Is it permissible to pass in front of a worshiper who has not taken a sutra, leaving a distance between the passerby and the worshiper, and who is sinful in this case?
It is recommended for a worshiper to use a sutra (an object placed in front of him as a barrier) and to draw near to it. It becomes obligatory to use a sutra if there is a fear of someone passing in front of him, and he must prevent anyone from passing in front of him. The passage of someone in front of a worshiper is Haram (religiously forbidden) according to the most correct opinion, whether the worshiper uses a sutra or not, whether the prayer is obligatory or supererogatory, and whether the passerby has an alternative route or not. The exceptions to this are those circumambulating the Kaaba (Tawaf), and those who are compelled to pass due to necessity, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If one of you prays towards something that screens him from the people, and someone intends to pass in front of him, he should push him back. If he insists, then he should fight him, for he is a devil." And his saying: "If the one who passes in front of a worshiper knew what sin was upon him, it would be better for him to stand for forty (years or days, the narrator was unsure) than to pass in front of him." As for the distance to leave for the worshiper if he does not use a sutra, behind which one can pass, there is no explicit textual evidence defining it. Scholars have differed on this, and the most correct opinion is that it is determined by common practice.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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