Height Requirement for the Sutrah
Adapted from: “Sutrah ke Mukhtaṣar Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Qāḍī Ibrāhīm Sharīf
1. Ḥadīth of Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه
"اذا قام احدكم يصلي فانه يستره اذا كان بين يديه مثل اخرة الرحل"
“When one of you stands to pray, a thing equal in height to the back part of a saddle will be enough as a screen for him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Qadr Mā Yastur al-Muṣallī, 510)
2. Ḥadīth of Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbaydillāh رضي الله عنه
"اذا جعلت بين يديك مثل مؤخرة الرحل فلا يضرك من مر بين يديك"
“When you place in front of yourself something equal to the back part of a camel saddle, then the one who passes in front of you will not harm you.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Yastur al-Muṣallī, 685)
3. Ḥadīth of ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the sutrah of a praying person, he said:
"مثل مؤخرة الرحل"
“Like the back part of a camel saddle.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 500 – Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Satr al-Muṣallī)
ʿAṭā’ ibn Abī Rabāḥ رحمه الله said:
"اخرة الرحل ذراع فما فوقه"
“The back part of a saddle is one cubit or more in height.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 686, 689)
One cubit (ذراع): The distance from the tip of the fingers of an open hand to the elbow — approximately 1.5 feet (45 cm).
The narration about drawing a line if no sutrah is available is weak.
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, 943; Musnad Aḥmad – weak chain)
Summary:
The sutrah should be at least one cubit high (about 1.5 feet), whether it is a stick, pillar, bag, or similar object. Anything lower than this does not fulfill the Sunnah description of a sutrah.
Adapted from: “Sutrah ke Mukhtaṣar Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Qāḍī Ibrāhīm Sharīf
Prophetic Guidance on Sutrah Height
1. Ḥadīth of Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه
"اذا قام احدكم يصلي فانه يستره اذا كان بين يديه مثل اخرة الرحل"
“When one of you stands to pray, a thing equal in height to the back part of a saddle will be enough as a screen for him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Qadr Mā Yastur al-Muṣallī, 510)
2. Ḥadīth of Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbaydillāh رضي الله عنه
"اذا جعلت بين يديك مثل مؤخرة الرحل فلا يضرك من مر بين يديك"
“When you place in front of yourself something equal to the back part of a camel saddle, then the one who passes in front of you will not harm you.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Yastur al-Muṣallī, 685)
3. Ḥadīth of ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the sutrah of a praying person, he said:
"مثل مؤخرة الرحل"
“Like the back part of a camel saddle.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 500 – Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Satr al-Muṣallī)
Explanation by the Tābiʿīn
ʿAṭā’ ibn Abī Rabāḥ رحمه الله said:
"اخرة الرحل ذراع فما فوقه"
“The back part of a saddle is one cubit or more in height.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 686, 689)
One cubit (ذراع): The distance from the tip of the fingers of an open hand to the elbow — approximately 1.5 feet (45 cm).
- Height condition: The sutrah should be at least about one cubit (~1.5 feet) tall.
- Width condition: No specific minimum width is mentioned in the Sunnah.
Note on the “Drawing a Line” Report
The narration about drawing a line if no sutrah is available is weak.
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, 943; Musnad Aḥmad – weak chain)
Summary:The sutrah should be at least one cubit high (about 1.5 feet), whether it is a stick, pillar, bag, or similar object. Anything lower than this does not fulfill the Sunnah description of a sutrah.
