Can I pray with my eyes closed?

What the Prophet ﷺ did

The descriptions of the Prophet's ﷺ prayer show that his eyes were open. Once he prayed in a cloak with patterned markings and said afterwards that the pattern had distracted him, so he asked for a plain one instead (Sahih al-Bukhari 373). He could only notice the design because he was looking at it. No authentic hadith tells us to shut our eyes in salah.

What scholars say

All four schools agree the prayer counts either way. The difference is about whether it is best:

• Hanafi and Hanbali: closing the eyes without a need is makruh (disliked), partly because it resembles the worship of some other religions.
• Maliki: disliked too, unless you close them to stop distraction.
• Many later scholars, like Ibn al-Qayyim, said: if open eyes don't hurt your focus, keep them open; if something in front of you keeps pulling your mind away, closing them is fine and not disliked.

So this is about the best way, not about validity. Don't stress or repeat a prayer over it.

Focus is the real goal

Allah praises believers who pray with humility and attention:

If you shut your eyes because your living room is busy, the TV is on or your kids are running around, that is a reasonable choice. If you only close them out of habit from a past religion or from meditation classes, try opening them. Many converts find this a small but meaningful change. See What if I don't feel anything when I pray?

Better ways to stay focused

• Look at your place of prostration. It keeps your eyes calm without closing them.
• Pray on a plain surface. A simple mat or bare floor beats a busy rug or a wall full of photos.
• Don't look up or around. The Prophet ﷺ warned people who raise their eyes to the sky during prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 750).
• Know what you're saying. Learning the meaning of al-Fatiha and your short surahs does more for focus than closing your eyes. See How do I pray as a Muslim?