Preventing Someone from Passing Within the Sutrah
This article is derived from the book Sutrah: Brief Rulings and Issues compiled by respected Qazi Ibrahim Sharif.
❀ Command of the Prophet ﷺ Regarding Sutrah
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
اذا صلى احدكم الى شيء يستره من الناس فاراد احد ان يجتاز بين يديه فليدفعه فان ابى فليقاتله فانما هو شيطان
Sahih al-Bukhari – Book of Prayer – Hadith: 509
Sahih Muslim: 259
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of you offers prayer facing something that serves as a barrier from the people (i.e., a Sutrah), and someone tries to pass in front of him, then he should prevent him. If he refuses, then fight him, for he is a Shaytan.”
❀ Practical Example from the Prophet’s ﷺ Life
Reported by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them in prayer facing a wall which he took as a Qiblah. A young goat came and tried to pass in front of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ kept moving closer to the wall, continuing to block its way, until I saw his stomach touching the wall. Finally, the young goat passed behind him.
(Musnad Ahmad: 6852)
This Hadith proves that there is no harm in passing in front of those praying in congregation behind the Imam. The fact that the goat passed behind the Prophet ﷺ implies it passed in front of the first row, yet the Prophet ﷺ did not object. This refutes those who believe that passing in front of any worshipper, including followers behind the Imam, invalidates prayer.
❀ Confrontation with Shaytan During Prayer
Once, during a congregational prayer, the Prophet ﷺ stretched his hand forward, then pulled it back. After prayer, the Companions inquired:
“O Messenger of Allah, has something new been revealed during prayer?”
He replied:
لا، إلا أن الشيطان أراد أن يمر بين يدي فخنقته حتى وجدت برد لسانه على يدي، وايم الله لولا ما سبقني إليه أخي سليمان لربطته إلى سارية من سواري المسجد حتى يطيف به ولدان أهل المدينة، فمن استطاع منكم أن لا يحول بينه وبين القبلة أحد فليفعل
(Sunan al-Daraqutni – Book of Prayer – Hadith: 1375)
(Also reported by Imam Ahmad and al-Tabarani with a sound chain)
“No. But Shaytan tried to pass in front of me, so I strangled him until I felt the coolness of his tongue on my hand. By Allah! Had it not been that my brother Sulayman preceded me [in gaining mastery over the jinn], I would have tied him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that the children of Madinah could play with him. So whoever among you can prevent anyone from coming between him and the Qiblah, let him do so.”
❀ Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه and Preventing Passage Even During Tashahhud
There is an account in Sahih al-Bukhari which reports:
ورد ابن عمر فى التشهد وفي الكعبة وقال إن أبى إلا أن تقاتله فقاتله
Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه, while sitting in Tashahhud inside the Ka‘bah, prevented someone from passing in front of him and said: “If he insists, then fight him.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari – Book of Prayer – Chapter: Preventing Those Who Pass In Front of a Worshipper)
This implies that preventing someone from passing in front applies in all positions of prayer, including Tashahhud, and in all places, even inside the Ka‘bah.
The narration regarding Ibn Umar's action during Tashahhud is reported with connected chains in:
– Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/149)
– Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq (2/23)
The passerby was identified as ‘Amr ibn Dinar, who was stopped by Ibn Umar.
❀ Ibn Umar’s Action in the Ka‘bah
Imam al-Bukhari’s teacher Abu Nu‘aym mentioned in Kitab al-Salah that Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما, while praying inside the Ka‘bah, would not allow anyone to pass in front of him.
(Referenced in Fath al-Bari: 1/572)
Imam ‘Abd al-Razzaq in his Musannaf (2/20) also recorded the statement:
“If he refuses, then fight him.”
— Mentioning the command to prevent and, if necessary, resist those who insist on passing.
❀ Incident of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه
Narrated by Abu Salih al-Samman:
I saw Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه praying on a Friday, facing a Sutrah that served as a barrier from the people. A young man from Banu Abi Mu‘ayt tried to pass in front of him. Abu Sa‘id pushed him in the chest. The young man looked around but found no other way, so he tried again. Abu Sa‘id pushed him harder than before. The youth got angry and went to complain to Marwan. Abu Sa‘id followed him. Marwan asked: “O Abu Sa‘id! What happened between you and your nephew?” He replied: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ say:
‘When one of you prays facing something that acts as a barrier from the people, and someone attempts to pass in front, then stop him. If he refuses, fight him, for he is a Shaytan.’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 509)
❀ Imam al-Bukhari’s Perspective
According to Imam al-Bukhari رحمه الله, if someone passes in front of a worshipper, he is attempting to break the spiritual connection between the worshipper and Allah established through prayer. The worshipper has full right to preserve this connection.
Thus:
- He should initially warn gently.
- If that fails, he may block more firmly.
- If necessary, push the person away.
However, the prevention should not escalate into physical altercation. Such confrontation may itself spoil the prayer, which defeats the purpose. Hence, the principle is:
“Preventing someone is to protect the sanctity of prayer — but if your method ruins the prayer, it becomes a case of sin incurred and good deed lost.”
✿ Summary of Key Points:
① The Prophet ﷺ commanded worshippers to prevent anyone from passing between them and their Sutrah.
② If the person insists, the worshipper is permitted to physically stop or repel them.
③ The Prophet ﷺ personally demonstrated this by moving close to a wall to block a passing animal.
④ Shaytan once tried to pass in front of the Prophet ﷺ during prayer; he ﷺ strangled him.
⑤ Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه and Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه actively prevented people from passing, even using force when necessary.
⑥ This ruling applies throughout the prayer, including during Tashahhud, and in any location, even inside the Ka‘bah.
⑦ Preventing passage must be done wisely—without disrupting the prayer itself.
وما علينا إلا البلاغ
Our responsibility is only to convey.
We ask Allah to make us from those who protect the sanctity of prayer, observe the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and uphold His commands with knowledge and wisdom. Ameen.
