The First: Doing such act leads one to seeking fame and dissimulation.
The Second: Doing it deprives a muslim from increasing the number of spots in which he does his Sal?t and which would bear witness for one’s good deeds on the Day of Resurrection.
The Third: This act makes it hard for a muslim to do Sal?t in any other place for this would mean changing a habit. If a muslim reaches this stage, one may abandon this worship [the Sal?t]. (1)
[15] Mistakes regarding the Sutrah:
Ibn ‘Umar ( - رضي الله عنه -) said: ‘The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: “Never do your Sal?t but towards a Sutrah and never let any one pass in front of you [while doing Sal?t] even if you had to fight with him for Shaitan accompanies him’. (2)
Ab? Sa‘?d Al-Khudr? ( - رضي الله عنه -) said: All?h’s ( - عز وجل -) Messenger said: ‘When you do your Sal?t, do it towards a Sutrah and come close to it. And never let any one pass between you and your Satrah even if you have to fight him for the Divil is with him’. (3)
In another narration, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘for the devil passes between it [the Sutrah] and him [the praying muslim]’.
Sahl Ibn Ab? Hathmah ( - رضي الله عنه -) related that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘when you do your Sal?t towards a Sutrah, come close to it and never give a chance for Shait?n to render it invalid’. (4)
(1) “Fathal Qad?r” (vol. 1 / p. 300) and “Ad-D?nul Kh?lis” (vol. 3 / p. 203).
(2) Narrated by Muslim in his “Sah?h” (no. 260), Ibn Khuzaimah in “The Sah?h” (no. 800); the hadith’s wordings are his, Al-H?kim in “Al-Mustadrak” (vol. 1 / p. 251) and Al-Baihaq? in As-Sunan Al-Kubr? (vol. 2 / p. 268).
(3) Narrated by Ibn Ab? Shaibah in “Al-Musannaf” (vol. 1 / p. 279), Ab? D?w?d in “As-Sunan” (no. 697), Ibn M?jah in “As-Sunan” (no. 954), Ibn Hibban in the “Sah?h” (vol. 4 / no. 48, 49) and Al-Baihaqi in “As-Sunan” Al-Kubr?” (vol. 2. p. 267). Its chain of narrators is good.
(4) Narrated by Ibn Ab? Shaibah in “Al-Musannaf” (vol. 1 / p. 279), Ahmad in “Al-Musnad (vol . 4 / no.2), At-Tay?lis? in “Al-Musnad” (no. 379), Al-Humaidi in “Al-Musnad” (vol. 1 / no. 196), Ab? D?w?d in “As-Sunan” (no. 695), An-Nas?’? in “Al-Mujtab?” (vol. 2 / no. 62) . Ibn Khuzaimah in “As-Sah?h” (no. 803), Ibn Hibb?n in “As-Sah?h” (vol. 4 / no. 49), At-Tah?w? in “Sharh Ma‘?n? Al- ’Ath?r (vol. 1 / no. 458), At-Tabar?n? in “Al-Mu ‘jam Al-Kab?r “(vol. 6 / no. 119), Al-H?kim in “Al-Mustadrak’ “(vol. 1 no. 251), Al-Baihaq? in “As-Sunan Al-Kubr?” (vol. 2 / no. 272). The Had?th is authentic.