What Is Sutrah in islam? ruling on sutrah in islam
Sutrah is a barrier that is placed in front of a person who is praying to create a physical boundary between them and anyone passing in front of them.
What is the purpose of sutrah?
The purpose of a Sutrah is to maintain the concentration and focus of the person praying. Furthermore, it ensures that no one crosses in front of them while they are fully engaging in their act of worship.
What can be used as a sutrah?
The common items used as Sutrahs include a small wall, a chair, a stick, or any object that can serve as a barrier. It should be placed at a distance in front of the praying individual to mark the boundary that others should not cross.
What does Hadith say about Sutrah?
Talha bin Ubaidullah:
عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا وَضَعَ أَحَدُكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِثْلَ مُؤْخِرَةِ الرَّحْلِ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَلاَ يُبَالِ مَنْ مَرَّ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ ” .
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you places in front of him so me. thing such as the back of a saddle, he should pray without caring who passes on the other side of it.
the Height and width of the sutrh in Islam
Allah’s Messenger said:
“When one of you placed something like the post (handle) of the camel saddle in front of him, then let him perform Salat and not concern himself with who passes beyond that.” Muslim 499
Ading to this, Ata bin Abi Rabah says:
The back part of the camel’s hump is a cubit or more (higher).
[سنن أبي داؤد، کتاب الصلاۃ، باب ما یستر المصلي، (686)
A “cubit” is an ancient unit of measurement that was commonly used in many ancient civilizations. It is a measure of length, typically referring to the distance from a person’s elbow to the tip of their middle finger. The exact length of a cubit could vary, but it should be roughly equivalent to around 18 inches or 45 centimeters and at least one finger thick. Anything less than that does not serve as a Sutrah.
How far should sutrah be?
إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى سُتْرَةٍ فَلْيَدْنُ مِنْهَا لاَ يَقْطَعُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَيْهِ صَلاَتَهُ
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays facing a Sutrah, he should keep close to it and not let the devil interrupt his prayer.
How should you face the Sutrah?
The Sutrah should be positioned directly in front of you, between you and the Qiblah. However, when you are praying toward a pillar, stick, or tree, it’s important not to stand in the middle of that pillar. Instead, you should choose to stand slightly to the right or left of the pillar or tree.
ضُبَاعَةَ بِنْتِ الْمِقْدَادِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهَا، قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي إِلَى عُودٍ وَلاَ عَمُودٍ وَلاَ شَجَرَةٍ إِلاَّ جَعَلَهُ عَلَى حَاجِبِهِ الأَيْمَنِ أَوِ الأَيْسَرِ وَلاَ يَصْمُدُ لَهُ صَمْدًا .
I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying in front of a stick, a pillar, or a tree, without having it opposite his right or left eyebrow and not facing it directly.
How far can you pass in front of the prayer?
In small mosques and small houses, without Sutrah, passing in front of a person praying is not permitted.
In the large mosque (at least 40 Shariah yards) or field, if the worshiper keeps his eyes on the place of sajdah, the worshiper will not be able to see passers-by. in this case, It is permissible to pass in front of a person praying. This distance is measured by three rows ahead, and this guess is for an open field or large space. It isn’t meant for a small mosque or a confined space.
5. Don't talk about worldly matters in masjid
Al-Hasan reported in mursal form that God’s Messenger said,
وَعَنِ الْحَسَنِ مُرْسَلًا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ يَكُونُ حَدِيثُهُمْ فِي مَسَاجِدِهِمْ فِي أَمْرِ دُنْيَاهُمْ. فَلَا تُجَالِسُوهُمْ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ فِيهِمْ حَاجَةٌ» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان
“A time is coming when people will talk in their mosques about their worldly affairs, so do not sit with them, for God has nothing to do with them.”
