Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
Is praying without a sutrah (barrier) contrary to the Sunnah? And is it necessary to use a sutrah even inside the mosque?
✦ 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.
"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)
"I saw the Prophet ﷺ praying in front of this very pillar."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab al-Salah ila al-Usṭuwānah)
"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.
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.
❀ 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.
