“At the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), if
a
person stood to pray, his gaze would not go beyond his feet. When
the
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, if a person stood to pray, his gaze
would not go beyond the place where he put his forehead when
prostrating. Then Abu Bakr died and it was ‘Umar (the caliph). So,
when any person stood to pray his gaze would not go beyond the
Qiblah.
Then came the time of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, and there was
Fitnah
(tribulation, turmoil), and the people started to look right
and
left.”
Sunan Ibn Majah Book 6, Hadith 202