Author: Abdulrazzaq al-Maghribi
Date published: 2026-04-26
Updated: 2026-04-26
Looking direction in prayer
The scholars differed regarding where a person should direct their gaze during prayer. The majority of scholars held that one should look at the place of prostration throughout the prayer.
A minority of scholars held that one should look straight ahead rather than toward the place of prostration. This is reported to be the view of Imam Mālik.
As for the tashahhud, some scholars said a person should continue looking toward the place of prostration while sitting, while others held that one should look at the index finger when pointing.
The scholars agreed that it is not obligatory to fix one’s gaze in a specific direction during the prayer, and that the prayer remains valid whether one looks at the place of prostration or straight ahead.
- Imam Abu Hanifa: to the place of sujud
- Imam Malik: straight ahead
- Imam al-Shafi'i: to the place of sujud
- Imam Ahmad: to the place of sujud
Imam Abu Hanifa believes it is preferrable to look at the position of the sujud throughout prayer.
١٣٤ - فِي نظر الْمُصَلِّي الى ايْنَ يكون
قَالَ أَصْحَابنَا وَالثَّوْري وَالْحسن بن حَيّ وَالشَّافِعِيّ يسْتَحبّ أَن يكون نظرة الى مَوضِع سُجُوده
وَقَالَ مَالك يكون نظره أَمَام قبلته
وَقَالَ شريك بن عبد الله ينظر فِي الْقيام الى مَوضِع السُّجُود وَفِي الرُّكُوع الى قَدَمَيْهِ وَفِي السُّجُود الى أَنفه وَفِي قعوده الى حجره
[اختلاف الفقهاء – الطحاوي – المجلد ١ – الصفحة ٢٠٠]
Al-Tahawi said:
"[Where the praying person should look]
Our companions (Hanafis), al-Thawrī, al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥayy, and al-Shāfiʿī said: it is recommended that his gaze be directed toward the place of his prostration.
Mālik said: his gaze should be directed straight ahead toward the direction of the qiblah.
Sharik ibn ʿAbdullāh said: during standing he looks at the place of prostration, during bowing at his feet, during prostration at his nose, and during sitting at his lap."
[Ikhtilaf al-Fuqaha - al-Tahawi - Volume 1 - Page 200]
Imam Malik believes a person should look right in front of him, to the qiblah. As for the other positions, a person just keeps his gaze looking towards where he is facing.
قال مالكٌ: يكونُ نَظرُ المُصلِّي أمامَ قِبلتِهِ.
وقال الثَّوريُّ وأبو حنيفةَ والشّافِعيُّ والحسنُ بن حيٍّ: يُستَحبُّ أن يكونَ نَظرُهُ إلى مَوْضِع سُجُودِهِ (١).
وقال شَريكٌ القاضي: ينظُرُ في القِيام إلى موضِع السُّجُودِ، وفي الرُّكُوع إلى مَوْضِع قَدَميهِ، وفي السُّجُودِ إلى أنفِهِ، وفي قُعُودِهِ إلى حِجرِهِ.
قال أبو عُمر: هذا كلُّهُ تحديدٌ لم يثبُت به (٢) أثرٌ، وليس بواجِبٍ في النَّظرِ.
ومن نظرَ إلى موضِع سجُودِهِ، كان أسلمَ لهُ، وأبعدَ من الاشتِغالِ بغيرِ صَلاتِهِ إن شاءَ اللَّه، وباللَّه التَّوفيقُ.
[التمهيد – المجلد ١١ – الصفحة ٢٢٩]
Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
"Mālik said: the praying person’s gaze should be directed straight ahead toward the direction of the qiblah.
Al-Thawrī, Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Shāfiʿī, and al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥayy said: it is recommended that his gaze be directed toward the place of his prostration.
Shurayk al-Qāḍī said: during standing he looks at the place of prostration, during bowing at his feet, during prostration at his nose, and during sitting at his lap.
All of this is a form of specification for which no established report has been proven, and it is not obligatory to look in a specific direction. However, whoever looks at the place of his prostration is safer for him and further removed from being distracted from his prayer, if Allah wills. And with Allah is success."
[Al-Tamheed - Volume 11 - Page 229]
مالك، فإنه قال: أكره بما يصنع بعض الناس من النظر إلى موضع سجودهم، وهم قيام في صلاتهم.
[الإشراف على مذاهب العلماء – ابن المنذر – المجلد ٢ – الصفحة ٥٩]
Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned:
"Mālik said: I dislike what some people do of looking at the place of their prostration while they are standing in their prayer."
[Al-Ishraaf 'ala Madhahib al-Ulama - Ibn al-Mundhir - Volume 2 - Page 59]
Imam al-Shafi'i believes it is preferrable to look at the position of the sujud throughout prayer.
وقال مسلم بن يسار، والشافعي، وإسحاق، وأبو ثور، وأصحاب الرأي: ينظر إلى موضع سجوده، وهذا قول كثير من أهل العلم. غير مالك، فإنه قال: أكره بما يصنع بعض الناس من النظر إلى موضع سجودهم، وهم قيام في صلاتهم. قال أبو بكر: الأول أولى.
[الإشراف على مذاهب العلماء – ابن المنذر – المجلد ٢ – الصفحة ٥٩]
Ibn al-Mundhir said:
"Muslim ibn Yasār, al-Shāfiʿī, Isḥāq, Abū Thawr, and Ahl al-Raiyy said: he should look at the place of his prostration. And this is the view of many scholars.
Except Mālik, for he said: I dislike what some people do of looking at the place of their prostration while they are standing in their prayer."
The first opinion is more correct (more preferable).
[Al-Ishraaf 'ala Madhahib al-Ulama - Ibn al-Mundhir - Volume 2 - Page 59]
٧٣٧ - قُلْتُ: أَمَّا النَّظَرُ إِلَى الشَّيْءِ، فَلا بَأْسَ بِهِ فِي الصَّلاةِ، وَالأَحْسَنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ نَظَرُهُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ، فَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ «يَلْحَظُ فِي الصَّلاةِ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالا، وَلا يَلْوِي عُنُقَهُ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِهِ».
[شرح السنة – البغوي – المجلد ٣ – الصفحة ٢٥٥]
Al-Baghawi said:
"As for looking at something during prayer, there is no harm in it. However, it is better that the person’s gaze be directed toward the place of his prostration.
It has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to glance in prayer to the right and to the left, without turning the neck."
[Sharh al-Sunnah - Al-Baghawi - Volume 3 - Page 255]
Imam Ahmad believes it is preferrable to look at the position of the sujud throughout prayer.
فصل: يُسْتَحَبُّ لِلْمُصَلِّى أن يَجْعَلَ نَظَرَهُ إلى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ. قال أحمدُ، في رِوَايَةِ حَنْبَلٍ: الخُشُوعُ في الصَّلاةِ: أن [يَجْعَلَ نَظَرَهُ] (٣٥) إلى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ. ورُوِىَ ذلك عن مُسْلمِ (٣٦) بن يَسَار، وقَتَادَةَ، وحُكِىَ عن شَرِيكٍ، أنَّه قال: يَنْظُرُ في حالِ قِيَامِه إلى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ، وفي رُكُوعِهِ إلى قَدَمَيْهِ، وفي حالِ سُجُودِهِ إلى أَنْفِهِ، وفي حالِ التَّشَهُّدِ إلى حِجْرِه. وقد رَوَى أبُو طَالِبٍ العُشَارِىِّ (٣٧)، في "الأفْرَادِ"، [عن بعضِ الصَّحابةِ] (٣٨)، قال: قلتُ: يا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أينَ أَجْعَلُ بَصَرِى في الصَّلَاةِ؟ قال: "مَوْضِعَ سُجُودِكَ". قال: قلتُ: يا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إن ذلك لَشَدِيدٌ، [إنَّ ذلك لا أسْتَطِيعُ] (٣٩). قال: "فَفِى المَكْتُوبَةِ (٤٠) إذًا".
[المغني – المجلد ٢ – الصفحة ٣٩٠]
Ibn Qudamah said:
"Section: It is recommended for the one praying to direct his gaze toward the place of his prostration.
Ahmad said, in the narration of Ḥanbal: humility (khushūʿ) in prayer means that one directs his gaze to the place of his prostration. This was also reported from Muslim ibn Yasār and Qatādah.
It is also narrated from Sharīk that he said: In the state of standing, he looks toward the place of his prostration; in bowing, toward his feet; in prostration, toward his nose; and in the tashahhud, toward his lap.
Abū Ṭālib al-ʿUshārī narrated in al-Afrād, from some of the Companions, that he said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, where should I place my gaze in prayer?” He said: “At the place of your prostration.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, that is difficult—I am not able to do that.” He said: “Then (just) in the obligatory prayer.”"
[Al-Mughni - Volume 2 - Page 390]
ويستحب جعل نظره إلى موضع سجوده، لأنه أخشع للمصلي، وأكف لنظره.
[الكافي في فقه الإمام أحمد – المجلد ١ – الصفحة ٢٤٤]
Ibn Qudamah said:
"It is recommended that he direct his gaze to the place of his prostration, because it is more conducive to humility in prayer and more restraining for his gaze."
[Al-Kaafi fi Fiqh al-Imam Ahmad - Volume 1 - Page 244]
Our view:
We believe the matter is broad, as mentioned by some scholars. They stated that the issue of where to direct one’s gaze in prayer is not strictly specified in authentic reports, so a person may either look at the place of prostration or simply straight ahead.
However, it is better to keep the gaze directed toward the place of prostration, as this is the opinion of the majority of scholars and is further removed from distraction during prayer.
قال أبو عُمر: هذا كلُّهُ تحديدٌ لم يثبُت به (٢) أثرٌ، وليس بواجِبٍ في النَّظرِ.
ومن نظرَ إلى موضِع سجُودِهِ، كان أسلمَ لهُ، وأبعدَ من الاشتِغالِ بغيرِ صَلاتِهِ إن شاءَ اللَّه، وباللَّه التَّوفيقُ.
[التمهيد – المجلد ١١ – الصفحة ٢٢٩]
Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
"All of this (regarding looking direction in prayer) is a form of specification for which no established report has been proven, and it is not obligatory to look in a specific direction.
However, whoever looks at the place of his prostration is safer for him and further removed from being distracted from his prayer, if Allah wills. And with Allah is success."
[Al-Tamheed - Volume 11 - Page 229]