Where should one look while he is praying (in qiyam (standing), ruku’ (bowing down) and tashahhud (sitting))?

Where should one look while he is praying (in qiyam (standing), ruku’ (bowing down) and tashahhud (sitting))?

Dear Brother / Sister,

One should look at his toes in ruku’. Looking at qiblah instead of one’s toes in ruku’ does invalidate the prayer. Prostration of forgetfulness or performing the prayer again is not necessary in that case. Looking at qiblah or the place of prostration in ruku’ does not invalidate the prayer. You do not have to perform your prayers again.  

Adab (manners) of the prayer:

a) Looking at the place of prostration while standing,

b) Looking at the toes while bowing down,

c) Looking at the knees while sitting and not looking at any other place,

d) Looking at the right shoulder while giving salutation to the right and at the left shoulder while giving salutation to the left; not looking around,

e) Trying to keep the mouth closed while yawning,

f) If a person has something like a jacket, topcoat, overall on him, he should put his arms in them. (Bahr ar-Raiq / Ibn Nujaym)

g) Concentrating on the prayer and trying not to make the heart busy with anything else.

(Celal Yildirim, Kaynaklariyla Islam Fikhi, Uysal Kitabevi: 1/253.)

Questions on Islam