Closing eyes whilst in Salah

Question:

Is it allowed to perform your Salaah with closed eyes, because you can concentrate better and can concentrate on the presence of Allah ta’ala?

Answer:

It is Makruh e Tanzihi to close the eyes in Salah, unless it is done for concentration in which case there is no karahat [dislike].

It is stated in Bahar e Shari’at:

“To keep the eyes closed in Salah is Makruh [Tanzihi (disliked)], unless by keeping them open one cannot concentrate, in which case there is no problem in closing them, in fact, it is better [to close them in such a case].” [al-Durr al-Mukhtar and Radd al-Muhtar]

And Allah knows best

Answered by Muhammad Kalim (Preston, UK)

Verified by Mufti Zahid Hussain al-Qadri