910 — Musaddad narrated to us: Abu al-Ahwas narrated to us, from al-Ashʿath — meaning Ibn Sulaym — from his father, from Masruq, from ʿA’ishah, who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about a man turning his head during prayer, and he said: "It is a snatching that the devil snatches from the servant's prayer."

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It was also recorded by al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra (532) and (1119) via the chain of Yunus, with this same chain of transmission.
It is also in Musnad Ahmad (21508).
It has a supporting witness from the hadith of al-Harith al-Ashʿari recorded by al-Tirmidhi (3079) and (3080), and it is a sound hadith.
On the topic of Allah turning toward the servant during his prayer, a hadith from Ibn ʿUmar has preceded under number (479).
On the topic of the prohibition of turning one's head during prayer, a hadith from ʿA’ishah will follow after this.
Ahmad also has it (21508), and Ibn Khuzaymah (482) declared it sound from the hadith of Abu Dharr, raised to the Prophet: "Allah continues to turn toward the servant during his prayer as long as he does not turn away; but when he turns his face away from Him, He turns away from him."

(1) Its chain of transmission is sound. Abu al-Ahwas: he is Sallam ibn Sulaym, and Sulaym: he is Ibn Aswad al-Muharibi, Abu al-Shaʿtha’, and Masruq: he is Ibn al-Ajdaʿ.
It was also recorded by al-Bukhari (751) and (3291), and al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra (530), (1120), and (1121) via multiple paths from Ashʿath, with this same chain.
It is in Musnad Ahmad (24746).
Al-Nasa’i also recorded it (531) and (1122) via the path of Isra’il, from Ashʿath, from Abu ʿAtiyyah, from Masruq, from ʿA’ishah.
Al-Nasa’i also recorded it (1123) via the path of ʿUmarah ibn ʿUmayr, from Abu ʿAtiyyah, from ʿA’ishah as a mawquf narration.
Al-Daraqutni said in al-ʿIlal: The sound version is from Ashʿath ibn Abi al-Shaʿtha’, from his father, from Masruq, from ʿA’ishah — and this is the narration of Abu Dawud.
Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath 2/234 regarding this hadith of ʿA’ishah: It indicates the disapproval of turning one's head, and this is a matter of consensus; however, the majority hold that it is disapproved in the sense of being discouraged (not forbidden), while al-Mutawalli said: It is forbidden except in cases of necessity, and this is the view of the Zahiri school... What is meant by the aforementioned turning is when one does not turn his back or his entire neck away from the qiblah. The reason for disapproving the turning is likely either the diminishment of humility, or the abandonment of facing the qiblah with part of the body.