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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب المساجدChapters on Mosques
بَابُ اسْتِحْبَابِ السُّتْرَةِ لِلْمُصَلِّي وَالدُّنُوِّ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ تَكُونُ وَأَيْنَ تَكُونُ مِنْ الْمُصَلَّىChapter on the Recommendation of Using a Sutrah for the Worshipper, Its Proximity, Its Nature, and Its Position
Hadith 1482
اُردوEn
عَنْ بِلَالٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَقَدْ سَأَلَهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ مَا صَنَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ الْكَعْبَةِ؟ قَالَ: تَرَكَ عَمُودَيْنِ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَمُودًا عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَثَلَاثَةَ أَعْمِدَةٍ خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْقِبْلَةِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَذْرُعٍ
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did after entering the Ka'bah. He replied: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed in such a way that he kept two pillars to his right, one to his left, and three behind him, while there was a distance of three hand spans between the Qiblah and himself.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … This is the approximate measure of the sutrah, the distance of three arm-lengths is equal to about four and a half feet, and generally, the length of the rows laid out for prayer is also about this much. Regarding the size of the rear wooden part of a camel’s saddle, there are two opinions: (1) one hand-span (one and a half feet), and (2) two-thirds of a hand-span (one foot); the second opinion is more well-known. In summary, the minimum height of the sutrah should be one foot, and arranging for one and a half feet is more cautious; there is no restriction regarding its width—it can be a wall or a pillar, or even a spear or an arrow, etc.
From the aforementioned ahadith, the importance of the sutrah becomes clear. Further ahadith and statements are as follows: Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Do not pray except towards a sutrah, and do not allow anyone to pass in front of you; if he refuses, then fight him, for with him is the companion (i.e., Shaytan).” (Sahih Muslim, Mustadrak Hakim, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, and this wording is his) Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “When any one of you prays, let him pray towards a sutrah and let him come close to it, … .” (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah) Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu says: “I saw the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam rushing towards the pillars at the time of Maghrib (to pray the two rak‘ahs before Maghrib after the adhan), until the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come out.” And in another narration: “(When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come out) they would be praying before Maghrib.” (Sahih Bukhari) Qarah ibn Iyas, a Tabi‘i, says: I was praying standing between two pillars, when Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu saw me, he grabbed me by the nape and brought me close to the sutrah and said: Pray towards this. (Sahih Bukhari, mu‘allaqan; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said: When a person prays, he should pray towards a sutrah and come close to it, so that Shaytan does not keep passing in front of him. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu said: Four things are from harshness and bad character: (1) A man praying without a sutrah, … . (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Bayhaqi) The Tabi‘i Nafi‘ says: When Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu could not reach the pillars of the mosque, he would say to me: Turn your back towards me (stand in front of me). (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Despite these evidences and traditions, the majority of Muslims today are heedless of this sunnah; readers should review their own practice in light of these evidences.
From the aforementioned ahadith, the importance of the sutrah becomes clear. Further ahadith and statements are as follows: Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Do not pray except towards a sutrah, and do not allow anyone to pass in front of you; if he refuses, then fight him, for with him is the companion (i.e., Shaytan).” (Sahih Muslim, Mustadrak Hakim, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, and this wording is his) Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “When any one of you prays, let him pray towards a sutrah and let him come close to it, … .” (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah) Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu says: “I saw the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam rushing towards the pillars at the time of Maghrib (to pray the two rak‘ahs before Maghrib after the adhan), until the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come out.” And in another narration: “(When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come out) they would be praying before Maghrib.” (Sahih Bukhari) Qarah ibn Iyas, a Tabi‘i, says: I was praying standing between two pillars, when Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu saw me, he grabbed me by the nape and brought me close to the sutrah and said: Pray towards this. (Sahih Bukhari, mu‘allaqan; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said: When a person prays, he should pray towards a sutrah and come close to it, so that Shaytan does not keep passing in front of him. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu said: Four things are from harshness and bad character: (1) A man praying without a sutrah, … . (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Bayhaqi) The Tabi‘i Nafi‘ says: When Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu could not reach the pillars of the mosque, he would say to me: Turn your back towards me (stand in front of me). (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah) Despite these evidences and traditions, the majority of Muslims today are heedless of this sunnah; readers should review their own practice in light of these evidences.
