183 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet ﷺ was asked during the Expedition of Tabūk about the barrier a worshiper should place before him, and he replied, ‘Like the rear part of a saddle.’” Related by Muslim (1).

Vocabulary
– Expedition of Tabūk: Tabūk is a city in the northern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, about 680 km north of Madinah. The expedition took place in the ninth year after the Hijrah, and the Prophet ﷺ met no enemy there.
– Rear part of a saddle (muʾakhkharat al-raḥl): the wooden post fixed at the back of a camel saddle against which the rider leans; it is roughly two-thirds of a cubit in height.
– Saddle (raḥl): the riding equipment placed on a camel’s back, also called kūr.

Points derived from the ḥadīth

1. Setting up a sutrah (prayer barrier) is prescribed, for it safeguards the prayer, wards off anything that detracts from it, spares the passer-by from sin, and prevents hardship or embarrassment for him.
2. Ideally the barrier should match the rear part of a saddle in height and width, if possible.
3. If the worshiper cannot find such an object, a stick or similar item may serve.
4. If even that is unavailable, he may draw a line on the ground in front of him, as will appear in the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah; the aim