Does a woman's passing in front of an Imam who is not praying towards a sutrah (barrier) nullify the prayer of all the congregants or only the Imam?
If a woman passes in front of a worshipper, close to him, or between him and his sutrah (barrier), his prayer is nullified according to the more preponderant opinion. This is based on the hadith of Abu Dharr: "The prayer is nullified by a donkey, a woman, and a black dog." Scholars have differed on the meaning of "nullification," and the most probable meaning is invalidation. If the worshipper does not have a sutrah, his prayer becomes invalid if one of the aforementioned passes close to him (less than three cubits from his feet). If the prayer of the Imam (prayer leader) is nullified, then his prayer and the prayer of the congregants are both invalidated.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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