If a man is praying and there is something in front of him that distracts him from the prayer, is it permissible for him to close his eyes?

The questioner : If a man is praying and there is something in front of him that distracts him from the prayer, is it permissible for him to close his eyes?

The Shaykh : Yes, he may close his eyes if there is something in front of him that prevents his heart from being present; let him close his eyes, and there is no blame on him. Likewise, if there is, for example, severe and rapid lightning, there is nothing wrong with it.