Lessons in Hanafi Fiqh: Disliked acts related to prayer and the masjid

Disliked acts in the prayer

To count suuras or aayas of the Quran during prayer by the hand (not merely pressing the fingers into the body)For the leader of the prayer to stand (not just prostrate) in the arcade, or on a separate platform (or the followers being on a platform and the leader not).
To pray with a forbidden picture in front, over the head, to the side, behind, on the clothes or on the prayer rug.

To pray towards the back of a man sitting and having a conversation has no harm in it.
To pray with a copy of the Qur'aan or a sword hung up directly in front is not disliked.
If the head of a statue has been removed, then it is not considered a forbidden image.
It is not disliked to have a picture in the house on a pillow or a carpet on the floor, because it is stepped on.
The image of something that does not have a soul is not disliked (such as plants and trees).

It is disliked for the one in prayer to toy with his clothing, fingers, body or pebbles.
One may remove pebbles from the place of prostration by a single movement if it affects one's ability to perform it properly.
To place one's hands on the hips during prayer is disliked
Turning one's head in prayer is also disliked but turning one's eyes alone left and right during prayer is not
To sit on one's buttocks with the knees up in front during prayer is disliked
To put ones forearms on the ground in prostration is disliked
To sit cross-legged in prayer is disliked without an excuse
To lift and hold one's clothing while descending into prostration
For the man to have his hair collected in a ponytail or by pigment at the back.
To let one's clothes hang loosely from ones head and shoulders during prayer

Locking up the masjid is disliked, because it resembles prevention of prayer, unless one fears for the property in it outside the prayer times.
Ornamenting a masjid with gypsum, wood or gold paint has no sin in it, but it is not rewardable to do so. Some said it is if someone did it using his own money.
Intercourse, defecation, urination or having Greater Ritual Impurity above a public masjid is disliked, because its roof is like being inside it.

The one who passes between the praying person and the place he makes prostration has committed a sin -- unless there is a barrier between, such as a wall. It does not invalidate the prayer.
When praying in an open area, one should put a divider in front, about 70 cm high and wider than a finger.) One should stand close to the divider, and keep it a little to the left or right from the middle, so as not to pray directly towards it.
One may pray without the divider if one feels safe from anyone passing in front and one is not facing a road.
The divider in front of the leader works as a divider for all his followers.
The person praying prevents people from passing in front of him by either using the hand to stop them or by saying "subhaanallaah".

If the call has been made, then it is disliked to exit from the masjid until one has prayed. Exempted is the one who is part arranging the group prayer in another place.
If he had already prayed and it was the time of Eisha or Thuhr, then he may exit before the call to stand to pray starts, not after. For Fajr, Asr and Maghrib he exits regardless.