Does looking up at the sky invalidate the prayer?

The questioner : Definitely.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Is not looking at the sky during the prayer forbidden, O Shaykh? The act is forbidden in worship.

The Shaykh : Some scholars said, “Beware of his prayer.” If he raises his gaze to the sky, his prayer is invalidated, and this is what the general rule implies. However, the majority of scholars hold that it does not invalidate the prayer, as they consider this to be a matter of leaving off khushu' (humility), and khushu' is not obligatory. Nevertheless, the view that his prayer is invalidated is undoubtedly a strong opinion, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became very angry about it, to the point where he said, “Let them stop, or their eyes will be plucked out.”