Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
If a person is offering prayer in an open field or desert, should one wait until the prayer is over before passing in front of them? You mentioned before that one must not pass in front even if the distance is several miles.
✦ It is not permissible to pass in front of someone offering prayer, regardless of how far the distance may seem—whether in an open field, desert, or otherwise.
The prohibition is based on the presence or absence of a sutrah (barrier), not on the distance between the worshipper and the passerby.
According to ʿAṭā’ رحمه الله, the back part of a saddle is approximately a cubit (one arm's length) or slightly more.
(Abu Dawud, Bab Ma Yastur al-Musalli; Hadith: 686 – Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah)
Hence, any passage within that defined space is prohibited, whether in a mosque or in the open.
① It is haram (forbidden) to pass in front of someone praying within the sutrah zone—even if outdoors.
② The prohibition applies regardless of the environment or perceived distance.
③ The person praying should use a sutrah, and others must avoid passing between the person and their sutrah.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
❀ Question:
If a person is offering prayer in an open field or desert, should one wait until the prayer is over before passing in front of them? You mentioned before that one must not pass in front even if the distance is several miles.
❀ Answer:
✦ It is not permissible to pass in front of someone offering prayer, regardless of how far the distance may seem—whether in an open field, desert, or otherwise.
The prohibition is based on the presence or absence of a sutrah (barrier), not on the distance between the worshipper and the passerby.
✿ Key Hadith Evidence:
- The Prophet ﷺ said:
"When one of you prays, let him place something like the back part of a saddle in front of him, and then he should not mind whoever passes beyond it."
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Salah, Bab Satrat al-Musalli) - On Eid and during travel, the Prophet ﷺ would command that a spear be placed in front of him as a sutrah, and he would pray behind it while the people stood behind him.
- The Prophet ﷺ also prayed facing his camel, using it as a sutrah.
- He ﷺ stated:
"When one of you is praying, do not let anyone pass in front of him. If they insist, then stop them, for they are a devil."
(Sahih Muslim, Bab Manʿ al-Mar bayna Yaday al-Musalli) - The Prophet ﷺ further said:
"If the one passing in front of a praying person knew the gravity of the sin upon him, he would have preferred to stand for forty (years) rather than pass in front."
(Sahih Muslim) - The space between the Prophet ﷺ and the wall when praying was so minimal that a sheep could pass through it.
(Sahih Muslim, Bab Dunuww al-Musalli min al-Sutrah)
✦ Clarification on Distance:
According to ʿAṭā’ رحمه الله, the back part of a saddle is approximately a cubit (one arm's length) or slightly more.
(Abu Dawud, Bab Ma Yastur al-Musalli; Hadith: 686 – Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah)
Hence, any passage within that defined space is prohibited, whether in a mosque or in the open.
✔ Summary:
① It is haram (forbidden) to pass in front of someone praying within the sutrah zone—even if outdoors.
② The prohibition applies regardless of the environment or perceived distance.
③ The person praying should use a sutrah, and others must avoid passing between the person and their sutrah.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
