Each narration below is shown in its original Arabic alongside an English translation, with its chapter, number, and reference.
" إِنَّكَ سَلَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا وَأَنَا أُصَلِّي "
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand then I came back to him while he was praying. I greeted him with the salam and he gestured to me. When he finished he called me and said: 'You greeted me with Salam just now and I was praying.' And he was facing toward the east that day."
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ الْبَعْلَبَكِّيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ شَابُورٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَسِيرُ مُشَرِّقًا أَوْ مُغَرِّبًا فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَانْصَرَفْتُ فَنَادَانِي " يَا جَابِرُ " . فَنَادَانِي النَّاسُ يَا جَابِرُ . فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْكَ فَلَمْ تَرُدَّ عَلَىَّ . فَقَالَ " إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي " .
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand, then I came back to him while he was facing the east or the west. I greeted him with salam and he gestured to me. Then when he finished he called me and said: "O Jabir!" So I came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I greeted you with Salam but you did not answer." He said: 'I was praying.'
" إِذَا قَامَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلاَ يَمْسَحِ الْحَصَى فَإِنَّ الرَّحْمَةَ تُوَاجِهُهُ "
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When any one of you stands in prayer, let him not smooth the pebbles, for he is facing Mercy.'"
" إِنْ كُنْتَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً فَمَرَّةً "
"Mu'aiqib told me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If you have to do that, then do it only once.'"
أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَشُعَيْبُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ - عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ يَرْفَعُونَ أَبْصَارَهُمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ " . فَاشْتَدَّ قَوْلُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَالَ " لَيَنْتَهُنَّ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لَتُخْطَفَنَّ أَبْصَارُهُمْ " .
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to the sky when praying?" And he spoke sternly concerning that until he said: "They must stop that or they will certainly lose their eyesight."
" إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلاَ يَرْفَعْ بَصَرَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُلْتَمَعَ بَصَرُهُ "
A man from among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) told him that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'If any one of you in praying, let him not lift his gaze to the sky, or his eyesight will be taken away.'"
" لاَ يَزَالُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مُقْبِلاً عَلَى الْعَبْدِ فِي صَلاَتِهِ مَا لَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ فَإِذَا صَرَفَ وَجْهَهُ انْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ "
"I heard Abu Al-Ahwas saying to us in a gathering with Ibn Al-Musayyab when Ibn Al-Musayyab was sitting there, that he had heard Abu Dharr say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Allah (SWT) continues to look upon His slave while he is praying, so long as he does not turn away. If he turns his face away, He turns away from him."
" اخْتِلاَسٌ يَخْتَلِسُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ "
"I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about looking here and there during prayer. He said: 'That is something that the Shaitan snatches from one's prayer.'"
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ .
A similar report was also narrated from 'Aishah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ .
A similar report was also narrated from 'Aishah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).