Sutrah (Partition) of the one who offers Salah

All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds, and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Salah is the cornerstone of religion and the second pillar of Islam. It is the first thing a person will be asked about on the Day of Recompense. Therefore, a Muslim should be keen to preserve it in the way the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded and illustrated to the nation.

Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih (book of authentic Hadith) from the Hadith of Malik ibn Al Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Offer Salah as you have seen me performing it."

Al Tabarany narrated in "Al Awsat" from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn Qurt (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The first thing which a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Recompense is Salah. If it was complete, his entire actions would be complete and if it was incomplete, his entire actions would be lost."

There are some mistakes done by some people who offer Salah which I wanted to refer at so that people can fulfill the rights of Allah and for the purpose of advice.

Of these mistakes:

Not paying attention to Sutrah with which many religious texts commanded. Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When any one of you offers Salah, he should not allow anyone to pass before him, and if he refuses, he should be then forcibly resisted, for there is a devil with him."

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Sahl ibn Abu Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When one of you intended to offer, he should draw near to it so that nothing can break his Salah."

From the benefits of Sutrah:

First, it is a juristic reason for making Salah sound even by passing of grown up women, donkeys, and black dogs as was authentically reported in the Hadith.

Second, blocking the way before the one who offers Salah and distracting his concentration.

Third, Sutrah prevents Satan from passing before the one who offers Salah as was reported in Hadith: "Satan will not be able to break his Salah."

Fourth, Sutrah prevents the one who offers Salah from looking ahead because this will distract him, in addition to other relating issues. The Pious Predecessors were keen to place a Sutrah before them in their Salah and denied those who were offering Salah without placing Sutrah.

Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih that `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man offering Salah between two columns, thereupon he drew him near to a column (of the two) and said: Offer Salah to it. Ibn Hajar said: `Umar desired that the person offers his Salah behind a Sutrah.

This action of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) indicates that placing Sutrah is very important.

Ibn Mas`ud said: There are four kinds of brusqueness, of which he mentioned: That a person should offer Salah without a Sutrah or hear the Muezzin without responding to him.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their Sahih from the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I saw the grand Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) offering Salah behind the columns of Masjids in Maghrib Salah. In another narration: During the two Rak`ahs before Maghrib.

The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to offer Salah behind a Sutrah in the Masjid despite the pressing time.

Ibn Abu Shaybah narrated from the Hadith of Nafi` who said: Whenever Ibn `Umar did not find a column to offer Salah behind, he used to say to me: turn your back to me (to take it as a Sutrah). Ibn Abu Shaybah narrated from the Hadith of Salamah ibn Al Akwa` that he used to put stones over one another in wilderness and when he wanted to offer Salah, he would offer it behind them. This indicates that there is no difference between urbanization and deserts as is shown from the previous Hadiths and from the actions of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Scholar As-Safariyiny said: Let it be known that it is permissible for a person to offer Salah at Sutrah according to unanimous view even if a person does not fear that someone walks in front of him."

As for the height of the Sutrah which is sufficient to block the way before those who want to pass and push away the harm of the passersby, it is the stick which exist in the back of camels' saddle. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to offer Salah while animals were passing before us. We mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said: "If anything equal to the back of a saddle is in front of you, then anything walks in front of him (the one who offers Salah), no harm would come to him."

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was asked about Sutrah of the one who offers Salah. He said: "Equal to the back of the saddle."

Muslim narrated in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "When any one of you stands for prayer and there is a thing before him equal to the back of the saddle that covers him and in case there is not before him (a thing) equal to the back of the saddle, his prayer would be cut off by (passing of an) ass, woman, and black Dog."

The height of the back saddle is one arm length as was stated by some Predecessors like `Ata', Qatadah, and Ath-Thawry. This is also the view of Malik, Ash-Shafi`y, and Ahmad.

Ibn Qudamah said: It seems that words are for approximation and not for specification because the Prophet (peace be upon him) estimated the height of Sutrah with the height of the end of saddle, and the back of saddles differ in height and shortness. Sometimes its height is an arm length and sometimes is less than this. Therefore, if the height is near to an arm length, it will be good for covering. And Allah knows best!

As for its wide, we do not know any required thickness. It is permissible if it is slight like an arrow and spear or thick like a wall. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take coverage with `Anzah (his stick) which is medium between a spear and a stick. Abu Sa`id said: He (the Prophet) used to offer Salah behind spears and rocks. Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Al-Rabi` ibn Sabrah from his father that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The Sutrah of a person in Salah is (as thick as) an arrow and when one of you offers Salah, he should place Sutrah (in front of him)."

Guidelines:

First, the action of some people in offering Salah behind drawn lines in deserts is invalid. The Hadith which was reported in this regard was graded as weak by some scholars, such as Ibn As-Salah, Al `Iraqy and others.

Second, It is not incumbent on a Ma'mum (a person being led by an Imam in Salah) to take a Sutrah. Taking a Sutrah in the congregational Salah is one of the responsibilities of an Imam. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their Sahih from the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said: "I came riding an ass and then I was about of puberty age. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was offer Salah in Mina and he was not facing a wall. Thereupon, I passed in front of the rows then I sent the ass to eat. I stood in the row and no one objected to me."

Third, the prohibition of passing in front of the one who offers Salah is because of the Prophet's saying in the Hadith that was reported in the books of Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Juhaym that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If the person who passes in front of another person in Salah knew the magnitude of his sin, he would prefer to wait for 40 (days, months or years) rather than to pass in front of him."

Summary:

Taking a Sutrah is an emphasized Sunnah, however some scholars hold the view of its obligation which is a strong opinion. Therefore, a Muslim should be keen to offer Salah whether in the Masjid, at home, or in deserts as long as he offers it individually or in congregation. It is incumbent on a person who offers Salah to prevent anyone to pass in front of him. It is sufficient for him to place something like the back of a saddle before him.

All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds, and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.