Reference: Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa.il Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen – Volume 16, Page No.308-309
Question: Is it permissible to raise one’s head up [towards the sky] to look at the Sun during the Eclipse prayer?
Response: This is not permissible; Because the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ prohibited the raising of the eyes [towards the sky] during the prayer, and he affirmed his statement in that regard when he said[1]:
Footnote:
[1] Imaam an-Nawawee mentions [Sharh an-Nawawee ‘alaa Muslim – Volume 4, Page 152]:
His ﷺ’s statement:
«…the people had better stop raising their sight towards the sky/heaven during the prayer otherwise [their] sight will not return [back] to them», and in [another] narration [he said]:
«…otherwise their sight will be snatched away»
…therein is an affirmed prohibition and a severe threat regarding that. And [in this regard] a consensus has been transmitted as to the prohibition of [doing] that.
al-Qaadhee ‘Iyaadh said:
And they differed regarding the disliking of raising the sight towards the sky during the supplication in other than the prayer.
And Shurayh and others disliked that, whilst the majority permitted it, saying:
…because the sky is the qiblah for the supplication just as the Ka’bah is the qiblah for the prayer, so it is not disliked to raise the sight towards it (the sky) just as it is not disliked to raise the hands [towards the sky in supplication] as Allaah (Ta’aala) says:
{And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised}, [Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat, Aayah 22]
