Kitab Al-Salaah (The book of Prayer)

Things
Which Are Not Preferred In The Prayer

 

• Turning of the eyes up. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
  strongly admonished against this as can be noted from the following
  saying: “What is the matter with the people who raise their eyes
  towards the sky while praying? They shall have to refrain from this or
  else they will lose their eyesight” (Reported by Imam Bukhari).
  It is also disliked to look right and left and the Prophet (peace be
  upon him) in this regard says: “It is a deception with which
  Satan deceives the servant while in prayer” (Reported by Imam
  Bukhari). The person while praying is required to direct his eyes at
  the point of prostration.
  
• Closing the eyes in the course of the prayer.
  
• Placing the hands above the kidneys or on the waist. Hands
  should be placed over the chest.
  
• Wiping the earth (where to prostrate) more than once to
  remove pebbles on it.
  
• Reading of the Holy Qur'an, while in Rukuu and in Sujuud
  positions.
  
• Making unnecessary movements in the course of the prayer such
  as touching the chin (beard) or fidgeting the fingertips or mending up
  the clothes e. g. the head turban etc.
  
• Entering to prayer, while food has been served to the person
  before the prayer or while badly in need of passing excrement and / or
  urine. The Prophet (peace be upon him) in this regard says:
  “Prayer is not valid when food has been served and when a person is in
  need of relieving himself of excrement and/or urine” (Reported
  by Imam Muslim).
  
• It is prohibited for someone in a congregational prayer to
  raise the head from Rukuu and Sujuud positions ahead of the Imam. The
  Prophet (peace be upon him) strongly warned persons doing this as can
  be noted from the following saying: “Doesn't the person who
  raises up his head before the Imam fear that Allah will turn his head
  to that of a donkey or make his face look like a donkey”
  (Reported by Imam Bukhari).