Ruling on Using a Sutrah in Salah
Adapted from: “Sutrah ke Mukhtaṣar Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Qāḍī Ibrāhīm Sharīf
1. Command of the Prophet ﷺ
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“لا تصل الا الى سترة ولا تدع احدا يمر بين يديك فان ابى فلتقاتله فان معه القرين“
“Do not pray except towards a sutrah, and do not allow anyone to pass in front of you. If he insists, then prevent him, for indeed with him is the shayṭān.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 506; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, 800)
2. Instruction to Be Close to the Sutrah
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه said:
“When one of you prays, let him pray towards a sutrah and be close to it.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 698)
3. Practice of the Prophet ﷺ in the Mosque
Yazīd ibn Abī ʿUbayd said:
“I used to come with Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ رضي الله عنه to Masjid al-Nabawi, and he would always pray facing the pillar where the muṣḥaf was kept. When asked why, he said: ‘I saw the Prophet ﷺ deliberately pray facing this pillar.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 502)
4. Using an Animal or Saddle as Sutrah
Narrated from Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
“The Prophet ﷺ would place his mount sideways and pray towards it. If the camel moved, he would place the saddle in front of him and pray towards its back part.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 507)
5. Action of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه
Qurrah ibn Iyās said:
“ʿUmar رضي الله عنه saw me praying between two pillars, so he pulled me closer to the sutrah and said: ‘Pray towards it.’”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 7502)
6. Companions Competing for Pillars
Anas رضي الله عنه said:
“I saw the senior companions of the Prophet ﷺ rush towards the pillars before Maghrib (to use them as sutrah for two rakʿahs) until the Prophet ﷺ came out.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 503, 481)
7. Anas رضي الله عنه in Masjid al-Ḥarām
Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr said:
“I saw Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه in Masjid al-Ḥarām, having planted a stick in the ground and praying towards it.”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2853)
8. Using a Person as Sutrah
Nāfiʿ رحمه الله said:
“When Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما could not find a pillar in the mosque, he would say to me: ‘Turn your back towards me (so you can serve as my sutrah).’”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2878)
Note: If a person is serving as someone’s sutrah, he should remain in place until the other completes the prayer.
Summary Ruling
- Using a sutrah is obligatory according to the clear command of the Prophet ﷺ.
- The sutrah can be any object that forms a barrier: wall, pillar, animal, saddle, tree, stick, or even a person.
- The worshipper should be close to the sutrah, and prevent anyone from passing between himself and it.
