f.. Al-Kaasaani said: it is makrooh because it goes against the Sunnah, which is to focus the gaze on the place of prostration, and because all of a person's faculties have a role to play in worship, including the eyes. (Badaa'i' al-Sanaa'i', 1/503).

g.. The author of Maraaqi al-Falaah stated that it is makrooh unless done for a purpose. He said, closing the eyes may be preferable to looking in some cases (Maraaqi al-Falaah, 1/343).

h.. Imaam al-'Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salaam said in his fatwas that it is permissible when necessary, if that helps the worshipper to focus more fully on his prayer.

i.. Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zaad al-Ma'aad that if a man can focus more fully on his prayer by opening his eyes, then it is better to do so. If he can focus more fully by closing his eyes because there are things that may distract him from his prayer, such as adornments and decorations, then it is not makrooh at all and the view that in this case it is mustahabb for him to close his eyes is closer to the aims and principles of sharee'ah than saying that it is makrooh. (Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/283). "

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Notes:

[1] Makrooh: Disapproved of, but not prohibited.

Further information: AHKAM: Literally means "orders."

In Islam, orders are subdivided into six distinct categories:

1). Compulsory, (Fard) == severe punishment if disobeyed. This takes two forms:

a) Fard'ain == Compulsory on every person, e.g. Salaat.

b) Fard Kifaya == Compulsory on at least one person in the community, e.g. Salat al-Janaza.

2). Necessary but not compulsory (Wajib), e,g. Salaat al-Jumaah'.

3). Recommended but not compulsory (Mustahab), e.g. Sunnah prayers, Sadaqa.

4). Legal and allowed (Halaal), e.g. eating good food, marriage.

5). Disapproved of, but not forbidden (Makrooh), e.g. smoking tobacco.

6). Forbidden (Muharram, Haraam), e.g. Ribaa, Zinaa (fornication and adultery).

Answer 2

I think the less distraction, the better you pray... and Yes you are allowed

Answer 3

If you loose concentration, you can do that for sometime, but it is better to offer prayers with open eyes, just lower your gaze.While praying try to concentrate on the meaning of the verses you are saying, I practice it and it really helps a lot.

Answer 4

As long as you're not driving, I think it would be okay.

Answer 5

yh but I don't think this would be any helpful as you should be concentrating any way and this would make it worse in my oinion.

Good luck closing your eyes!

Answer 6

for ramadan yes its how u r sopposed to do it

Answer 7

Yup....better not to, but no sin in doing so.  

Answer 8

yes you are not a problem,you are praying for Allah Allmighty,if you feel comfortable with it,  

Answer 9

yes you are allowed but its makrooh

Answer 10

MAKE SURE THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ARE GETTING FROM THESE PEOPLE ARE RIGHT!!

ok..

Answer 11

I used to but my cousin told me that they dont an they said the prophet used to pray having his eyes half open to were it looks like its open small. but since my cousin told me this ive been praying with my eyes half open.. but i can concentrate more with my eyes closed ofcourse

Answer 12

Of course! xD That normally IS how people pray. =]

Answer 13

Yes, you are allowed to, but only if you need to do it to focus. Otherwise, if you can focus with your eyes open, then don't close your eyes. I read it in one of my Islamic books that my teacher (who went to an Islamic university/college) gave to me. Hope this answered your question!

Your sister,

Jee Jee

=)  

Answer 14

Yes, that's how you should be praying.  

Answer 15

Who cares?

Answer 16

Yes its allowed.

I always pray with my eyes closed, i cant concentrate if they are open.

Answer 17

Why are people here giving Fataawa without knowledge?

People should have more sense than to ask a Fatwa on a site in which most of the answerers are young kids who do not know enough of the deen to answer and issue fataawa, nor do most have the skill to do research nor do they have the skill to even copy paste Fataawa.

Muhammad ibn Seereen, which is recorded in the Muqaddimah of Saheeh Muslim (1/15):

إن هذا علم الدين، فانظر عمن تأخذون دينكم

((This is the knowledge of your religion, so look to whom you take your religion from))

The Ulemaa of Hadeeth and Fiqh have said that you are to look at your place of prostration and keep your eyes OPEN not closed.  Ibnul Qayyim mentioned this in his Zaadul Mi'aad

Answer 18

Yes you can close ur eyes while praying ! Its totally upto u ! U can keep one of ur eye open the other closed and still offer Prayer !

So totally Upto u !

Answer 19

Yes.  You're also allowed to summon spirits while standing on your head and make wishes in a purple rubber thong.  Letters to Santa may be written in any color crayon you like, magic wands can be held in either hand, and you can choose the color of your socks tomorrow with no regard to your astrological sign.

Answer 20

OF COURSE!! THATS HOW U PRAY!!

Answer 21

that's how i do, when i'm totally freakin sleepy, also to reduce disturbances.. but only for a while at the beginning. the best way is to focus your view (while you're in the standing position) at the place where you'll place your forehead when you sujd, to reduce distractions. closing eyes only will be ways too easy, like another from of running away from problems. so don't do so for the whole prayers, unless a little bit at the beginning of the prayers would make a good practice start for people who can't focus well yet.  

Answer 22

To Look at the Place of Prostration, and Humility

"He (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to incline his head during prayer and fix his sight towards the ground"81- "while he was in the Ka'bah, his sight did not leave the place of his prostration until he came out from it"82; and he said, It is not fitting that there should be anything in the House which disturbs the person praying.83

"He used to forbid looking up at the sky"84, and he emphasised this prohibition so much that he said: People must refrain from looking up at the sky in prayer, or their sight will not return to them (and in one narration: or their sight will be plucked away).85 In another hadeeth: So when you pray, do not look here and there, for Allaah sets His Face for the face of his slave in his prayer as long as he does not look away86, and he also said about looking here and there, "it is a snatching away which the devil steals from the slave during prayer."87

He (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) also said: Allaah does not cease to turn to a slave in his prayer as long as he is not looking around; when he turns his face away, Allaah turns away from him88; ..........

http://www.qss.org/articles/salah/07.htm...



81 Baihaqi and Haakim, who declared it saheeh and it is as he said. It also has a strengthening hadeeth reported by ten of his Companions: transmitted by Ibn `Asaakir (17/202/2). See Irwaa' (354).

*NB: These two ahaadeeth show that the sunnah is to fix one's sight on the place of prostration on the ground, so the action of some worshippers of closing their eyes during Prayer is misdirected piety, for the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam).

82 ibid.

83 Abu Daawood & Ahmad with a saheeh isnaad (Irwaa', 1771); what is meant here by `the House' is the Ka'bah, as the context of this hadeeth shows.

84 Bukhaari & Abu Daawood.

85 Bukhaari, Muslim & Siraaj.

86 Tirmidhi & Haakim, who declared it saheeh, cf. Saheeh at-Targheeb (no. 353)

87 Bukhaari and Abu Daawood.



88 Transmitted by Abu Daawood and others. Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn Hibbaan declared it saheeh. See Saheeh at-Targheeb (no.555)

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so since we were told by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "Pray as you have seen me praying."... it is best to follow him while focusing in prayer.

but if closing the eyes helps someone keep away from distractions, such as someone moving around, then ofcourse one can do so.  But as a regular habit, we are to strive the path of the sunnah.

and Allah knows best!

wa aleikumus salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh