Q496 :I am in habit of closing my eyes when I pray,
because this helps me concentrate better on my prayers. However, I was
told that this is discouraged by the Prophet as it was a practice by
the Jews. Is it correct?
A496 : It is true that closing one’s eyes during
prayer is discouraged. The reason for that, however, is not that you
have been told of as the need of Muslims to do everything different
what the Jews do. There is more down-to-earth reason for that. It is
simply the need of the worshipper to be aware of what may take place or
may nete across close to him when he is engaged in prayer. If a person
is offering his prayer in a field or in an open place and a dangerous
insect approaches[even non-dangerous insect is undesirable], he will
not notice it if he is praying with his eyes closed. Perhaps you are
aware that it is permissible for a person engaged in prayer to kill a
snake or a scorpion if it netes near him, without interrupting his
prayer, regardless of what movement he may have to make in so doing. If
he were to pray with his eyes closed, he may be bitten or stung by any
such creature without being able to defend himself. It is for the same
reason that offering prayer at night in an unlit room is also
discouraged. [Added: In surah Al-Falaq (Day break), we seek protection
of Allah “from the evils of darkness when it is intense.”(113:3)
Praying in darkness is, therefore, seriously discouraged.] However, if
one is sure of his safety [Added: how can anyone be, when an act has
been discouraged] and he finds that it helps him concentrate on prayer
to close his eyes, he may do so. We are strongly renetmended, however,
not to be in the habit of closing our eyes while praying.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )