Vocabulary of the ḥadith
– “Nothing breaks the prayer”: a general statement that is restricted by the three matters mentioned in the ḥadith of Abū Dharr. In the terminology of legal theory, restriction (takhsīs) means excluding some individuals from a general ruling.
– “Repel whatever you can”: the verb darāʾa–yadruʾu means “to push away.” The sense here is: drive back anyone who tries to pass in front of your qiblah to the extent of your ability, and do so with the gentlest means that, in your judgment, will suffice.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadith

1. On its face, this report indicates that nothing passing in front of the worshiper invalidates the prayer, even if he has set up no screen.
2. The Lawgiver commands the worshiper to repel the passer-by in front of him as much as he is able.
3. This report conflicts with the ḥadith of Abū Dharr, which states that a woman, a donkey, and a black dog break the prayer. The majority of scholars interpret Abū Dharr’s report as indicating a deficiency in the prayer, for the heart is distracted when any of those three pass in front of the worshiper. As for the present report, its apparent purport is that the prayer is not invalidated, although its reward is diminished by such passage.
4. According to the sound position mentioned earlier—that the three do nullify the prayer—the ḥadith of Abū Dharr serves to specify this report. If specification were impossible, we would still give precedence to Abū Dharr’s narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim over this weak report, which would carry no evidentiary weight even were it free of contradiction; how much more so when it is opposed by a ḥadith in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Allah knows best.

Benefit
Setting up a screen (sutrah) for the worshiper is prescribed. Scholars have deemed it disliked to face a fire, a lamp, an image, an impurity, an open door, a sleeping person, a disbeliever, and the like while praying.