Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

(1)
(Wasmah katam)
It is a wild plant.
Its leaves are ground and used as a dye. (Misbah al-Lughat)

(2)
Applying wasmah makes the hair black, whereas mixing it with henna and applying it makes the color of the hair reddish-black.

Explanation:
1:
That which is a mixture of red and black.

Benefits and Issues:
(Katam) is a particular type of mountain herb that is especially found in Yemen.
Its leaves are used as a dye, and its color is blackish.
From this hadith, it is understood that using henna (mehndi) and katam or their dye is permissible.

Understanding (Tafaqquh):

➊ Is placing a sutrah in front of the one praying obligatory (wajib) or Sunnah? There is a difference of opinion among the scholars on this matter, and the preferred view is that the sutrah is not obligatory but Sunnah. See [التمهيد 4/ 193]

In Musnad al-Bazzar, there is a hadith that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prayed without a sutrah. [شرح صحيح بخاري لابن بطال ج2ص 175]
The chain of this narration is hasan li-dhatihi (good in itself), and with supporting evidences, it is authentic.

It is thus understood that the ahadith which command praying with a sutrah or prohibit praying without a sutrah are to be understood as recommending (mustahabb).

Urwah ibn Zubayr (rahimahullah) used to pray without a sutrah. [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه 1/ 278 ح 871 2 وسنده صحيح]

➋ If a person is praying with a sutrah placed in front of him, then passing between him and the sutrah is a major sin (kabirah).

➌ When our master Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) could not find a sutrah while praying, he would make a person his sutrah and say: “Sit with your back turned towards me.” [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه 1/ 279 ح 2878 وسنده صحيح]

➍ There is consensus (ijma‘) that the sutrah of the imam suffices for the followers (muqtadis).

➎ Our master Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) would neither pass in front of any person praying nor allow anyone to pass in front of a person praying. [الموطأ 1/ 155 ح 365 وسنده صحيح]

➏ It is permissible to place a sutrah in the mosque.

The famous Tabi‘i and trustworthy Imam Yahya ibn Abi Kathir (rahimahullah) said: I saw Anas ibn Malik (radi Allahu anhu) in Masjid al-Haram; he had planted a staff and was praying facing it. [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه 1/ 277 ح 2853 وسنده صحيح]

➐ The famous Tabi‘i Imam Sha‘bi (rahimahullah) would throw his whip (on the ground) and pray facing it. [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه 1/ 278ح 2864 وسنده حسن]

It is thus understood that there is no fixed limit for the height of the sutrah; however, in light of the marfu‘ ahadith, it is better that the sutrah be as high as the saddle of a riding animal (i.e., at least one foot high). And Allah knows best.

For the original article, see the book of the muhaddith of the age, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (rahimahullah), “Al-Ithaf al-Basim Sharh Muwatta Imam Malik Riwayat Ibn al-Qasim,” page 266 (Hadith no. 175, Tafaqquh).

Also see “Al-Ithaf al-Basim Sharh Muwatta Imam Malik Riwayat Ibn al-Qasim,” page 500 (Hadith no. 422, Tafaqquh).

The reason for the disagreement is that Ajlah narrates it with a connected chain, whereas Sa‘id al-Jurayri and Kahmas ibn Hasan have narrated it as mursal (with a missing link). However, this does not affect the authenticity of the hadith, because the connected narration is supported by other narrations, especially the aforementioned musnad (connected) narration of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, which also corroborates it. And Allah knows best.