It was narrated that Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, said:
“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 beydon 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.”

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ الْحِزَامِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِي، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ أَبِي وَدَاعَةَ السَّهْمِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ الْمَخْزُومِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ـ ﷺ ـ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّاسُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ ﷺ ـ إِذَا قَامَ الْمُصَلِّي يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ قَدَمَيْهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ ﷺ ـ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا قَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ جَبِينِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا قَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُصَلِّي لَمْ يَعْدُ بَصَرُ أَحَدِهِمْ مَوْضِعَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَكَانَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ فَكَانَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ فَتَلَفَّتَ النَّاسُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً .