Shar‘i Ruling on Passing Between Imam and Followers During Salah
Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il, Discussion on Sutrah, Volume 1, Page 122
❖ Question
Is it permissible for someone to pass between the Imam and the followers during Salah? Please explain with evidence.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
It is not permissible to pass between the Imam and the followers during Salah.
◈ Scholarly Views
❀ First Opinion:
Some scholars say the Imam’s sutrah is the sutrah for all followers. Meaning, the barrier in front of the Imam is sufficient for the congregation.
❀ Second Opinion:
Other scholars say the Imam himself is the sutrah for the followers.
From both views, it becomes clear that if a person passes between the Imam and the congregation, he is effectively passing between the follower and his sutrah, which is not permissible.
◈ Related Ḥadīth
Abū Dāwūd narrates:
“The Prophet ﷺ was leading prayer, and a young goat tried to pass in front of him. He moved closer to the wall, and the goat passed behind him.”
(Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Sutrat al-Imām Sutrat man Khalfah)
◈ Status of the Ḥadīth
This narration is ḥasan (sound).
On reflection:
- The goat passed behind the Prophet ﷺ, not in front of him.
- If it had passed in front of him, it would have meant passing in front of both the Imam and the followers — a more serious matter.
- Since it passed only before the followers, the severity is somewhat less.
Some scholars deduced from this narration that passing between the Imam and the followers is allowed. However, the stronger position is that such an inference is not correct.
◈ Summary
❀ Passing between the Imam and the followers is not permissible.
❀ The narration is ḥasan, but using it as evidence for permissibility is incorrect.
“ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب“
