Is it permissible to pray facing a man in front of me who is facing me with his face and body, and is it obligatory to place a sutrah between us, or does that not matter?

A Muslim should avoid praying in front of anything that distracts him, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The markings on this (garment) distracted me," when he prayed in a khamisah (a black wool garment) that had markings. Everything that distracts from prayer, such as colors and patterns, is disliked.

If one prays with a person sitting in front of him, there is no harm in that person acting as a sutrah (barrier) for him if the person has his back to him and does not disturb him with sound or movement. However, if the person is facing him, praying towards him is disliked, and it is recommended to take another sutrah, due to the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, disliked anyone facing him with their face while he was praying.

The majority of jurists hold that it is permissible to use a human being as a sutrah in prayer, but they all agree on the dislike of praying towards a person's face.