It is reported in a hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would glance to the right and left during prayer

The questioner : I mentioned, O Shaykh, in one of your books an authentic hadith; it is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would glance to the right and left in his prayer without twisting his neck; so how do we reconcile this hadith with the fact that the gaze should be... the worshipper in front at the place of his prostration; or is this hadith specific to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or his action (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that his (peace be upon him) glancing to the right and left is not from the category of idle play, but rather from the category of considering the public benefit. In "Sunan Abu Dawud" there is a hadith with a sound chain from Sahl ibn al-Hanazaliyyah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on a journey, so he sent a horseman as a scout, and he stood to lead his companions in prayer. He would turn his gaze to look at the valley from which the horseman was expected to come. This glancing is most similar to what al-Bukhari reported in his "Sahih" as a suspended narration that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say: "I am the one who prepares the army while I am praying." There is no doubt that he is in prayer thinking about something that is not the core of the prayer, but it is from the religion that brought the prayer. This specific point should give us a new understanding of jurisprudence, as long as the heedless have overlooked it. This understanding is that prayer is not required to always be an expression of remembrance, recitation of the Qur'an, humility, and reflection. Rather, it does not contradict all these things which are prescribed, and indeed prayer is usually based on them; this does not absolutely contradict that something else occurs from the worshipper that is not in the manner of what was mentioned before, but it is also not from the path of idle play which is prohibited in prayer. This is an example of 'Umar's saying: "I am the one who prepares the army—or my army—in prayer"; because preparing the army in prayer is from Islam. So when he occupied his mind and intellect with arranging the army he was preparing to face the enemy, he did not occupy himself with trivial matters, but with what Islam encourages and commands; especially as he was the supreme commander as the Caliph of the Muslims.
Of this nature is also what was asked about, that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would glance to the right and left for a benefit, and I have brought you the corroborating hadith of Sahl ibn al-Hanazaliyyah. He was monitoring when this vanguard he had sent to uncover the enemies and their positions and locations, and so on, would arrive. Of this nature is also... and there are many examples, and what I will mention is known to you, I think; that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) entered into prayer one day and Ummamah, the daughter of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), was on his shoulders. So he would lead the people in prayer and recite for them while standing, and when he intended to bow, he would take her and place her on the ground gently, and bow and prostrate. Then when he stood for the second unit, he would return her to her place. This is also not an action directly related to the prayer, but this is an action that Islam encourages, and it is from the category of gentleness with small children and caring for them.
Of this nature is also that great hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated one day in the middle of the 'Asr prayer with a prostration he lengthened contrary to his custom (peace be upon him), until one of the worshippers thought the Messenger had died; because this extreme lengthening was not his custom. He was, without doubt (peace be upon him), in a prostration close to his standing, and it was his Sunnah to equalize between the pillars as is known. But that prostration was much longer than what was accustomed, which led one of the worshippers to raise his head from prostration to reassure himself about his noble Prophet. He looked at the Messenger (peace be upon him) to reassure himself, and behold, he saw an amazing matter; he saw the Messenger prostrating in the prostration of the strong, as you know, with the separation of the fingers and relying on the palms without the forearms. This indicates that this prostrator is awake and fully strong, but at the same time he saw al-Hasan or al-Husayn riding on his back (peace be upon him). At that time, he discovered the secret and his heart was reassured, and he returned to his prostration as it was. When the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, they said to him: O Messenger of Allah, you prostrated in the middle of your prayer with a prostration you lengthened? He said (peace be upon him)—and this is from his etiquette and humility: , "he made me a mount" in formal Arabic means he took me as a mount; meaning a camel, he rode me as a rider rides his mount; that is: his camel. , "not yet, get down," it is not his time now as people usually do; he (peace be upon him) left him riding on his back (peace and blessings be upon him) until it was he who got tired.
And this reminds us of the hadith of 'A'ishah when the Abyssinians played with spears in the mosque, so she stood looking at them and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was covering her, and she had placed her chin on his shoulder, and he (peace be upon him) was saying to her: . She would say: No. Every time he said to her: . I would say: No—she is speaking about herself. Every time he said to her: she would say: No. She said: until I was the one who got tired.
Likewise, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the Messenger (peace be upon him), in his care for disciplining children and raising them and considering their childhood—also in prayer—did not dismount them from his back; until it was they who got tired and the Messenger (peace be upon him) raised his head from prostration. So all these matters are not a custom of the prayer, but when their occasion arises, their ruling is the ruling of the prayer in that they are matters prescribed in Islam.
So when we read a hadith that the Messenger would glance and look to the right and left; immediately it must come to our mind that this was not from the category of idle play, may he be far from it! Rather, it was from the category of public benefit. This benefit may have a direct relationship with the prayer, or a relationship with Islam in general; knowing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was granted a prophetic miracle specific to him, not only beyond the general people, but beyond all the prophets and messengers; and that is that he would look from behind him as he looks from in front of him; and therefore it was from his saying (peace be upon him): . So what is the wisdom of the Messenger being given this prophetic miracle? That the man sees from behind him to rectify their affairs, those who are ahead, those who raise their head before him, and so on.
In brief, after this explanation and lengthening: his (peace be upon him) turning to the right and left in prayer sometimes is for a benefit that returns to the Muslims themselves.
Other than that?