Sutrah
(A Barrier Between the
Person Praying and Others)
Establish a Sutrah
Abu Sa'id reports that the Prophet
said:
"When one of you prays, he should pray toward his sutrah
and he should be close to it." This is related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.
Ibn 'Umar relates that "when the Prophet
went out to pray salatul 'id, he asked for a spear and placed it in front of
himself and he offered salah toward it and the people prayed behind him. And he
would do that while he was traveling so that those in authority [for the affairs
of the Muslims] would also do this." This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and
Abu Dawud.
Sabrah ibn Mu'abid reports that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"When one of you prays, he should make a partition for his
salah, even if it is an arrow." This is related by Ahmad and by al-Hakim
who said it is sahih according to the criteria of Muslim. Al-Haithami observes:
"Ahmad's narrators are sound."
Abu Hurairah relates that the Prophet said: "When one of you
prays, he should place something in front of him. If he cannot find anything, he
should prop up his staff [in front of him]. If he does not have a staff, he
should draw a line [on the ground in front of him] then nothing that passes in
tront of him will harm him." This is related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud and Ibn
Hibban. The later classifies it sahih as did Ahmad and Ibn al-Madini. Al-Baihaqi
says: "There is no problem with that hadith regarding that ruling, Allah
willing."
Talhah says: "We used to pray and the animals would pass in
front of us. We mentioned that to the Prophet and he said: "If anything the size
of a saddle is in front of you, nothing that passes beyond it would harm you."
This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi who
calls it hasan sahih.
- Always establish a sutrah
before salah
- If anyone, including a
child, attempts to pass your sutrah, repel that person in an effort to prevent
them from passing between you and the sutrah.