Does the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, in which he passed in front of the row, indicate the permissibility of passing in front of the ma'mum, and that the sutrah is only prescribed for the imam and the one praying alone?
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"From Ibn 'Abbas, who said: It was narrated by the group."
Does this hadith indicate the permissibility of passing in front of the ma'mum, and that the sutrah is only prescribed for the imam and the one praying alone?
There is no doubt that the imam's sutrah is a sutrah for those behind him, but this hadith does not indicate the permissibility of a passerby passing in front of the row in this manner, carelessly and without an excuse. Because this incident, as the Hanafis say, is a specific incident (hadath 'ayn); the hadith does not explain the reason for which Ibn 'Abbas and the donkey entered the row, or passed in front of the row. We do not know what the reason was. Perhaps, for example, he was unable to dismount from a distant place, such as being on a slope or something similar, so he was compelled to approach the row to dismount from the mount and join the row. This is a possibility that can be stated. And the hadith does not absolutely state that Ibn 'Abbas did this carelessly, so that it could be taken as evidence for the permissibility of passing in front of the praying people standing in the row without a reason and without a legal excuse. And the fact that the imam is a sutrah for those behind him exempts the followers behind him from taking a sutrah like the imam, but this does not justify people passing in front of the rows carelessly for other than a legal excuse. And this is what we see in the two sacred mosques in Makkah and Madinah; it happens sometimes with an excuse and sometimes without an excuse. So we must note that passing in front of the row carelessly distracts the praying people and diverts them from focusing on their prayer. And just now we were discussing the statement of those who say that closing the eyes in prayer, if it results in humility due to decorations there, is permissible, or even better. So how can we now say it is permissible for people to pass in front of the row without a legal excuse? This distracts them and diverts them from focusing on their Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, with their hearts. So it is not permissible to pass in front of the row except for an excuse. We look for this excuse in places like the Prophet's Mosque and the Makkah Mosque. For example, the Prophet's Mosque has doors opening to the east, west, and north. A person coming to prayer finds the people standing. If he comes, for example, from the Gate of Peace, the western gate of the Prophet's Mosque, and he wanted to go around to pray behind the rows, the imam would have finished the prayer. So he enters from the nearest door to him, finds the people standing in the rows, and passes between the rows, either until he finds a gap in a row to fill it, or he forms a row with some other people between the rows. This happens often in the Prophet's Mosque, and also in the Makkah Mosque. So there is no harm in this. But as they also do there in the two mosques, you are praying alone and you find people passing in front of you, and there is space to pass either behind you or far from you. This is not permissible in any way, absolutely. And this is what the wise Lawgiver considered a devil. So he indicated that if the passerby wants to pass in front of the praying person, the praying person should fight him. If he refuses, let him push him, for he is a devil. So the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas does not indicate the permissibility of passing in front of the rows, because it was not mentioned in the hadith that he did so without an excuse.
"From Ibn 'Abbas, who said:
I came riding on a donkey, and I was at that time approaching puberty, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying with the people at Mina. So I passed in front of some of the row, then I sent the donkey to graze and I entered the row, and no one objected to me for that.
أقبلت راكباً على أتان وأنا يومئذٍ قد ناهزت الاحتلام والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي بالناس بمنى فممرت بين يدي بعض الصف، فأرسلت الأتان ترتع ودخلت في الصف فلم ينكر علي ذلك أحدDoes this hadith indicate the permissibility of passing in front of the ma'mum, and that the sutrah is only prescribed for the imam and the one praying alone?
There is no doubt that the imam's sutrah is a sutrah for those behind him, but this hadith does not indicate the permissibility of a passerby passing in front of the row in this manner, carelessly and without an excuse. Because this incident, as the Hanafis say, is a specific incident (hadath 'ayn); the hadith does not explain the reason for which Ibn 'Abbas and the donkey entered the row, or passed in front of the row. We do not know what the reason was. Perhaps, for example, he was unable to dismount from a distant place, such as being on a slope or something similar, so he was compelled to approach the row to dismount from the mount and join the row. This is a possibility that can be stated. And the hadith does not absolutely state that Ibn 'Abbas did this carelessly, so that it could be taken as evidence for the permissibility of passing in front of the praying people standing in the row without a reason and without a legal excuse. And the fact that the imam is a sutrah for those behind him exempts the followers behind him from taking a sutrah like the imam, but this does not justify people passing in front of the rows carelessly for other than a legal excuse. And this is what we see in the two sacred mosques in Makkah and Madinah; it happens sometimes with an excuse and sometimes without an excuse. So we must note that passing in front of the row carelessly distracts the praying people and diverts them from focusing on their prayer. And just now we were discussing the statement of those who say that closing the eyes in prayer, if it results in humility due to decorations there, is permissible, or even better. So how can we now say it is permissible for people to pass in front of the row without a legal excuse? This distracts them and diverts them from focusing on their Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, with their hearts. So it is not permissible to pass in front of the row except for an excuse. We look for this excuse in places like the Prophet's Mosque and the Makkah Mosque. For example, the Prophet's Mosque has doors opening to the east, west, and north. A person coming to prayer finds the people standing. If he comes, for example, from the Gate of Peace, the western gate of the Prophet's Mosque, and he wanted to go around to pray behind the rows, the imam would have finished the prayer. So he enters from the nearest door to him, finds the people standing in the rows, and passes between the rows, either until he finds a gap in a row to fill it, or he forms a row with some other people between the rows. This happens often in the Prophet's Mosque, and also in the Makkah Mosque. So there is no harm in this. But as they also do there in the two mosques, you are praying alone and you find people passing in front of you, and there is space to pass either behind you or far from you. This is not permissible in any way, absolutely. And this is what the wise Lawgiver considered a devil. So he indicated that if the passerby wants to pass in front of the praying person, the praying person should fight him. If he refuses, let him push him, for he is a devil. So the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas does not indicate the permissibility of passing in front of the rows, because it was not mentioned in the hadith that he did so without an excuse.
Source
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