What is the ruling on the prayer of one who closes his eyes during prayer to achieve khushu' (humility) in his prayer?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, a man closes his eyes during prayer to achieve khushu' in his prayer. Is the prayer valid?

Answer:
The prayer is valid, and closing the eyes is disliked (makruh) as a lesser dislike. If he does it out of necessity, such as if there is something in front of him that distracts him and he closes his eyes to avoid the distractions, there is no harm. As for closing his eyes for the sake of khushu', I fear that it will develop in him and increase, becoming an obsession (waswasah) for him. Yes, he should look at the place of his prostration, not in front of him; he should look at the place of his prostration. Yes.