What is the ruling on passing in front of a person praying in the Haram? And does the person praying have the right to prevent someone from passing in front of him? And what is the matter that breaks the prayer?
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The questioner : This is a message received from a listener, an Egyptian resident in Riyadh, who says: What is the ruling on passing in front of a person praying in the Haram? And does the person praying have the right to prevent someone from passing in front of him? And what is the matter that breaks the prayer? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Passing in front of a person praying is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against it in his saying:Sahih Muslim 507a The forty were interpreted as forty autumns, meaning forty years. This indicates the greatness of the sin of the one who passes in front of a person praying. This hadith is general; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not distinguish in it between the Haram and other places. Therefore, it is obligatory for anyone who wants to pass in front of a person praying in the Haram or elsewhere to stop until he finishes his prayer, or to pass from his right or left side, not to cut across in front of him. If he passes from his right or left side, meaning to his right or left, he is not passing in front of him. Passing in front of a person praying is for a person to cut across the space in front of the praying person.
An exception to this is if the person praying is the one who encroached by standing in that place. In this case, he has no sanctity, such as those who pray in the place where people perform tawaf. These people have no sanctity, and it is permissible for a person to pass in front of them. There is no difference in this between the two rak'ahs of tawaf, which are recommended to be prayed behind the Maqam, and other places, as long as the people performing tawaf have reached the place of the person praying. He has no right to pray in that place, even if that place is behind the Maqam of Ibrahim. The person praying behind the Maqam of Ibrahim can pray in another place in the mosque and obtain the reward of the two rak'ahs, but the person performing tawaf cannot perform tawaf except in that place.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, the one who prays in the place where the people performing tawaf pass is the one who encroached, and he has no sanctity in this case.
Likewise, if a person stands to pray in the path of people, such as if he prays, for example, at the door of the mosque where people need to pass, he has no right to that. The one passing in front of him has no sin, because the person praying is the encroacher by standing in the place of the people.
From this, we know that there is no blame on a person if he steps over the backs of those who pray in places where people pass, even if that harms them, because they are the encroachers. People must have a path to cross to enter the mosque. And by this, we know the error of those who stand in the Grand Mosque in the passageways in front of the mosque doors. You find them standing in these passageways, preventing people from entering the interior of the mosque, even though the interior of the mosque may not have anyone in it; it may be spacious and have empty places. But these people who stood in the passageways of the people prevented the people from reaching these empty places. And at that time, they have no right to that place. So, a person may step over their backs, even if they are harmed by it, because they are the ones who stood in the place where people pass. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Passing in front of a person praying is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against it in his saying:
If anyone who passes in front of a man who is praying knew the responsibility he incurs, he would stand still forty (years) rather than to pass in front of him
لو يعلم المار بين يدي المصلي ماذا عليه لكان أن يقف أربعين خيرا له من أن يمر بين يديهAn exception to this is if the person praying is the one who encroached by standing in that place. In this case, he has no sanctity, such as those who pray in the place where people perform tawaf. These people have no sanctity, and it is permissible for a person to pass in front of them. There is no difference in this between the two rak'ahs of tawaf, which are recommended to be prayed behind the Maqam, and other places, as long as the people performing tawaf have reached the place of the person praying. He has no right to pray in that place, even if that place is behind the Maqam of Ibrahim. The person praying behind the Maqam of Ibrahim can pray in another place in the mosque and obtain the reward of the two rak'ahs, but the person performing tawaf cannot perform tawaf except in that place.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, the one who prays in the place where the people performing tawaf pass is the one who encroached, and he has no sanctity in this case.
Likewise, if a person stands to pray in the path of people, such as if he prays, for example, at the door of the mosque where people need to pass, he has no right to that. The one passing in front of him has no sin, because the person praying is the encroacher by standing in the place of the people.
From this, we know that there is no blame on a person if he steps over the backs of those who pray in places where people pass, even if that harms them, because they are the encroachers. People must have a path to cross to enter the mosque. And by this, we know the error of those who stand in the Grand Mosque in the passageways in front of the mosque doors. You find them standing in these passageways, preventing people from entering the interior of the mosque, even though the interior of the mosque may not have anyone in it; it may be spacious and have empty places. But these people who stood in the passageways of the people prevented the people from reaching these empty places. And at that time, they have no right to that place. So, a person may step over their backs, even if they are harmed by it, because they are the ones who stood in the place where people pass. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.