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Fatwa CenterPassing in front of person praying sunnah to join congregational prayer
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. (1) Suppose that someone is praying a voluntary prayer while the iqaamah (second, small call to prayer) is being called. Is it permissible for me to pass in front of him to join the congregation? (2) If someone prays without a sutrah (an object that prevents others from passing in front of the praying person within his praying area) in front of him, is it allowed for another person to place a bag or chair in front of him in order to pass?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The issue of performing voluntary prayers while the iqaamah for the obligatory prayer is called is an issue of difference of opinion among the scholars; some of them are of the view that it is absolutely permissible to perform the sunnah prayers while the imaam is praying an obligatory prayer regardless of whether one entered the mosque after the iqaamah or the iqaamah was called while he was performing a sunnah prayer. Those who held this view are the Companion Ibn Mas'ood and the following Taabi’is: Masrooq, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Mujaahid, Mak-hool and Hammaad ibn Abi Sulaymaan; as was quoted by Al-Khattabi in Ma'aalim Sunan and by Ibn Qudaamah in Al-Mughni.
Al-Awzaa'i and Ath-Thawri are of the same view like them, but they said:
“If one fears that he will miss the two rak'ah prayer, then he should join the imaam, and if he believes that he will have time to pray the second rak'ah with he imaam, then he prays the two rak’ah sunnah prayer and then joins the imaam." This is what was stated by Ibn Battaal.
The Shaafi'i and Hanbali Schools are of the view that the person who is praying a sunnah prayer while the iqaamah is called should complete it and not interrupt it as long as he does not fear missing the congregational prayer by the imaam saying salaam (i.e. concluding the prayer); they interpreted the prohibition to refer to starting the sunnah prayer after the mu'aththin called the iqaamah for the obligatory prayer.
Al-Hajjaawi from the Hanbali School of jurisprudence, said in Zaad al-Mustaqni’, 'If the iqaamah is called, then there is no prayer other than the obligatory prayer; if one is already praying a sunnah prayer, then he should complete it unless he fears to miss the congregational prayer, in which case he should interrupt it. If a person joins the prayer [by saying Allaahu Akbar] before the imaam says 'Assalaamu alaykum', then he has not missed the congregational prayer.”
Therefore, you should know that the prayer of a person who is praying a sunnah prayer while the iqaamah for the obligatory prayer is called is valid according to the view of most scholars, and it is not invalidated just because the obligatory prayer is called. Hence, a person who enters the mosque should not pass in front of a person who is praying a sunnah prayer even if the iqaamah was called because his prayer is valid and sacred, especially if he is going to join the congregational prayer.
We have already highlighted the ruling of passing in front of the praying person and what the person who wants to pass in front of him should do in fataawa 84039 and 89048; so please refer to them. We clarified in those two fataawa that a person who is compelled is permitted to pass in front of the praying person for a need, so if you are compelled, then there is no sin on you; otherwise, you are not permitted to pass in front of him.
As regards other people putting a sutrah, such as a bag or a chair, in front of the praying person so that one could pass behind it, then this is permissible; he is permitted to pass behind the sutrah, provided that its length is an arm’s length or nearly so.
For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 90249.
Allaah knows best.
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