What is the ruling on excessive movement during prayer?
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Question:
After this, he asks Your Eminence about a matter he sees frequently, as he says: I observe that some people move a lot while performing their prayer; they advance one foot and delay the other, or they fiddle with their beards, or they adjust their clothes, and so on. I believe that such movement affects the prayer, so I ask Your Eminence for guidance? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no doubt that this is a reality among some people: fiddling in prayer and excessive movement is a reality among some people. We advise all our brothers, both men and women, to be humble in prayer and to leave off movement that is not needed, whether with clothes, the beard, or anything else, or with the watch, or anything else. The Sunnah is humility in prayer and tranquility in it, and not moving. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :[Al-Mu'minun 23:1] those who are humble in their prayers [Al-Mu'minun:1-2].
And humility is submission to Allah, turning to the prayer, and leaving off fiddling. But if there is a need to move forward in the row in front of him because of a gap, there is no harm. Or if there is a need to adjust his turban—his headscarf—if he fears it will fall, or similar needs, there is no harm, with the care to keep it minimal and not to do it excessively, being careful that the movement is only to the extent of the need, very little, according to the need.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed on some days carrying Amamah, the daughter of Zaynab, his granddaughter. When he prostrated, he put her down, and when he stood up, he carried her. And he prayed once on the pulpit, so when he finished bowing, he straightened up, descended, and prostrated below the pulpit for the sake of teaching, to teach the people and guide them, so that they would know that such a thing is permissible. And in the eclipse prayer, Paradise was shown to him, so he moved forward to take a bunch of grapes from it, but it did not become easy for him. And Hellfire was shown to him—and he was in the eclipse prayer—so he moved back, and the rows moved back. So if a need calls for something of this, there is no harm. Otherwise, the obligatory thing is tranquility, that he is tranquil, and he performs the prayer with tranquility, humility, and no haste, with little movement, so that by that he has perfected his prayer and taken care of it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
After this, he asks Your Eminence about a matter he sees frequently, as he says: I observe that some people move a lot while performing their prayer; they advance one foot and delay the other, or they fiddle with their beards, or they adjust their clothes, and so on. I believe that such movement affects the prayer, so I ask Your Eminence for guidance? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no doubt that this is a reality among some people: fiddling in prayer and excessive movement is a reality among some people. We advise all our brothers, both men and women, to be humble in prayer and to leave off movement that is not needed, whether with clothes, the beard, or anything else, or with the watch, or anything else. The Sunnah is humility in prayer and tranquility in it, and not moving. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ And humility is submission to Allah, turning to the prayer, and leaving off fiddling. But if there is a need to move forward in the row in front of him because of a gap, there is no harm. Or if there is a need to adjust his turban—his headscarf—if he fears it will fall, or similar needs, there is no harm, with the care to keep it minimal and not to do it excessively, being careful that the movement is only to the extent of the need, very little, according to the need.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed on some days carrying Amamah, the daughter of Zaynab, his granddaughter. When he prostrated, he put her down, and when he stood up, he carried her. And he prayed once on the pulpit, so when he finished bowing, he straightened up, descended, and prostrated below the pulpit for the sake of teaching, to teach the people and guide them, so that they would know that such a thing is permissible. And in the eclipse prayer, Paradise was shown to him, so he moved forward to take a bunch of grapes from it, but it did not become easy for him. And Hellfire was shown to him—and he was in the eclipse prayer—so he moved back, and the rows moved back. So if a need calls for something of this, there is no harm. Otherwise, the obligatory thing is tranquility, that he is tranquil, and he performs the prayer with tranquility, humility, and no haste, with little movement, so that by that he has perfected his prayer and taken care of it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.