Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalamalaikum!

Brother my question is .....that if its ok to look around while someone is performing nimaaz or to look at other person who is around. Is it a sin ? if yes what kind of sin? Is that nimaaz accepted by allah? and also what if someone laughs during his salat(intentionally)?

Thank you for all your assistance

Allah hafiz 

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Answer:

Looking around and laughing in prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Brother my question is .....that if its ok to look around while someone is performing nimaaz or to look at other person who is around. Is it a sin ? if yes what kind of sin? Is that nimaaz accepted by allah?

When a believer is in prayer, he should realize that he is in the audience of the Majestic Lord; and thus perform his prayers with absolute humility and utmost attention.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.300 (part) Narrated by Abu Huraira

One day while the Messenger of Allah (saws) was sitting with his companions, Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) came in the form of a human and asked the Messenger of Allah (saws): "O Messenger of Allah (saws)! What is ‘Ihsan’ (i.e. perfection or benevolence)?" The Prophet (saws) said, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you." Then the man (Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) left. The Prophet (saws) said, "Call him back to me." The noble companions went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet (saws) then said, "That was Jibrael (a.s.) who came to teach the people their religion."

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.82a

Turning to look at something without any genuine need is disliked, for it is against the etiqettes of humility while facing Allah Subhanah in Prayer.

Hadrat Aishah (r.a.) says: "I asked the Messenger of Allah about turning in salah, and he (saws) said: 'It is the portion that the Satan steals from the slave's prayer.'"

Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i, and Abu Dawud.

Hadrat Abu ad-Darda (r.a.) narrates that the Prophet (saws) said: "O people, be careful about turning for there is no salah for the one who turns. If you must do it, do it in the voluntary prayers and not in the obligatory prayers."

Related by Ahmad.

Hadrat Anas (r.a.) relates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to him: "Be careful about turning during the salah, as turning in the salah is disastrous. If you must do it, then do it in the voluntary prayers but not in the obligatory prayers."

Related by at-Tirmidhi.

Al-Harith al-Ash'ari narrates that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah gave Prophet Yahya (a.s.), son of Prophet Zakariyah (a.s.), five commands that he was to abide by and was to order the tribe of Isra'el to abide by..." One of them was, "Verily, Allah orders you to pray, and when you pray, do not tum for Allah looks to the face of His slave in salah as long as he does not turn."

Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.

Hadrat Abu Dharr (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah faces the slave while he is in the salah and keeps facing him as long as he does not turn. If [the slave] turns, [Allah] turns away from him."

Related by Ahmad and by Abu Dawud.

Q-2: and also what if someone laughs during his salat(intentionally)?

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.98

Smiling or laughing during the salah

Ibn al-Mundhir records that there is a consensus of opinion amongst the scholars that laughing (during the salah) invalidates the prayer. An-Nawawi says: "This is the case if one laughs aloud, and produces sound. Most of the scholars say that there is no problem with smiling. If one is overcome by laughter and cannot control it, his salah will not become invalid if it is of minor nature. If it is a hearty laughter, it will invalidate the salah.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan