Taken from: “Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 02
❀ Question:
Is praying without a sutrah (barrier) contrary to the Sunnah? And is it necessary to use a sutrah even inside the mosque?
❀ Answer:
✦ Yes, praying without a sutrah—whether in the mosque or outside—is contrary to the Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ and his companions regularly used walls, pillars, or designated objects as sutrah, and this practice was not limited to open spaces like deserts.
✿ Evidence from Hadith:
- Sahl ibn Saʿd رضي الله عنه said:
“The distance between the place where the Prophet ﷺ performed prostration and the wall was about the space a sheep could pass through.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab Qadr Ma Yakunu Bayna al-Musalli wa al-Sutrah)
- Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ رضي الله عنه consistently prayed facing a specific pillar in the Masjid Nabawi. When asked why, he replied:
“I saw the Prophet ﷺ praying in front of this very pillar.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab al-Salah ila al-Usṭuwānah)
- Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه narrated:
“I saw the senior companions of the Prophet ﷺ rushing toward the pillars of the mosque at the time of Maghrib.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari)
These authentic narrations clearly prove that using a sutrah is part of the Prophetic practice inside the mosque.
✿ Legal and Practical Wisdom:
- Praying with a sutrah helps protect the sanctity of the prayer.
- The sutrah prevents people from sinfully passing in front of the one praying.
- This ruling is general and applies everywhere, not just in non-masjid settings.
✔ Summary:
① Praying without a sutrah is against the Sunnah, whether in a mosque or elsewhere.
② Mosque walls and pillars can serve as valid sutrah.
③ The practice of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions confirms the Sunnah nature of using a sutrah.
④ Avoiding passing in front of a praying person is a Shar‘i command, and sutrah is the means to uphold it.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
