The ruling on drinking during voluntary prayer

May Allah reward you. These questions are addressed to your Eminence. It says: To His Eminence Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, the respected President of the General Commission for Islamic Research and Ifta, Da'wah and Guidance. It says: We ask your Eminence to answer these questions on *Nur 'ala al-Dirb*. What is the ruling on drinking a small amount of water during voluntary prayer, and we hope that this is supported by evidence?
Answer: As for drinking water during obligatory prayer, it is prohibited, and so is eating. For prayer involves being occupied away from eating, drinking, and talking to people, and the obligatory thing is tranquility in it and turning to it. As for voluntary prayer, some people... some scholars have permitted this, while others have prohibited it. It is narrated from Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) ; because he would lengthen the prayer and lengthen the night prayer. I do not know of a clear evidence permitting the drinking of water in prayer. So prayer involves being occupied. What appears to me, and Allah knows best, is that leaving that is better and more cautious in voluntary prayer, just as it is left in obligatory prayer. Voluntary prayer is like obligatory prayer in ruling, except for what is specified by evidence. I do not know of a clear evidence from the Book or the Sunnah indicating the permissibility of drinking water in voluntary prayer. So what I see for my brothers is to leave that, just as it is obligatory to leave that in obligatory prayer. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows best.