How large a sutrah the one praying should use

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When one of you intends to pray, let him place in front of him something the size of the back-post of a camel saddle; then if anyone passes in front of it, let him not mind.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When one of you starts to pray, if there is something in front of him the size of the back-post of a camel saddle, it will be a sutrah (screen) for him.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that on the day of Eid the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to plant a short iron-tipped spear (harbah) in front of him and lead the prayer facing it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing a short staff (anazah) or something like it, while the road was beyond it.

Makhul said: A short iron-tipped spear used to be carried along with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so that he could pray facing it.

Al-Aswad said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would plant a short staff in front of him and pray, while passers-by kept passing in front of him.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If the person praying places in front of him something the size of the back-post of a camel saddle, and as thick as a whip, it will be a sutrah (screen) for him.

A Companion narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If there is something the size of the back-post of a camel saddle between you and those who pass in front of you, it has become your sutrah (screen).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that on the day of Eid a short iron-tipped spear used to be planted in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would lead the prayer facing it.

Yahya bin Abi Kathir said: I saw Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Masjid al-Haram; he had planted a stick in front of him and was praying facing it.

Mughirah said: It was the habit of al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym that whenever the heat became intense, he would plant a spear in his house and pray facing it.

Abu al-Aliyah said: The person praying is to take as his sutrah (screen) something larger than the staff of a banner.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said: When you pray in open ground, place your whip in front of you and pray.

Thabit bin Qays said: I saw Nafi' bin Jubayr, while travelling, praying facing a whip or a stick.

Makhul said: The person praying is to pray facing something like the back-post of a camel saddle.

Al-Hasan and Qatadah said: If there is something like the back-post of a camel saddle in front of the person praying, it has become a sutrah (screen).

Al-Hasan said: A river is a sutrah (screen).

Ibrahim said: The early generations used to like that, when people prayed in open ground, they would place something in front of them as a sutrah (screen).

Sayyiduna Sabrah bin Ma'bad al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When one of you prays, let him place something in front of him as a sutrah (screen), even if it is only an arrow.

Yazid bin Abi Ubayd said: Sayyiduna Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) set up some stones in the desert, and whenever he wanted to pray, he would pray facing them.

Isa bin Abi Azzah said: Al-Sha'bi would put down his whip and then pray facing it.