Ruling on one who passes in front of a person praying intentionally

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Q243: The questioner asks: What is the ruling on one who passes in front of a person praying, intentionally or unintentionally?
A243: Passing in front of a person praying is forbidden, severely forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

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 خيرًا له من أن يمر بين يديه

Sahih Muslim 507a

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the person praying to prevent the one passing in front of him, and if he refuses, let him fight him by striking him and preventing him from passing, because, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
(peace and blessings be upon him):

It is a devil

إنه شيطان

, or he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

for he is with a companion

فإن معه قرينًا

which indicates the prohibition of passing in front of a person praying. However, if there is a sutrah in front of the person praying and one passes behind it, then this does not harm. Likewise, if the passing is due to dire necessity, as in the Sacred Mosque or in crowded places where the person praying cannot prevent one from passing in front of him; then there is no blame in that, due to the hardship and dire necessity. As for whether his passing in front of the person praying invalidates the prayer, the scholars differed on that, and the correct opinion of the scholars, which was preferred by Shaykh al-Islam Taqi al-Din ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), is that the prayer is invalidated by the passing of a dog, a donkey, or a woman.

Source www.alifta.gov.sa

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

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