The Prayer Barrier
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 2613 )
Q1: I have seen some guides set up a wooden board in front of themselves in the mosque, about half a meter long, and they say: whoever does not do so commits a sin. So I said to them: What if I do not find this barrier that you set up in front of you? They said: It is necessary, necessary?
A1:Praying facing a sutrah is a recommended practice (sunnah) whether at home or traveling, in obligatory or voluntary prayers, and in the mosque or elsewhere; due to the generality of the hadith:Sunan Ibn Majah 954Sahih (Darussalam) narrated byAbu Dawudwith a good chain, and whatal-Bukhariand Muslimnarrated from the hadith ofAbu Juhayfah(may Allah be pleased with him),. AndMuslimnarrated from the hadith ofTalhah ibn 'Ubayd Allahwho said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 499a. It is recommended for him to be close to his sutrah; due to what is in the aforementioned hadith, and he used to
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to rush to the pillars of the mosque to pray their voluntary prayers facing them, and this was at home in the mosque, but it is not known that they used to set up wooden boards in front of them to be a sutrah for prayer in the mosque; rather, they used to pray facing the wall of the mosque and its pillars. One should not go to extremes in this matter, for the Shari'ah is lenient, and no one will contend with the religion except that it will overcome him, and because the command regarding the sutrah is for recommendation, not obligation; as established from . And the taking of a sutrah was not mentioned in the hadith, and what was narrated by the Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1126Sahih (Al-Albani) . And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q1: I have seen some guides set up a wooden board in front of themselves in the mosque, about half a meter long, and they say: whoever does not do so commits a sin. So I said to them: What if I do not find this barrier that you set up in front of you? They said: It is necessary, necessary?
A1:Praying facing a sutrah is a recommended practice (sunnah) whether at home or traveling, in obligatory or voluntary prayers, and in the mosque or elsewhere; due to the generality of the hadith:
When anyone of you performs prayer, let him pray facing towards a Sutrah, and let him get close to it
إذا صلى أحدكم فليصل إلى سترة وليدن منهاThat the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a peg set up for him, so he moved forward and prayed the midday prayer two rak'ahs, with a donkey and a dog passing in front of him, and he did not prevent them
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ركزت له العنزة فتقدم وصلى الظهر ركعتين يمر بين يديه الحمار والكلب لا يمنعWhen one of you places in front of him so me. thing such as the back of a saddle, he should pray without caring who passes on the other side of it.
إذا وضع أحدكم بين يديه مثل مؤخرة الرحل فليصل ولا يبال من مر وراء ذلكThe Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to rush to the pillars of the mosque to pray their voluntary prayers facing them, and this was at home in the mosque, but it is not known that they used to set up wooden boards in front of them to be a sutrah for prayer in the mosque; rather, they used to pray facing the wall of the mosque and its pillars. One should not go to extremes in this matter, for the Shari'ah is lenient, and no one will contend with the religion except that it will overcome him, and because the command regarding the sutrah is for recommendation, not obligation; as established from
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with the people at Mina facing something other than a wall
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى بالناس بمنى إلى غير جدار'Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the prayer in his apartment and people were following him behind apartment.
صلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في فضاء وليس بين يديه شيء
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.