Question:
Can Mufti explain what is sutrah and its importance?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
In answering the question regarding sutrah, we include the explanation from Fiqh al-Manhaji (1/392-393) under the chapter regarding the sunnah matters related to prayer.
“Separation (سُترَةٌ) is a sign that separates between those who are performing prayer and others that pass in front of him, such as a wall, pillar, or by laying a praying mat in front of him and others. If one could not find anything, then he should mark with a line.”
This is in accordance with a hadith from Ibn Umar RA:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا خَرَجَ يَوْمَ الْعِيدِ أَمَرَ بِالْحَرْبَةِ فَتُوضَعُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَيُصَلِّى إِلَيْهَا وَالنَّاسُ وَرَاءَهُ، وَكَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِى السَّفَرِ
“Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came out on `Id day, he used to order that a Harba (a short spear) to be planted in front of him (as a Sutra for his prayer) and then he used to pray facing it with the people behind him and used to do the same while on a journey.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (472) and Sahih Muslim (501)
While the prioritized way is to put a separator near the place for sujud (prostration).
This is stated in a hadith from Sahal bin Sa’ad RA, he said:
كَانَ بَيْنَ مُصَلَّى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَبَيْنَ الْجِدَارِ مَمَرُّ الشَّاةِ
“The distance between the Musalla of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the wall was just sufficient for a sheep to pass through.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (474) and Sahih Muslim (508)
In al-Mu’tamad fi al-Fiqh al-Syafie, it is stated that it is prohibited for a person to walk in front of a person praying when there is a sutrah sign in front of the person. According to a hadith from Abu al-Juhaim al-Ansari RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ المَارُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ المُصَلِّي مَاذَا عَلَيْهِ، لَكَانَ أَنْ يَقِفَ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرًا لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ
'If the person who passes in front of another person in prayer knew the magnitude of his sin, he would prefer to wait for 40 (days, months or years) rather than to pass in front of him."
Sahih al-Bukhari (510)
Abu An-Nadr, one of the narrators of this hadith said, "I do not remember exactly whether he said 40 days, months or years."
It is sunnah for a person who is praying with a sutrah in front of him to stop anyone from passing in front of him with his hands. This is in accordance with a hadith from Abu Said al-Khudri RA, where he heard the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى شَيْءٍ يَسْتُرُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَأَرَادَ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَجْتَازَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَلْيَدْفَعْ فِي نَحْرِهِ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيُقَاتِلْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْطَانٌ
“When one of you prays facing any object which conceals him from people, and someone wishes to pass in front of him, he should strike him at his chest; if he refuses (to go), he should fight him; he is only a devil.”
Sahih Muslim (505)
As for a person who did not put a sutrah in front of him, then he has no right to stop anyone from passing in front of him for the negligence of his own rights by not placing a sutrah. Refer al-Mu’tamad (1/222-223). The sutrah of an imam is the same with the sutrah for the makmum. Refer I`anah al-Talibin (1/221) and Bughyah al-Mustarsyidin (1/112). However, in desperate situations such as when one’s ablution is invalidated and he has to walk in front of others for he has to perform his ablution again and there is no other space for him to walk, then it is permissible for him to pass in front of other makmum and the other makmum cannot stop him.
May Allah SWT give us the knowledge to perform our worships correctly.
Wallahua’lam.