Does a woman passing in front of a worshiper in the Grand Mosque invalidate his prayer?
It is not permissible to pass in front of a praying person, and the praying person should prevent anyone from passing. However, an exception to this is the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) due to the crowding; it is permissible to pass in front of a praying person there, and it does not invalidate their prayer. Nevertheless, one should not be lenient regarding the sutrah (an object placed in front of a praying person) or passing in front of a praying person except out of necessity. As for a mature woman, if she passes between the praying person and their sutrah or place of prostration, the prayer is invalidated. However, if the praying person is in a place where they cannot avoid people passing, then necessity removes the restriction.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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