Combining the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas with the ruling that the imam's sutrah serves as a sutrah for the congregation

The questioner:
The Shaykh's ruling regarding the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Shaykh:
In the mosque, there is no specific sutrah designated for anyone other than the imam; as for the congregation, they pray facing the pillars, the partitions in the mosque, or the walls.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the two Sahihs, it is stated that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have a sutrah. Ibn 'Abbas said: "I came riding on a donkey..." How do you reconcile these reports? And who can tell you that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was covered? Is the imam's sutrah the imam's sutrah?

The Shaykh:
The answer is that Ibn 'Abbas did not pass in front of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but rather he passed in front of the congregation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not rebuke him, and the Companions did not rebuke him; he passed in front of the congregation.