What is the ruling for a person who is passing infront of someone in namaz?
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Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
ASAK
Please advise what is the ruling for a person who is passing infront of someone
in namaz? What should be the distance if someone wants to pass infront of the
person praying namaz
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Answer:
Passing in front of prayer
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Question:
Please advise what is the ruling for a person who is passing infront of someone
in namaz?
Abu
Hurairah relates that the Prophet (saws) said: "When one of you prays, he
should place something in front of him (sutra).
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 front of him will harm him."
Related
by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban.
Busr ibn Sa'id says
that Zaid ibn Khalid sent him to Abu Juhaim to ask him what he had heard from
the Prophet (saws) concerning passing in front of someone who is praying. He said that the Messenger of Allah (saws)
said: "If one knew [the sin] of passing in front of one who is praying, he
would rather wait forty [???] than to pass in front of him."
Related by Bukhari,
Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Abu Dawood.
Zaid ibn Khalid
relates that the Messenger of Allah said: "If the one who passes in front
of one who is praying knew what was upon him [of sin], it would be better for
him to stand [and wait] for forty autumns than to pass in front of him."
Related by
al-Bazzar.
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh
2.79
Preventing someone
from passing in front of a praying person
It is permissible
to keep some one from passing in front of a person who is praying.
If a praying person
has a sutrah in front of him, then it is allowed for him to prevent any human
or animal from passing in front of him. If a person passes in front of him from
beyond the sutrah, then the person in salah is neither to prevent the passer-by
nor will he be harmed by him.
Abu Saleh as-Saman
said: "I will narrate to you what I heard and saw from Abu Sa'id
al-Khudri. One day I was with Abu Sa'id
and he was offering salah on Friday facing something which concealed him from
the people when a young man from the tribe of Mu'ait came and tried to pass in
front of Abu Sa'id. He pushed him back. He tried again and Abu Sa'id struck him
harder. The two scuffled. The man went to Marwan to complain. Abu Sa'id also
went to Marwan. Marwan asked: 'What has
happened between you and the son of your brother that caused him to complain?'
Abu Sa'id said: 'I heard the Prophet (saws) say: 'If any of you prays toward a
sutrah and someone tries to pass in front of you, then turn him away. If he refuses, use force for he is the
Shaytaan."'
Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Your
Question: What should be the distance if someone wants to pass infront of the
person praying namaz?
The absolute minimum distance between where the worshipper
is standing in prayer and where he rests his forehead in prostration should be
absolutely honored by those wishing to pass in front of one offering his
prayers.
In most mosques today, there is a distinct line drawn for
the ‘saffs’ either by the carpet or the tiles on the floor, and that would
represent a ‘sutra’; thus there is no harm if one passes beyond this line. If one is praying in a place where there are no
distinct lines drawn as ‘sutra’, then the one praying should place something
just ahead of his place of destination as a mark or ‘sutra’, and if one wishes
to pass in front of the one offering the prayer, he should cross in front of
the mark or ‘sutra’.
What is absolutely discouraged is that one walks or passes
between where the worshipper is standing for prayer and his place of
prostration.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan