The Book of the Qiblah - Sunan an-Nasa'i

Hadith Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 757

Hadith Text

It was narrated from Abu Saeed that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: "If anyone of you is praying, he should not let anyone pass in front of him, and if he insists (on passing) then let him fight him."

Scholarly Commentary

This noble hadith establishes the sanctity of the prayer space and the prohibition of allowing anyone to pass between the worshipper and their sutrah (prayer barrier). The scholars have explained that the "fighting" mentioned here refers to physically preventing the passerby, not actual combat. This demonstrates the importance of protecting one's prayer from interruptions.

Imam an-Nawawi states in his commentary that the worshipper should place a sutrah in front of them when praying, and if someone attempts to cross between them and the sutrah, they should gesture to prevent them. If the person persists, the worshipper may use physical means to stop them, as this preserves the dignity and concentration of the prayer.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that this ruling applies even in large mosques, for the prayer space directly in front of the worshipper is considered sacred and must be protected from any crossing that could invalidate or diminish the reward of the prayer.