8th June 2015
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: My query is regarding walking in front of someone performing Salāh. What is the minimum distance that needs to be left before you can cross in front of a person praying in the following context?
- In Jamāt (I assume the Imām holds the sajda point), so can someone walk between the safs(rows), whilst the Jamāt is in progress?
- When the Jāmat finishes, the latecomers who have joined the jamāt are still making up for their missed rakāts. Can one move from their position if someone is still reading behind them?
- In small masjids where each row is filled, people often read their Sunahs/Nawafil Salāh in the same spot as there jamāt spot, which means each person is doing sajda almost at the heels of the person in front. No sutra(barrier) stick is used, so should each and every person use a sutra in this situation? Some masjids have these but most don’t.
- What is the correct process that one should follow to exit the masjid whilst people are reading behind them?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Generally speaking, to walk in front of a person performing Salāh (Musalli) is prohibited (Karahat Tahreemi) and sinful. According to one Hadīth, it states that if one was to discover the severity in walking in front of a Mussali then he would stand to wait for forty years (if need be and dare not to walk in front). The minimum distance required for someone to be permitted to walk in front of the Musalli varies depending on where he is performing Salāh. In order to understand, some principles will be outlined to facilitate understanding of this matter.
The classical Hanafi jurists have outlined the following criteria for someone to walk across to be sinful;
- The Mussalli performs his Salāh either in a small room at home or in a small Masjid.[1] Scholars rule that distance is not considered therefore walking in front is not permissible at all.
- The Musalli performs his Salāh either in an open field or in a big Masjid. In this case, it is prohibited to walk across the Musalli within the distant range where the Musalli’s eyesight reaches when casting his gaze on to the sujūd point.[2] Contemporary scholars such as Shaykh Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyānwi v has preferred the view of two rows as the furthest distance one’s vision normally reaches.[3] Thus, it is not allowed to walk across the Musalli within the range of two rows and beyond that is permissible.
If the second point applies to you then the respective rulings are as follows;
- The Imām serves as a sutra (barrier) for the Musallis. Walking between the rows results in walking within the sujūd range and within the sutra Hence not permissible.
- If you are seated directly in front of the Masbooq [the one making up for the missed rak’at(s)] then you can move position as this does not constitute walking across the
- If you are directly positioned in front of the Musalli then similar ruling as point (2) applies. Otherwise use a sutra of the Masjid fulfils the criteria of a small Masjid mentioned above. A sutra can be anything that is an arm’s length and thick as a finger.[4] Even a chair, for instance, would suffice.
- If you are performing Salāh in a big Masjid then as mentioned you can walk in front the Musalli beyond two rows range otherwise place a sutra in front of the Musalli and walk across. If you cannot find a sutra then suggest one person stand in front of the Musalli as a point of sutra then walk across. After you have walked across then the second person can walk off.[5]
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] A Masjid to be between 40-60 cubic length and width is considered to be small. Anything bigger is considered a big Masjid.
[2] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābus Salāh, Bāb mā yufsidu Salāt wa mā yukrahu fiha, vol 2 p. 398
(وَمُرُورُ مَارٍّ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ أَوْ فِي مَسْجِدٍ كَبِيرٍ بِمَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ) فِي الْأَصَحِّ (أَوْ) مُرُورِهِ (بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ) إلَى حَائِطِ الْقِبْلَةِ (فِي) بَيْتٍ و (مَسْجِدٍ) صَغِيرٍ، فَإِنَّهُ كَبُقْعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ (مُطْلَقًا)
(قَوْلُهُ بِمَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ) أَيْ مِنْ مَوْضِعِ قَدَمِهِ إلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ كَمَا فِي الدُّرَرِ، وَهَذَا مَعَ الْقُيُودِ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ إنَّمَا هُوَ لِلْإِثْمِ، وَإِلَّا فَالْفَسَادُ مُنْتَفٍ مُطْلَقًا (قَوْلُهُ فِي الْأَصَحِّ) هُوَ مَا اخْتَارَهُ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ وَقَاضِي خَانَ وَصَاحِبُ الْهِدَايَةِ وَاسْتَحْسَنَهُ فِي الْمُحِيطِ وَصَحَّحَهُ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ، وَمُقَابِلُهُ مَا صَحَّحَهُ التُّمُرْتَاشِيُّ وَصَاحِبُ الْبَدَائِعِ وَاخْتَارَهُ فَخْرُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَرَجَّحَهُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَالْفَتْحِ أَنَّهُ قَدْرُ مَا يَقَعُ بَصَرُهُ عَلَى الْمَارِّ لَوْ صَلَّى بِخُشُوعٍ أَيْ رَامِيًا بِبَصَرِهِ إلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ؛ وَأَرْجِعُ فِي الْعِنَايَةِ الْأَوَّلِ إلَى الثَّانِي بِحَمْلِ مَوْضِعِ السُّجُودِ عَلَى الْقَرِيبِ مِنْهُ.
وَخَالَفَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ وَصَحَّحَ الْأَوَّلَ، وَكَتَبْت فِيمَا عَلَّقْته عَلَيْهِ عَنْ التَّجْنِيسِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا فِي الْعِنَايَةِ فَرَاجِعْهُ (قَوْلُهُ إلَى حَائِطِ الْقِبْلَةِ) أَيْ مِنْ مَوْضِعِ قَدَمَيْهِ إلَى الْحَائِطِ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ سُتْرَةٌ، فَلَوْ كَانَتْ لَا يَضُرُّ الْمُرُورُ وَرَاءَهَا عَلَى مَا يَأْتِي بَيَانُهُ (قَوْله فِي بَيْتٍ) ظَاهِرُهُ وَلَوْ كَبِيرًا. وَفِي الْقُهُسْتَانِيِّ: وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيهِ أَيْ فِي حُكْمِ الْمَسْجِدِ الصَّغِيرِ الدَّارُ وَالْبَيْتُ (قَوْلُهُ وَمَسْجِدِ صَغِيرٍ) هُوَ أَقَلُّ مِنْ سِتِّينَ ذِرَاعًا، وَقِيلَ مِنْ أَرْبَعِينَ، وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ كَمَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ فِي الْجَوَاهِرِ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ
[3] Ahsanul Fatāwa vol 3 p. 409
[4] Durrul Mukhtār, Kitābus Salāh, Bāb mā yufsidu Salāt wa mā yukrahu fiha vol 2 p. 401
(سُتْرَةً بِقَدْرِ ذِرَاعٍ) طُولًا (وَغِلَظِ أُصْبُعٍ) لِتَبْدُوَ لِلنَّاظِرِ (بِقُرْبِهِ) دُونَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَذْرُعٍ (عَلَى) حِذَاءٍ (أَحَدِ حَاجِبَيْهِ) مَا بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَالْأَيْمَنُ أَفْضَلُ
[5] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābus Salāh, Bāb mā yufsidu Salāt wa mā yukrahu fiha vol 2 p. 401
وَلَوْ مَرَّ اثْنَانِ يَقُومُ أَحَدُهُمَا أَمَامَهُ وَيَمُرُّ الْآخَرُ وَيَفْعَلُ الْآخَرُ هَكَذَا يَمُرَّانِ