Prayer: Is Closing One’s Eyes During Prayer Permissible to Avoid Distraction?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Prayer: Is Closing One’s Eyes During Prayer Permissible to Avoid Distraction?

English:

Question #505:

Is it allowed to close one’s eyes during prayers? (Because, keeping them open distracts one’s attention from the prayers.)

Answer #505:

There is no shar‘ī problem in shutting eyes during prayer, although it is makrūh to do so in other than rukū‘.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Prayer