Does a person passing in front of a praying person break his prayer?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

A listener from the city of al-Qasab (L. A. F.) sent a message containing a collection of questions, one of which asks: Does a person passing in front of a praying person break his prayer?
Answer: Passing in front of a praying person is not permissible; based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):

If the person who passes in front of another person in prayer knew the magnitude of his sin, it would have been better for him to wait for forty than pass in front of him.

لو يعلم المار بين يدي المصلي ماذا عليه - يعني: من الإثم - لكان أن يقف أربعين خيراً له من أن يمر بين يديه

Bulugh al-Maram 2:94

In some narrations:

Forty autumns.

أربعين خريفاً

meaning: forty years. This indicates that passing in front of a praying person is not permissible, nor between him and his sutrah.
As for breaking the prayer, there is a detail: If the passer is a woman, a donkey, or a black dog, it breaks the prayer; based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):

It breaks the prayer of a Muslim man if he does not have in front of him something like the back of a saddle: the woman, the donkey, and the black dog. It was said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the matter with the black one compared to the others? He said: The black dog is a devil.

يقطع صلاة المرء المسلم إن لم يكن بين يديه مثل مؤخرة الرحل: المرأة، والحمار، والكلب الأسود، قيل: يا رسول الله! ما بال الأسود من غيره؟ قال: الكلب الأسود شيطان

So these three break the prayer, if the passing is in front of the praying person, close to him within three cubits, or between him and the sutrah in front of him, ..... a wall, a pillar, a chair, or a (stick) as a sutrah. If one of these three passes between him and it, it breaks his prayer: the woman, meaning: an adult, the donkey, and the black dog.
As for a young girl, a young woman does not break it, likewise a man does not break it, likewise a dog other than black does not break it, likewise a cat does not break it, likewise the rest of the animals do not break it. But it is recommended for the praying person not to let anything pass in front of him. It is prescribed for the praying person to prevent the passer absolutely; based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):

If one of you prays towards an object separating him from the people and someone tries to pass (between him and the object) in front of him, let him turn him away but if he refuses he should fight him for he is a devil.

إذا صلى أحدكم إلى شيء يستره من الناس وأراد أحد أن يجتاز بين يديه فليدفعه، فإن أبى فليقاتله فإنما هو شيطان

Bulugh al-Maram 2:101

The point is that the Sunnah for one who is praying, if someone wants to pass in front of him, even if he is from those who do not break the prayer, the Sunnah for him is to prevent him from passing; because it disturbs his prayer. Even if the passer is a man, prevent him, or a child, prevent him, or if the passer is a beast like a sheep or a camel or other, prevent him if he is able to do so, prevent him. But if he passes, it does not break his prayer. If he passes, it does not break his prayer, unless the passer is one of the three mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): the woman, the donkey, and the black dog. This is the correct opinion among the scholars. May Allah guide them all.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas