Will One Be Punished by Looking Into the Sky While Praying As Mentioned in Hadiths?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I wanted to ask about a hadith in Bukhari (750). Does this mean that every person doing so will be punished by losing their eyesight before dying or that this punishment can happen to some people who do so while knowing it is haram?
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “What is wrong with those 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 eyesight would be taken away.”
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
There are narrations in Bukhari and Muslim that prohibit looking towards the sky.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “What is wrong with those 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 eyesight would be taken away.” [Bukhari]
Abu Hurayra (Allah be please with him) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “People should certainly stop looking towards the sky when making dua in Salah lest their eyesight is snatched away.” [Muslim]
Commentators say the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) either said this as a warning or they would lose their eyesight due to celestial light, which the angels descend upon those engaged in the prayer.
Ibn Battal (Allah have mercy on him) stated the scholars are unanimous that it is disliked to look towards the sky in the prayer but have differed regarding looking towards the sky in dua out of prayer. Qadi Shurayh (Allah have mercy on him) and others have deemed it reprehensible, but the majority have permitted it as the sky is the qibla for dua like the Kaba is the qibla for prayer.” [Usmani, Fath al-Mulhim; Nawawi, Al-Minhaj, Sharh Sahih Muslim]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Check the related links:
Prayer Reader: The Ultimate Guide To Prayer in Islam – SeekersGuidance
VIDEO: Raise Your Hands to the Sky When Asking The Most High – Adab of Du’a 10 – SeekersGuidance
Closing One’s Eyes in Prayer: A Detailed Answer – SeekersGuidance
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I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
