Question: When a person asks something to a friend who is in the obligatory prayer, he answers by pointing his hand or nodding his head. In this situation, his prayer has been valid?
Answer: Answering by pointing one hand or head while praying does not invalidate the prayer. However, it is not right to answer while praying.
In Quran Majeed and Hadith Sharif, great importance is given to Khushu-Khuzu in Namaz. Therefore, it is obligatory to try to respond to someone’s words in prayer, except for special necessity, and to refrain from willful hand or head shaking.
In the Qur’an, those who keep their limbs still from the beginning to the end of the prayer and do not move from side to side are called believers.
In the Hadith Sharif narrated by Hazrat Abu Dharr (R.A.), the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, Allah’s (special) mercy is upon him as long as he does not look this way and that. And when he looks the other way, Allah’s (special) mercy withdraws from him. (Sunan Abu Dawud 1/131)
Saeed Ibnul Musayyib (RA) saw a man stroking his beard while praying and said, if his heart was happy, his limbs would have remained stable. (Musannaf Abdur Razaq 2/266, Hadith: 3308)
It is clear that it is wrong to do anything that distracts the person who is praying. Asking him something without much necessity and forcing him to answer is an act of sin. It is important to refrain from this.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 1/131-133; Tafsir Ibn Kasir 4/445; Jame’ at-Tirmidhi 1/48, 50, 51; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba 3/533-534; Hashyatut Tahtawi Alalmaraki 192; Taboyinul Hakayek 1/395; Badayus Sanaye 1/544; Albahrur Rayek 2/8-9; Nukhabul Afkar 4/409-420; Addurrul Mukhtar 1/644
