Hadith 1050

Narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you prays, let him place something in front of him. If he cannot find anything, let him set up a stick. If he does not have a stick, let him draw a line. Then, whatever passes in front of him will not harm him." [Narrated by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah] Ibn Abidin said in Radd al-Muhtar: "Either placing something or drawing a line is sufficient—meaning the Sunnah is achieved through it. Placing something is recommended, as Al-Quduri narrated from Abu Yusuf. It is also said that it should be placed lengthwise, not widthwise, to resemble planting. Drawing a line is also recommended, as per the second narration from Muhammad, based on the hadith of Abu Dawud: 'If he does not have a stick, let him draw a line.' Although this hadith is weak, it is permissible to act upon it in matters of virtue. This is why Ibn al-Humam said: 'The Sunnah is more worthy of being followed, as it generally serves the purpose of focusing the mind by tying the imagination to it, so it does not wander.' This is mentioned in Al-Bahr and Sharh al-Munyah." It is said in Al-Hilyah: "The weakening of this hadith may be countered by the fact that Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and others authenticated it."