walking across a muqtadi's path

[Walid]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Imam sahib, need some clarification. We are aware that one should not walk across the path of another during salat. However what if someone has been sat directly in front of you (whilst you are praying), if this person moves from their position (whilst you are still praying) does your namaz still count ?

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

Wa'laykum-as-Salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu.

Your salah will always be valid, whether a person walks in front of you from a distance, walks across you from close;

However, you may stick your arm out, and prevent him from walking in front of you from close range, in order to draw his attention that you are praying, and if he has already walked in front of you, then you are not responsible, you must continue praying your salaah as normally as possible, as the sin of walking in front of one is not on your head, but on he, who has crossed your path.

In the case where a person is sat in front of someone who is praying salaah, that person must wait until the person praying has completed his salaah. It is regardless of whether he is close to the person praying salaah, or far from him.

Where a person is sat not directly in front, but a little to the left or right, then the person may exit the mosque from that side which he is on, and he must not cross the path of the person praying salaah. If he is on the left, he must exit from the left, and if he is on the right he must exit from the right.

It is also the responsibility of the person praying salaah, that he chooses a spot in the mosque, in cases where there is a gathering, crowd, or lots of movement, where there are not many people, so that great care is taken that no one else may suffer the punishment of sin, because of cossing the path of that person, who is praying their salaah.

May the Almighty, help us to honour the masaajid, their users, and may He help us to share what little knowledge we have from His endless bounties.

Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab.

M. Waseem Ashrafi