What are the conditions for a prayer barrier (sutrah), and must it be upright and pure?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The summary of the answer is: The sutrah (barrier) for one praying does not have to be ritually pure (ṭāhir); it can be a ritually impure (najis) object, though this is disliked. It is for the sutrah to be a wall, a pillar, or something similar, and for the worshipper to draw near to it, with the distance between them not exceeding three cubits. If a wall is not available, one may stick a stick or something similar into the ground, its height being two-thirds of a cubit or more. As for the condition that the sutrah must be straight, the scholars have not stated this.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 170688
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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