SECTION ON PRAYER · 102 – WHAT CAN SERVE AS A BARRIER (SUTRAH) FOR ONE PERFORMING PRAYER
THING
685 – From Mūsā ibn Ṭalḥa’s father, Ṭalḥa ibn ʿUbaydullāh (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you place in front of you (in prayer) something equal to the rear part of a saddle (the wooden part at the back of a camel’s saddle to lean on), then whatever passes in front of you will not harm you.” [443]
686 – It is narrated from ʿAṭāʾ (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The rear part of the saddle is about one cubit (ziraʿ) in length. It may be a little longer than a cubit.
EXPLANATION
The length of the wooden part at the back of the saddle may be one cubit (ziraʿ) or a little longer than a cubit. A ziraʿ is the distance from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow. If one erects a sutrah (barrier) that is 66 centimeters long, passing in front of it does not cause harm.
687 – From Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him): When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) went out (to pray) on the day of ʿĪd, he would command that a spear be brought. The spear would be placed in front of him, and he would pray facing it while the congregation was behind him. He would do this also while traveling. Because of this, the leaders (umarāʾ) made it a custom to place a spear in front of them during the ʿĪd prayers. [444]
EXPLANATION
Harbah: means spear (lance).
688 – From ʿAwn’s father, Abū Juḥayfa (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in Ẓuhr prayer as two rakʿahs and ʿAṣr as two rakʿahs at Bathāʾ, and there was a staff in front of him. Women and donkeys would pass behind the staff. [445]
EXPLANATION
Anazah: means staff, walking stick, or cane. Bathāʾ (Muḥaṣṣab): is a stony plain outside of Mecca, below Minā. The explanation of this term will be given in the section on ḥajj.