Answered by: Maulana Mustafa Umar
Question
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When any one of you prays he should not let anyone pass in front of him (if there is no sutra), and should try to turn him away as far as possible, but if he refuses to go, he should turn him away forcibly for he is a devil. How do we implement this Hadith according to the Hanafi mazhab?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
This Hadith has been narrated by Abu Dāwūd, An-Nasā’ī, and Ibn Mājah. [See Al-Bināyah Sharḥ al-Hidāyah by Imam Badr Ad-Dīn Al-ʿAynī, 2:428, al-maktaba.org] It is recommended in the Hanafi school to stop someone who is walking in front of you. However, this should not require excessive movement otherwise it might invalidate the prayer. [See Kitāb Al-Aṣl of Imam Muhammad, 1:196, al-maktaba.org] Imam Ibn Abidin also explains that it is recommended, but not required to stop the person, since there are other narrations which indicate this is a recommendation and not an obligation. [See Raddul Muḥtār 1:636, al-maktaba.org]
Therefore, we implement it by stopping someone either with a gesture or saying Subhan Allah. If that does not work, then we may do so with the hand as long as it does not entail much movement.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mustafa Umar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham