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He entered the mosque to pray...then fell into a grave sin!

July 2, 2026

It is clearly stated that this act is one of the major sins: Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his book (Al-Zawajir 'an iqtiraf al-kaba'ir), under the title: The eighty-fourth major sin: Passing in front of a praying person. Similarly, al-Shawkani said, may Allah have mercy on him: "His statement: (it would be better for him to stand for forty [years]) means that if the passerby knew the extent of the sin he incurs by passing in front of a praying person, he would choose to stand for the mentioned duration to avoid that sin. (The hadith) indicates that passing in front of a praying person is one of the major sins that lead to the Fire." IslamQA website states: "If someone wants to pass in front of a praying person, this falls into several scenarios: "...to pass in front of a praying person, meaning in the area between his prostration and standing, this is forbidden, rather it is a major sin."

The Gravity of Passing in Front of a Person in Prayer

Peace be upon you, brothers and sisters. There is a severe negligence in mosques regarding passing in front of a person in prayer—that is, walking in front of someone who is praying. This act is indeed a major sin, one of the greatest of major sins, with severe consequences.

Imagine this: a person goes to the mosque to pray in congregation, yet due to negligence, they fall into a major sin. So, what is the evidence that this is a major sin?

Evidence from the Prophetic Sunnah

The evidence is found in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, where our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"If the passerby knew the extent of the sin he incurs by passing in front of a person in prayer, standing in place for forty (days, months, or years) would be better for him than passing in front of him."

This means that if you knew the severe punishment you would face before God for passing in front of someone in prayer, you would prefer to stand in place for forty units of time. Abu al-Nadr, one of the narrators of the hadith, said: "I do not know whether he said forty days, months, or years." Regardless, even if it were forty days, imagine how grave the matter is! This severe warning indicates that it is a major sin.

Moreover, in another hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"If one of you prays facing something that serves as a barrier between him and the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, he should push them away. If they refuse, he should fight them, for they are like a human devil."

If someone tries to pass in front of you while you are praying, you should gently push them away. If they insist, you may push them forcefully, for the one passing in front of a person in prayer is like a human devil. The matter is serious and should not be taken lightly.

Rulings on the Barrier and Permissible Distance

Now, what is the permissible distance from which you may pass?

If the person in prayer has placed a barrier (satr), you may pass beyond the barrier.
If no barrier is placed, you may pass beyond the place where the person in prayer prostrates, or up to three cubits (approximately one and a half meters) from where their feet are placed—that is, near the place of prostration.

Do not be negligent in this matter, and spread this knowledge, may God bless you.