The ruling on praying toward a bed on which someone is sleeping, and the size of the sutrah

Question:
A listener who identified herself with the letter (H) asks and says: Is it permissible for me to pray in front of a raised bed on which someone is sleeping? And is the meaning of the sutrah in prayer to place a barrier, even a simple one, such that what passes behind it does not invalidate the prayer, whether it is walking or sleeping?

Answer:
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray toward a spear set up in front of him, a small stick with a spearhead that was planted in front of him during travels (peace and blessings be upon him). And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is sufficient for a person the size of the back of a saddle if a woman, a dog, or a donkey passes behind him, for it does not cut off his prayer. And the meaning of this is, rather, his exact wording (peace and blessings be upon him): . It was said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the matter with the black dog compared to the others? He said: . So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that the sutrah is like the back of a saddle. The back of a saddle is the piece of wood behind the rider, called the shaddad or the masamah, on which the rider sits, and it is approximately two-thirds of a cubit or close to a cubit. So if he plants a stick in front of him, even a thin one around a cubit or two-thirds of a cubit, it suffices as a sutrah. Or if there is a pole, a pillar, a wall, a bed, or a chair in front of him, that suffices. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with Aisha on the bed lying down in front of him, and that did not harm him. If a person prays and there is a bed in front of him, even if someone is sleeping on it, there is no harm; that suffices for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.