should come close to his Sutrah. If the passer by is a little bit far, a praying person could make a gesture or recite Tasb?h [to attract his attention not to do so].

The ‘Ulamah also agreed that if one passed in front of another, the latter must not force the former to go backwards for this would be considered a second passing. There is a narration traced back to the Salaf that the praying person could do so and some of the Salaf interpreted this narration in a way that complies with the had?th. (1)

The prophet ( - ) stated the gravity of the sin one would incur upon oneself if he/she passes before the hands of a praying muslim. He ( - ) said: ‘Had the passer by in front of the praying muslim known the gravity of his sin, he would prefer to stand for forty [days, months or years] than to pass before him’.

Abun Nadr -one of the had?th’s narrators- said: ‘I don’t know whether he ( - ) said: forty days, months or years’. (2)

The had?th clearly states that had the one who passes before the hands of a prying person known the magnitude of sin he incurred upon himself, he would have preferred to stand for fourty than to commit this evil deed. Indeed this is severe threat. (3)

The Sah?bah recognized the gravity of this sin, that some of them even considered it similar to worshipping idols, quoting some verses from the Holy Qur’?n!!

‘Abdull?h Ibn Buraidah ( - رضي الله عنه -) said: ‘My farther once saw some people passing in front of others while they were doing Sal?t. He then said: ‘Indeed, when these people’s children grow up, they would say: Verily! We found our fathers doing this’’. (4)