The one who passes before the praying person is a shaytan

People Ideas

الماشي بين يدي المصلي شيطان

The Prophet ordered the praying person not to let anyone pass between his hands, to push him away as much as he can, and if he refuses let him fight him — for he is only a shaytan 1 Muwatta 421.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era

Creed

The story

Malik relates from Zayd ibn Aslam from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Said al-Khudri from his father: the Prophet ﷺ ordered the praying person not to let anyone pass between his hands and to push him away as much as he can; if he refuses, let him fight him — for he is only a shaytan 1 Muwatta 421.

The meaning

In this report, whoever passes before the praying person commits an act likened to the shaytan s cutting of the prayer, and the Prophet was stern in forbidding it 1.

Notes

From the manners of prayer in the Muwatta; the Jinn & Devils Browser shows it in the devils section 1.

Connections

Explore the connections

Related to
Muhammad· Abu Said al-Khudri· Evil ones among humans and jinn· Salah (the prescribed prayer)· Muwatta 421
Mentioned in
Muwatta 421

People and things also explored

Muwatta 421· The two prostrations of forgetfulness rebuke the shaytan· The snake of Medina: the Ansari youth who killed it· Muwatta 26· Muwatta 173· Muwatta 176· Muwatta 177· Muwatta 252

Sources

  1. Muwatta, recension of Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi (ed. Bashar Awwad Ma'ruf)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The one who passes before the praying person is a shaytan”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/passerby-between-prayer-is-shaytan/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-11.

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Wing

People

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Related

Muwatta 421