The ḥadith also denotes that spitting toward the qiblah is absolutely prohibited—whether one is inside a mosque or elsewhere, and whether the person is engaged in the prayer or not. This is exactly what al-Sanʿānī affirmed in Subul al-Salām (1/230), where he said: “Al-Nawawī decisively ruled it impermissible in every situation: during and outside the prayer, in the mosque and outside it.”

I say: That is the correct position. Numerous well-known reports in the two Ṣaḥīḥs and other collections prohibit spitting toward the qiblah while praying. I have nevertheless cited this particular narration because of its rarity and because few people are aware of it.