Prayer and Distraction

It Is Disliked to Pray When Food Has Been Served or When One Needs to Go to the Lavatory

831. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, ‘There is no Prayer when food is present nor when one needs to relieve oneself in either way.” (Sahih Muslim, Masajid, 67).
Annotation: One needs to be detached from any factors to busy their mind and heart while praying in Divine presence. Otherwise, the Prayer will be a merely physical act devoid of the expected spiritual depth. However, if very little time is left for observing the Prayer, then it should be carried out first.

 

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014