Ibn Majah

703. Commentary:
The meaning of the prayer being nullified, according to some hadith scholars, is that the humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘) of the worshipper is affected and its blessing is lost. However, Imam Ahmad, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah, and some other imams have taken the apparent meaning: that the prayer becomes invalid. This is supported by a hadith which Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has cited in al-Sahihah. Its wording is: «تعاد الصلاة من ممرالحمار والمراة والكلب الاسود» “If a donkey, a woman, or a black person passes in front, the prayer should be repeated.” [الصحيحه 7؍959، حديث 3323]

704. Commentary:
From this narration, it appears that it is permissible to pass in front of someone praying if one leaves a space equivalent to the distance a stone can be thrown. However, this narration is not authentic. If there is no barrier (sutrah) in front of the person praying, from what distance is it permissible for someone to pass in front of him? There is no clear statement regarding this in any hadith. Nevertheless, some scholars, as a precaution, have estimated this distance to be equivalent to three rows. Passing from a distance greater than or equal to this is permissible. «والله اعلم»

Lexical Explanation:
«يَقْطَعُ صَلَاةَ الْمَرْءِ» The meaning of this phrase is that the blessing of the prayer is diminished. «اَلْمَرْأَةُ، يَقْطَعُ» is the subject. The meaning is that a woman passing in front of the one praying invalidates the prayer.
«وَفِيهِ» That is, this is at the end of the hadith.
«اَلْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ» “The black dog is a devil.” The reason for calling the black dog a devil is its wickedness and extremely unpleasant appearance.
«وَلَهُ» In this, the pronoun “ه” refers back to Sahih Muslim.
«عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ نَحْوُهُ دُونَ الْكَلْبِ» This phrase suggests that in the narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, the word «كلب» is not present; it only mentions the woman and the donkey, although in all versions of Sahih Muslim, the word «كلب» is present. So, according to the author, the meaning of «دُونَ الْكَلْبِ» is that the narration mentions the dog but does not specify its description. That is, the words «اَلْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ» are not present.
«ولأبي داوُد ..... نحوه» In Abu Dawud and Nasa’i, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma similar to the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu.
«دُون آخِرِه» Except for the last part, that is, the ending of Abu Dharr’s narration, which is «اَلْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ», is not present in the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma in Abu Dawud and Nasa’i.
«نَحْوُهُ» and «آخِرِهٖ» — in both, the referent of the genitive pronoun is the hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu, even though the narration from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu is farther and the narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu is closer. The reason is that the hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu is mentioned as the principal narration in this book, and the hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu is as corroboration. Furthermore, the last part of the hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu is not mentioned, to which the pronoun could refer.
«قَيَّد» is a past tense verb with a restriction. The meaning of the words in the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma is: “An adult woman and a dog invalidate the prayer.” [عون المعبود مطبوعة هند : 259/1]

Benefits and Issues:
➊ The wisdom behind the legislation of a sutrah (barrier) is that the humility and concentration (khushu‘ and khudu‘) of the one praying are not disturbed, and that Satan does not cast whispers, thereby reducing or nullifying the reward of the prayer. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has declared the sutrah to be a means of protection from Satan. If there is a sutrah in front of the one praying, then anyone—human or animal—passing beyond the sutrah does not diminish the humility and concentration of the one praying, nor does it invalidate the prayer. There is consensus among the scholars on this matter. It is also agreed upon that the sutrah of the imam suffices for the followers; each individual does not need a separate sutrah in congregational prayer. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam commanded the use of a sutrah; however, a sutrah is not a condition for the validity of the prayer, although its absence may reduce the humility, concentration, and reward of the prayer. The aforementioned hadith states that if someone did not set up a sutrah, or if a woman, donkey, or black dog passed between him and the sutrah, the prayer would be invalidated. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the meaning of “cutting off the prayer” (qat‘ al-salah) in this hadith. One group of scholars has considered the ruling of “cutting off the prayer” to be abrogated and has cited the hadith «لَا يَقْطَعُ الصَّلَاةُ شَيْءٌ» “Nothing cuts off the prayer.” [سنن أبى داود، حديث : 719] as its abrogator.
But this claim of abrogation is without evidence, as stated by Imam Nawawi and Ibn Hajar. [المجمع: 251/3]
Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has declared the hadith «لَا يَقْطَعُ الصَّلَاةُ شَيْءٌ» to be weak and the narration regarding the cutting off of the prayer to be authentic. Therefore, abrogation would only be established if both narrations were accepted as authentic. But even if this hadith is accepted as authentic, then instead of abrogation, reconciliation and harmonization between the two hadiths should be sought, as is the well-known principle that when texts appear to conflict, if reconciliation is possible, it should be given precedence. Thus, considering the explicit wording of the aforementioned hadith, we would say that there is restriction to these three things: that the prayer is invalidated by them, and by other things, only the humility and concentration are diminished. Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir rahimahullah, in the margin of [محلي ابن حزم 14/1], has adopted the position of abrogation, but the narrations he based this on are weak.
➋ The second group of scholars says that in the aforementioned hadith, “cutting off” does not mean invalidation of the prayer, but rather that the humility and concentration of the prayer are diminished and its blessing is lost.
➌ The third group of scholars has taken the apparent meaning of the hadith, that the prayer is invalidated. Their evidence is that the blessing of the prayer is also lost if a man passes in front of the one praying when there is no sutrah, and the humility and concentration are diminished. If this were not the case, then there would be no reason to strictly prevent a man from passing in front of the one praying and to declare him sinful. Therefore, the specific mention of these three things carries an additional meaning, which is that their passing invalidates the prayer, while the passing of other things only diminishes humility and concentration. Otherwise, this would be redundant and the restriction would be meaningless, which is not possible from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. This position is further supported by the words of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu in the hadith mentioned by Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah in [الصحيحة], which are: «تُعَادُ الصَّلَاةُ مِنْ مَمَرِّ الْحِمَارِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدِ» “If a donkey, a woman, or a black dog passes in front, the prayer should be repeated.” [صحيح ابن خزيمة و ابن حبان بحوالة الصحيحة : 959/7، حديث : 3323]
This is also the position of the Companions radi Allahu anhum such as Sayyiduna Anas, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhum, etc. Among the Tabi‘in: Hasan al-Basri, Abu’l-Ahwas rahimahuma Allah, and among the Imams: Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, and among the later scholars: Imam Shawkani and Shaykh al-Albani rahimahuma Allah, all hold that the prayer is invalidated if any of these three things pass in front of the one praying. For further details, see: [أصل صفة صلاة النبى : 130/1، ومحلٰي ابن حزم : 8/4، وفتاويٰ الدين الخالص : 581/3]
➍ Note that “woman” refers to an adult woman, as is explicitly stated in another narration. And Allah knows best.
➎ Now the question arises: why is it that only the passing of these three things in front of the one praying invalidates the prayer? The greatest reason and wisdom is that the Lawgiver, alayhi as-salam, has specified only these three things. Some scholars have explained that these three things are more likely to be associated with the presence of Satan and his mischief; compared to other things, these three are more likely to invalidate the prayer. Imam Tirmidhi has narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu in a marfu‘ hadith that “A woman is an object of concealment; when she goes out of her house, Satan looks at her.” [جامع الترمذي، الرضاع، باب استشراف الشيطان المرأة إذا خرجت، حديث : 1173] And in Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir radi Allahu anhu in a marfu‘ hadith that “When a woman comes, she comes in the form of Satan, and when she leaves, she leaves in the form of Satan.” [صحيح مسلم، النكا ح، باب ندب من رأي امرأة۔۔۔، حديث : 1403] And regarding the braying of a donkey, it is reported that the donkey brays when it sees Satan. [سنن أبى داود، الأدب، باب فى الديك والبهائم، حديث : 5102] As for the dog, the hadith explicitly mentions «اَلْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ». The general wickedness of the dog is also well known, for where there is a dog, the angels of mercy do not enter. [صحيح مسلم، اللباس والزينة، باب تحريم تصوير صورة الحيوان۔۔۔، حديث : 2106] And whoever keeps a dog for which there is no legal permission, he loses two qirats of reward from his deeds every day. [صحيح البخاري، الذبائح والصيد، باب من اقتني كلبًا ليس بكلب صيد أو ماشية، حديث : 5480۔ 5482] «هذا ما عندنا والله أعلم»