If a man prays facing a table, does he count as having prayed facing a sutrah if he prays facing the space between the table's legs, or must he pray facing the table's legs?
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The questioner: Now, Shaykh, take a table like this one. If I want to use it as a sutrah, meaning if there is this space between the legs, is it still a sutrah because it is horizontal, or must the sutrah be vertical? Do I stand in front of it here in the middle, or do I stand in front of one of the legs?
The Shaykh: The answer, of course, is that you stand in front of one of the legs. But do you mean for this to be a sutrah?
The student: I see people standing in front of the table.
The Shaykh: Answer the question, may Allah guide you.
The student : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Okay, suppose this is the qiblah and a pole extends like this, meaning a pipe extends like this. Does this count as having prayed facing a sutrah?
The student: No.
The Shaykh: Okay. This is like this.
The student: I did not make myself clear.
The Shaykh: I will tell you something that will be an answer to what you want to clarify. There is a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, but I say beforehand: its chain of narration is weak. Its text is: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he prayed or took a sutrah, did not stand directly in front of it, but rather to the right or to the left." So, the one who prays in this space between the legs has acted in accordance with this hadith, because he has a sutrah to his right and to his left, so he is not standing directly in front of it. However, the hadith is not authentic. This is first. Second: the authentic hadiths, whether from his words (peace be upon him) or his actions, say: "He used to pray facing a sutrah," or "Pray facing a sutrah." This means that you face it, and do not place it to your right or left. Based on these authentic hadiths, the one who prays in this space, with the sutrah standing to his right or left, or on both sides together, has not applied the wording of the hadith. Now, if you have something to say, say it.
The student: You have answered me, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The student : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The Shaykh: The answer, of course, is that you stand in front of one of the legs. But do you mean for this to be a sutrah?
The student: I see people standing in front of the table.
The Shaykh: Answer the question, may Allah guide you.
The student : Yes, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Okay, suppose this is the qiblah and a pole extends like this, meaning a pipe extends like this. Does this count as having prayed facing a sutrah?
The student: No.
The Shaykh: Okay. This is like this.
The student: I did not make myself clear.
The Shaykh: I will tell you something that will be an answer to what you want to clarify. There is a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, but I say beforehand: its chain of narration is weak. Its text is: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he prayed or took a sutrah, did not stand directly in front of it, but rather to the right or to the left." So, the one who prays in this space between the legs has acted in accordance with this hadith, because he has a sutrah to his right and to his left, so he is not standing directly in front of it. However, the hadith is not authentic. This is first. Second: the authentic hadiths, whether from his words (peace be upon him) or his actions, say: "He used to pray facing a sutrah," or "Pray facing a sutrah." This means that you face it, and do not place it to your right or left. Based on these authentic hadiths, the one who prays in this space, with the sutrah standing to his right or left, or on both sides together, has not applied the wording of the hadith. Now, if you have something to say, say it.
The student: You have answered me, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The student : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.