Pushing back the one who passes in front of the one who is praying

Mabsoot

Amir
Staff member
Chapter: Pushing back the one who passes in front of the one who is praying and the sin that is upon the passer

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  1. From ibn Umar that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "when one of you is praying then do not let anyone pass in front of him, and if he refuses then fight him for indeed he has a companion [i.e. a shaytaan] with him." Reported by Ahmad, Muslim and ibn Maajah.
  2. From Abu Sa’eed who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying, "when one of you prays towards something that acts as a sutrah for him from the rest of the people and someone wishes to pass in from of him [i.e. between him and the sutrah] then push him back, and if he refuses then fight him for he is a shaytaan." Reported by the Group except for at-Tirmidhee and ibn Maajah.
[Note: A sutrah is a object that is placed in front of the one who is praying such that the people become aware that he is praying and do not pass directly in front of him but rather from beyond the sutrah.]
His saying [no.1], "when one of you is praying then do not…" this is a general statement which finds specification in the hadeeth of Abu Sa`eed [no. 2], "when one of you prays towards something that acts as a sutrah for him," so it is not permissible to push back or fight except for the one who has a sutrah.
An-Nawawee said, "they have agreed that all of this [pushing and fighting] is for the one who has not been negligent in his prayer, rather he has been careful and prayed towards a sutrah or has prayed in a place in which he is safe from people passing in front of him."
His saying [no.1], "then do not let anyone pass in front of him." The literal sense of forbiddance is that it is haraam to do so.
His saying [no.1], "and if he refuses then fight him." I.e. He first pushes him back without fighting him thereby starting with the easiest way, then he moves on to employing more force then even more until he reaches the point that he fights him.
Qaadee Ayaadh and al-Qurtobee said, "they have unanimously agreed that this does not require him to fight him with a weapon, this because it contradicts the basic principle of concentrating and busying oneself with the prayer."
A group of the Shaafi`ee scholars generalised and said that it is upon him to literally fight the one who passes in front of him but ibn al-Arabee declared this far fetched saying, "what is meant by fighting is pushing back [with force]."
Al-Baajee was of a strange opinion saying, "it is possible that what is meant by fighting is cursing and rebuke." Al-Haafidh [ibn Hajr] followed this up by saying that this would require him to speak in the prayer thereby invalidating it which is not true of enacting the easy matter [i.e. pushing back]. Al-Ismaa`eelee reported the hadeeth with the wording, "and if he refuses then place his hand on his chest and push him back," this is explicit that the pushing back is to be done with the hand. This was done by Abu Sa`eed to the slave who wished to pass in front of him – he pushed him back by pushing his chest – then when the slave returned he pushed him back with more force as occurs in al-Bukhaaree and others.
Al-Bayhaqee quoted from ash-Shaafi`ee that "the meaning of fighting was to push back with more force than was employed on the first occasion."
Qaadee Ayaadh said, "if he pushed him back in a permissible manner and caused his death then there is no retribution [qawad] against him by agreement of the scholars but is blood money due upon him or not? There are two opinions of the scholars concerning this both of these being voiced by the Maalikee scholars."
Qaadee Ayaadh and ibn Battaal report a consensus that it is not permissible to walk from ones place in order to push back or to perform a great deal of movement and action in pushing back. This is because these types of actions are more detrimental to the prayer then having someone walk in front of you.
An-Nawawee said, "I do not know of any of the legal jurists who were of the opinion that this pushing back was obligatory." Al-Haafidh followed this up by saying that the Dhaahirees had explicitly stated that it was obligatory. The literal sense of the hadeeth supports them.
His saying [no.2], "for indeed he is a shaytaan." Al-Haafidh said, "applying the term shaytaan to the human being who passes in front of the one praying is something permissible for their occurs in the Qur`aan the saying of the Exalted, "the shaytaans of the humans and jinn." The reason for this application is that he has done an action of Shaytaan. It is said that the meaning is that it is Shaytaan who has incited him to pass in front of the one who is praying and not go back. Ibn Battaal said: the permissibility of applying the term shaytaan to the one who causes fitna in the religion can be derived from this hadeeth."
Al-Haafidh said, "this is built upon the fact that the word shaytaan can be literally applied to humans and figuratively applied to jinns but such a premise requires investigation."
It is also said that the meaning of Shaytaan is companion as occurs in the first hadeeth. Ibn Abee Jumrah derived from his saying, "for indeed he is a shaytaan" that the meaning of fighting is to push back gently and not to literally fight, this because combating shaytaan is through seeking refuge with Allaah and erecting a barrier from him by mentioning the Name of Allaah and the likes. He went on to say, "so does the fighting lie in fighting the distraction that the one who is praying faces due to someone passing in front of him or does it lie in his trying to bridle the sin of the one passing (by pushing him back)? The second option is more obvious."
Al-Haafidh said, "others said: rather the first is more obvious because the concentration of the one praying takes precedence over his being concerned with bridling the sin of another. Ibn Abee Shaybah reported from ibn Mas`ud that someone passing in front of the one praying severs half his prayer. Abu Nu`aym reported from Umar, ‘that if the people knew how much their prayer was diminished due to someone passing in front of them they would never cease to pray towards something that would act as a sutrah from the rest of the people.’ So these two narrations dictate that the pushing back is linked to the distraction that the one praying faces and is not specified to the one passing. These two narrations even if they end at a Sahaabah they have the ruling of being from the Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallaam, because the likes of this is not said from personal opinion."
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LoveIslam

ALLAH FORGIVE US
assalamualyakum brother mabsoot
what about a small girl (14 month old )pass in front of prayer or sit in front while praying
waalaykumassalaam
 

Happy 2BA Muslim

Islamophilic
When should a child be stopped from passing in front of a person who is praying?

When should a child be stopped from passing in front of a person who is praying?​
Question:
From what age do we have to prevent a baby/small child from passing between us and our sutrah,further if despite our efforts to stop them they still pass has our salaah been broken?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

The Muslim should strive to have a sutrah (screen) in front of him when he prays, whether he is leading the prayers or praying alone. He should also try not to let anyone or anything pass in front of him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you prays facing an object that he is using to screen him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him push him away, and if he insists let him fight him, for he is no more than a devil.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Salaah, 509; Muslim, al-Salaah, 505).

With regard to young children, they should also be prevented from passing, because of the general meaning of the evidence and because it was narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb from his father that his grandfather said: “We stopped with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Thaniyat Adhaakhir and the time for prayer came, so we prayed facing a wall. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) faced the wall and we were behind him. An animal came and wanted to pass in front of him, and he kept pushing it back until his stomach touched the wall, then it passed behind him.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 807; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani). This indicates that stopping others from passing in front is not restricted only to stopping adults or those of sound mind.

But if the worshipper tries his hardest to stop the one who wants to pass in front of him and is unable to stop him, what is the ruling in this case?

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The sin is on the one who passes in front of him. If you did what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded but were unable to stop the one who wanted to pass in front of you, then your prayer is not affected.”

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, p. 343.
 

Happy 2BA Muslim

Islamophilic
If someone wants to pass in front of a person who is praying, one of the following scenarios must apply:

1 – If he passes in front of the one who is praying, i.e., in the area between the spot where he puts his forehead when he prostrates and where he stands, this is haraam, and indeed it is a major sin as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knew what (a burden of sin) he bears, it would be better for him to stand for forty rather than pass in front of him.” Abu’l-Nadar – one of the narrators – said: I do not know whether he said forty days or months or years. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 510; Muslim, 507 – from Abu Juhaym (may Allaah be pleased with him).

In this case it makes no different whether the person has a sutrah (object to serve as a screen) or not.

2 – If he passes in the area that is beyond the place where he prostrates. Two scenarios may apply in this case:

(i) If the one who is praying has set up a sutrah (object to serve as a screen). In this case it is permissible to pass beyond the sutrah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you prays, let him face towards something. If he cannot find anything, then let him set up a stick. If he cannot do that, then let him draw a line, then it will not matter if anyone passes in front of him.”

Narrated by Ahmad, 3/15; Ibn Maajah, 3063; Ibn Hibbaan, 2361. Ibn Hajar said in al-Buloogh, 249: The one who said that it is mudtarab (a kind of weak hadeeth) is not right; rather it is hasan.

And it was narrated that Talhah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you puts something in front of him that is like the back of a saddle, then let him pray and not worry about anyone who passes beyond that.” Narrated by Muslim, 499.

(ii) If the one who is praying has not set up a sutrah, he has no more than the space in which he prostrates. This is the most correct scholarly opinion. It is permissible for the one who wants to pass in front of him to pass in the space beyond where he prostrates. That is because the prohibition mentioned in the hadeeth applies to passing in front of the one who is praying, and what is beyond the place where he prostrates is not counted as being in front of the one who is praying.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the differences of scholarly opinion concerning the distance within which the worshipper should stop anyone from passing in front of him:

The most correct opinion is that it is the distance between his feet and the place where he prostrates. That is because the one who is praying has no right to anything more than what he needs for his prayer. So he does not have the right to prevent the people from (using space) that he does not need.

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/340.

All of this has to do with one who is praying alone or is leading others in prayer. If he is a member of a congregation, then the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah for those who are behind him.

Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Baab sutrat al-imam sutrah li man khalfahu (the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah of those who are behind him).

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Once I came riding a female donkey and had (just) attained the age of puberty. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) praying at Mina, and there was no wall in front of him. I passed in front of part of the row while they were praying. Then I let the donkey loose to graze and joined the row, and nobody objected to it. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 76; Muslim, 504)

See al-Mughni, 2/42, 2/46

The correct scholarly view is that Makkah and other places are the same because of the general meaning of the evidence. There is nothing to suggest that Makkah is not included in this general meaning. This is the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/342.

And Allaah knows best.
 

umm hussain

Junior Member
When should a child be stopped from passing in front of a person who is praying?​

But if the worshipper tries his hardest to stop the one who wants to pass in front of him and is unable to stop him, what is the ruling in this case?

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The sin is on the one who passes in front of him. If you did what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded but were unable to stop the one who wanted to pass in front of you, then your prayer is not affected.”
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, p. 343.

As much as I agree the sin is upon the person who passes in front of the person praying, if one tries their best to prevent them. I disagree that the sin will be on the baby or the child because they are sinless anyway till they reach the age of puberty. I dont think in this case the general rule applies to children. I have children as well and you put a sutrah, tell them to sit down and not disturb but as soon as you start praying they are all over the place. Baby crawling in front of me etc. I just dont see how the sin can be on the baby or little child
 

Happy 2BA Muslim

Islamophilic
You`re right sister. Babies and children are not held accountable. This applies for those who reach puberty. That is what Shaikh Bin Othaimeen meant.
 

sumaya_graham

Junior Member
Bismillahi rahmani raheem

Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah wa baraktuh,

I have one question about this but just a little different. I am a revert to Islam and everytime I go to the local mosque the women always have comments to make to reverts on what they are doing wrong. On some ocassions this is correct but many times what they are saying is not correct at all.
Obviously, as reverts we accept that we might not do things correctly and we are always willing to learn nw things but some people seem to enjoy picking at things and it has started to seem that they just do it to look good.
Anyway, the main question is.....when you are praying, if a person "corrects" you by yanking at your clothes to cover your already perfectly covered feet or to move your feet because they are "wrong" is this right or wrong? The thing is that they are doing it in the middle of the prayer, very strongly and it just ruins the prayer, and most of the time what they are saying isn't true. What should we do? Apart from just not going to the mosque because of some peoples way of doing things. It is quite upseting and well the "revert" sisters don't know what to do or not do if that is the case.

Can anybody please give us some advise?
Fi amanillah,
Sumaya
 

LoveIslam

ALLAH FORGIVE US
:bismillah:
assalamualyakum jazaak everone for reply
mayALLAH guide us on right path Aameen
rember ummah in your :tti_sister:
:salam2:
 

alkathiri

As-Shafaa'i(Brother)
Bismillahi rahmani raheem

Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah wa baraktuh,

I have one question about this but just a little different. I am a revert to Islam and everytime I go to the local mosque the women always have comments to make to reverts on what they are doing wrong. On some ocassions this is correct but many times what they are saying is not correct at all.
Obviously, as reverts we accept that we might not do things correctly and we are always willing to learn nw things but some people seem to enjoy picking at things and it has started to seem that they just do it to look good.
Anyway, the main question is.....when you are praying, if a person "corrects" you by yanking at your clothes to cover your already perfectly covered feet or to move your feet because they are "wrong" is this right or wrong? The thing is that they are doing it in the middle of the prayer, very strongly and it just ruins the prayer, and most of the time what they are saying isn't true. What should we do? Apart from just not going to the mosque because of some peoples way of doing things. It is quite upseting and well the "revert" sisters don't know what to do or not do if that is the case.

Can anybody please give us some advise?
Fi amanillah,
Sumaya


Assalamualaikum warahmatullah

I think Sumaya needs our help. Can someone give her advice...
My advice is just continue praying if u think u are right. And be patient
 

Izzu

Junior Member
dear sister sumaya,
i am not a revert but have ben following the lives of reverts for almost a decade (by reading their stories etc and the problems they face).
i would like you to know few things before I comment on others:
1. the day you reverted, your deedbook was rewritten with all the faults or any sins being written off.
2. God loves when you go before him and start praying ...no matter how many mistakes you make till you get it right.
3. You are like a newborn child before your lord and everytime you make progress in deen He swt becomes proud.

so your reward before Allah swt is huge.

some people may help you in this but they have to be very cautious with not only reverts but with everyone. there is a time and space for everything. I am sure that some of the people who you encounter are sincere but perhaps others are just over zealous (only God knows). you have to be a much bigger person than those over zealous people. you know we are an ummah and have to be an example for others. maybe your patience will show that what sabr means. God is with the people who are sabireen.
I remember a story. One day the two grandsons of the prophet pbuh were in the mosque and they saw a person doing wudu in the wrong manner. they didnt know how to tell him this so that he wouldnt feel bad. they asked that person to judge which one of them was doing a good wudu. after watching them do the wudu, the man realised his mistake and told them that both of them were right and in fact he as rong. In my opinion this is the only right way if we want to help others.
I would try to be patient and learn in my own way by watching other good muslims and trying to perfect myself.
May God help us.
:wasalam:
 

Globalpeace

Banned
Learning Islam!

Wa'laikumus Salam wa rahmatullah wa baraktuh Sister,

I advice you to read my reply to the other revert sister as it may help you.

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8407

Now to your issue.

Sister, if you have read the other thread first then you will realise that I am trying to imply that often us (born Muslims) have not made the transition into learning and practising Islam.

Often our acts of worships (Salah, fasting , Hajj) are rooted into Culture rather then Qur'aan and authentic Sunnah.

I am not saying all born Muslims are like that; but after living in the West (US & Europe) for more then half of my life; most are like that and that includes all (Asians, Arabs etc.)

Furthermore a lot of Muslims are eager beavers; just trying to help & I see it is Mosques all the time...These guys are full of enthusiasm and just want to help! But all the enthusiasm and sincerity can't work if you don't know how to!

Have said that a learner will make mistake and those mistakes need to be corrected with love, kindness and courtesy (as this is the Sunnah).

Allah (SWT) deputed Prophet Muhammed (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) with the best of manners and example.

Reverts to Islam should feel welcome & NOT threatned, hurt or dissappointed.

A lot of Mosques in the West havn't grasped the simple fact stated above.

What I recommend that you should pair up with someone knowledgable enough to teach you and this person should tell everyone that he/she is teaching you and that is the best way to move forward.

There are differences of opinion within Sunni Islam and you will Insha'Allah learn and follow them in due time; till then please ask people to show up what hey are teaching you from the Qur'aan and Hadeeth.


There are many resources here on TTI & you are welcome to use them Insha'Alah; but personally I find learning easier with human interaction.

Bismillahi rahmani raheem

Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah wa baraktuh,

I have one question about this but just a little different. I am a revert to Islam and everytime I go to the local mosque the women always have comments to make to reverts on what they are doing wrong. On some ocassions this is correct but many times what they are saying is not correct at all.
Obviously, as reverts we accept that we might not do things correctly and we are always willing to learn nw things but some people seem to enjoy picking at things and it has started to seem that they just do it to look good.
Anyway, the main question is.....when you are praying, if a person "corrects" you by yanking at your clothes to cover your already perfectly covered feet or to move your feet because they are "wrong" is this right or wrong? The thing is that they are doing it in the middle of the prayer, very strongly and it just ruins the prayer, and most of the time what they are saying isn't true. What should we do? Apart from just not going to the mosque because of some peoples way of doing things. It is quite upseting and well the "revert" sisters don't know what to do or not do if that is the case.

Can anybody please give us some advise?
Fi amanillah,
Sumaya
 
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