The danger of excessive intrusive thoughts and distractions in prayer, and likewise fidgeting in it.
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The Shaykh : And if we look at our reality today, what do we find? That intrusive thoughts and distractions do not come except when a person enters his prayer. A person may be at ease of mind before he enters the prayer. But once he enters, thousands of thoughts and intrusive ideas open up for him, which are of no benefit but rather harmful to the person, because they undoubtedly diminish his prayer.
Now, and among that is fidgeting in prayer, for fidgeting undoubtedly occupies the heart. And how many are those who fidget in their prayers! We find some people that when they enter the prayer, they go looking at the watch to see how much time is left? Sometimes they look at the pen to see if it has come out of the pocket or is it down? Sometimes they remember something while in prayer, so they take out the pen and take out a piece of paper from their pocket. And if he does not have a piece of paper, he writes on his palm, on his hand, while he is praying, for fear of forgetting, because when a person enters the prayer, Satan comes to remind him, saying, "Remember such and such, remember such and such," until he reminds him of things he did not remember before. And when he finishes the prayer, he goes to that which he was reminded of and forgets it. I remember a man who came to one of the scholars and said: "I deposited a trust, and I forgot where I put it, and the owner of the trust came to ask for it—do you know what a trust is?—Yes, he deposited dirhams, for example, as a trust, and he lost the place where he put it. So this man came to ask the scholar, saying: 'What should I do?' He said: 'Go and pray, and you will remember it.'"
Now, and among that is fidgeting in prayer, for fidgeting undoubtedly occupies the heart. And how many are those who fidget in their prayers! We find some people that when they enter the prayer, they go looking at the watch to see how much time is left? Sometimes they look at the pen to see if it has come out of the pocket or is it down? Sometimes they remember something while in prayer, so they take out the pen and take out a piece of paper from their pocket. And if he does not have a piece of paper, he writes on his palm, on his hand, while he is praying, for fear of forgetting, because when a person enters the prayer, Satan comes to remind him, saying, "Remember such and such, remember such and such," until he reminds him of things he did not remember before. And when he finishes the prayer, he goes to that which he was reminded of and forgets it. I remember a man who came to one of the scholars and said: "I deposited a trust, and I forgot where I put it, and the owner of the trust came to ask for it—do you know what a trust is?—Yes, he deposited dirhams, for example, as a trust, and he lost the place where he put it. So this man came to ask the scholar, saying: 'What should I do?' He said: 'Go and pray, and you will remember it.'"