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How did the Companions view Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, while he was praying, and they do not look around during prayer?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Hadith indicates that prayer is not suitable for any ordinary speech; rather, it is for glorification (Tasbeeh), magnification (Takbeer), and recitation of the Quran. It also states that the Companions striking their thighs to object to speech during prayer occurred before the legitimacy of saying "Subhanallah" (Tasbeeh) for someone experiencing something during their prayer. This further indicates the permissibility of minor actions in prayer when necessary. As for the Companions' glances at Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam, they were perhaps subtle eye movements without turning the head, which is permissible. Or they might have been glances accompanied by turning the head out of necessity to object to the one speaking during prayer, thereby lifting the reprehensibility.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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