According to Quran and Sunnah: Sutrah

(A Barrier Between the Person Praying and Others)

According to Quran and Sunnah

Bismillah ahRahman nirRaheem (In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful)

Establish a Sutrah

Abu Sa'id reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "When one of you prays, he should pray toward his sutrah and he should be close to it." This is related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.

Ibn 'Umar relates that "when the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam went out to pray salatul 'id, he asked for a spear and placed it in front of himself and he offered salah toward it and the people prayed behind him. And he would do that while he was traveling so that those in authority [for the affairs of the Muslims] would also do this." This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud.

Sabrah ibn Mu'abid reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "When one of you prays, he should make a partition for his salah, even if it is an arrow." This is related by Ahmad and by al-Hakim who said it is sahih according to the criteria of Muslim. Al-Haithami observes: "Ahmad's narrators are sound."

Abu Hurairah relates that the Prophet said: "When one of you prays, he should place something in front of him. If he cannot find anything, he should prop up his staff [in front of him]. If he does not have a staff, he should draw a line [on the ground in front of him] then nothing that passes in tront of him will harm him." This is related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban. The later classifies it sahih as did Ahmad and Ibn al-Madini. Al-Baihaqi says: "There is no problem with that hadith regarding that ruling, Allah willing."

Talhah says: "We used to pray and the animals would pass in front of us. We mentioned that to the Prophet and he said: "If anything the size of a saddle is in front of you, nothing that passes beyond it would harm you." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi who calls it hasan sahih.

Action Items for the uttaqun:

Always establish a sutrah before salah
If anyone, including a child, attempts to pass your sutrah, repel that person in an effort to prevent them from passing between you and the sutrah.

Remember... Allah, subhana watala, sees everything we do!