Is Fear of People’s Perception Before Prayer a Sin or Does It Affect the Validity of the Prayer?
Question: As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, Shaykh. Whenever I attend congregational Ṣalāh, I normally need to prepare myself before joining the prayer. For example, I may need to remove and place my glasses, cap and keys safely on the ground, put my phone on silent, and make sure that my belongings will not disturb anyone. While doing this, two thoughts enter my mind. First, I am concerned about not disturbing the people around me. Second, I begin worrying that others may be watching me and thinking that my behaviour is strange, that I have OCD, or that I am mentally unstable. Because of this fear of how people might perceive me, I feel pressured to start my prayer immediately. Me having this people’s perception constitute any sin or affect my Salaah in any way ? My Salah valid?
Summary:
Simply fearing that people may be watching a person or thinking something about him is not a sin in itself, nor does it invalidate the prayer, so long as he does not intend by his actions to show off before people and does not alter his worship in order to seek their praise. There is nothing wrong with arranging one’s belongings before the prayer, such as silencing one’s phone and placing one’s glasses and keys in a safe place. In fact, silencing the phone prevents disturbance to those who are praying. It is better for him to calmly prepare himself and then begin the prayer, without paying attention to what people may think about him or allowing himself to become absorbed in these thoughts.
Answer:
First: A Person Is Not Held Accountable for Mere Thoughts and Fear of How People Perceive Him
From the Sunnah:
- In The Two SahihsIt is reported from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Indeed, Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what their hearts whisper to them, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”
Thus, if a thought enters a person’s heart such as: “Perhaps people are looking at me,” or, “Perhaps they think my behavior is strange,” while he dislikes these thoughts and does not want them, then there is no sin upon him merely because of that.
Second: Not Every Concern About People’s Perception Is Showing Off Blameworthy showing off is when a person performs an act of worship so that people will see him and praise him.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
“Showing off is when the servant performs a righteous deed so that people will see him and praise him for it.”
- Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad رحمه الله said, as mentioned in Shuab al-Iman:
“Abandoning an action because of people is showing off, and performing an action because of people is shirk, while sincerity is that Allah protects you from both.”
This differs from the situation of the questioner. Merely feeling embarrassed that people may see him arranging his belongings, or fearing that they may think badly of him, is not the type of showing off that invalidates worship. However, he should not allow people’s looks to control his behavior. Rather, he should do what he needs to do naturally and then pray.
Third: Even If Thoughts of Showing Off Arise During Worship, They Do Not Harm a Person If He Resists Them
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
“If showing off occurs during an act of worship, then what is obligatory is to resist it, turn away from it, and not pay attention to it. If a person resists it but is unable to get rid of it, then it does not harm him.”
This is an important principle: a passing thought that enters the heart without the person choosing it, and which he then resists, does not harm him. As for actual showing off, which one must beware of, it is when a person intends through his prayer to receive people’s praise and commendation, or when he deliberately persists in showing off.
Fourth: The Questioner Should Not Enter Into a Cycle of Constantly Examining His Intention
From the Qur'an:
- [Al-Baqarah: 286]
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.”
Therefore, he should not repeatedly ask himself: “Did people look at me? What did they think about me? Did I behave normally? Did they think that something was wrong with me?” Rather, he should arrange his belongings to the extent necessary, put his phone on silent so that it does not disturb those who are praying, and then begin the prayer without paying attention to these thoughts.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله said regarding the treatment of obsessive thoughts:
“He should turn away from this with his heart, pay no attention to it, and treat it as though it never occurred.”
Fifth: Is the Prayer Valid? Yes, the prayer is valid so long as the questioner has fulfilled the conditions, pillars, and obligations of the prayer and no legislated invalidator has occurred. Even intrusive thoughts that occur during the prayer do not invalidate the prayer merely because they are present.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله was asked about frequent intrusive thoughts during the prayer and whether the prayer remains valid. He said:
“If a person resists them, they do not harm him, and his prayer is valid.”
He then held that prayer accompanied by intrusive thoughts is valid, although its reward may be reduced in accordance with the extent to which the person becomes distracted. This applies to intrusive thoughts occurring during the prayer. Therefore, it is even more evident that mere anxiety before entering the prayer because of people’s looks does not invalidate the prayer that he subsequently begins.
Conclusion: There is nothing wrong with a person preparing himself before the prayer, such as taking off his glasses, placing his keys and hat in an appropriate place, and silencing his phone. He is not required to say the opening Takbir and begin the prayer before finishing what he needs to do. Merely fearing that people may be watching him or thinking something about him is neither showing off nor a sin, and it does not affect the validity of his prayer. This is because he is not performing the act of worship for the sake of people; rather, these are simply thoughts and feelings of anxiety that arise within him. He should therefore turn away from these thoughts, refrain from scrutinizing his intention, not concern himself with what people may think, prepare himself in a normal manner, and then begin his prayer with tranquility. His prayer is valid, in sha Allah, and it should not be judged invalid because of these thoughts.
And Allah knows best.
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