Is the Sutrah for the worshiper obligatory or Sunnah, and is the worshiper's prayer affected by someone passing in front of him, and does the ruling differ between men and women in this regard?

The majority of scholars hold that a praying person's sutrah (barrier) is a Sunnah (definition), and prayer is not invalidated by something passing in front of the worshipper, citing the hadith (definition): "Nothing قطع the prayer."

While some scholars are of the view that prayer is invalidated by the passing of a woman, a donkey, or a black dog in front of the worshipper if he does not have a sutrah, citing the hadith: "A woman, a donkey, and a black dog invalidate his prayer."

The majority of scholars interpreted this invalidation as a reduction in reward, not as the nullification of the prayer itself.