Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: This hadith establishes that the person performing prayer should stand close to the sutrah (prayer barrier), and there should not be a large distance between the sutrah and the one praying.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
In the first (narration of Sahl bin Sa’d), the wall refers to the qiblah wall, as in another narration Sahl bin Sa’d radi Allahu anhu states that between the qiblah wall and the pulpit (minbar) there was enough space for a goat to pass through.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-I’tisam bil-Kitab wa al-Sunnah, Hadith: 7334)
In another narration in Musnad Isma’ili, it is stated in these words that during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there was only so much distance between the minbar and the qiblah wall that a goat could barely pass through.
From this clarification, it is understood that this hadith is marfu’ (attributed directly to the Prophet).
(Fath al-Bari: 1/743)
2.
During the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there was no mihrab in the mosque.
He would lead the prayer standing to the left side, parallel to the minbar.
It is as if the space in front of him was as wide as the minbar extended.
This means that the distance between him and the qiblah wall was the same as that between the minbar and the qiblah wall.
Since the qiblah wall itself served as the sutrah (barrier), the distance between the worshipper and the sutrah should be the same as that between the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s minbar and the qiblah wall, and that distance has been described by the narrator as being so narrow that even a goat would have difficulty passing through.
In some narrations, this distance has been specified as three handspans.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Salat, Hadith: 506)
There are two ways to reconcile this:
➊ The minimum distance between the worshipper and the sutrah should be enough for a goat to pass, and the maximum should be three handspans.
➋ In the standing and sitting positions, the distance should be three handspans, and in the bowing (ruku’) and prostration (sujud) positions, it should be enough for a goat to pass.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/743)
3.
From this, it is also understood that the worshipper should stand so close to the sutrah that he can easily perform prostration.
Similarly, there should be enough space between the rows so that those in the back rows can easily perform prostration.
Regarding this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“When any of you prays facing a sutrah, he should stand close to it so that Satan does not interfere in his prayer.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Salat, Hadith: 695 and Fath al-Bari: 1/743)
4.
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi rahimahullah writes in Sharh Tarajim Bukhari that the worshipper should not exceed this amount so that it does not result in narrowing the path for people, nor should the space from the feet to the place of prostration be constricted. It has been established that the distance between the place where the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam stood and the qiblah wall was three handspans.
Thus, when this much distance is maintained, a passage remains between the place of prostration and the qiblah wall for a goat to pass through.

696. Commentary:
It is understood that one should stand near the sutrah, and the distance should be such that prostration (sajdah) can be performed easily. Incidentally, it is also understood from this that if there is a large gap between the wall (sutrah) and the imam, then the imam should place a sutrah in front of himself.