The Ruling on Praying on Roads

Welcome to our Blog! With Eid approaching, we often see people praying the Eid prayer on roads and pathways. However, we should remain mindful of those around us, striving to bring ease rather than hardship. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ discouraged praying in pathways, as it may inconvenience others and distract from the humility of prayer.

1) Narrations from The Prophet ﷺ & His successors💎

1) Abu Eesa at-Tirmidhi narrated :

 عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى أَنْ يُصَلَّى فِي سَبْعَةِ مَوَاطِنَ فِي الْمَزْبَلَةِ وَالْمَجْزَرَةِ وَالْمَقْبُرَةِ وَقَارِعَةِ الطَّرِيقِ وَفِي الْحَمَّامِ وَفِي مَعَاطِنِ الإِبِلِ وَفَوْقَ ظَهْرِ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ ‏

Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade us to pray in seven places : The wasteland, the slaughterhouse, the graveyard, the main road, the bathroom, the camel herd, and on top of the Ka’bah

~Jami’ al-Tirmidhi 346

2) Abu Sa’eed Ibn al-Arabi narrated :

 عن جابر بن عبد اللَّه قال: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أنْ يُصَلّي الرَّجُلُ عَلَى جَوَادِ الطَّريقِ

Jaabir Ibn Abd-Allah said that Rasul-Allah ﷺ forbade a man from praying on the road.

~Mu’jam Shyookh Ibn al-Arabi vol 1:100 

• The Muhaqqiq said : Sanad is Hasan (حسن)

3) Abu Bakr al-Marwazi said :

قال: وكان جعفر بن محمد بن علي ‌نهى ‌أن ‌يصلى في هذِه المساجد التي في الطرقات.

Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq forbade praying in such Masjids that were built on the road. 

~al-Waraa’ page 36

4) Shaykh al-Sadooq mentioned :

 عن محمد بن الحسين بإسناده رفعه إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أنه قال: ثلاثة لا يتقبل الله عز وجل لهم بالحفظ: رجل نزل في بيت خرب، ورجل صلى على قارعة الطريق ورجل أرسل راحلته ولم يستوثق منها

Rasul-Allah ﷺ said : There are three kinds of people whom Allah ﷻ doesn’t protect: a man who resides in a ruined house, a man who prays on the road and a man who leaves his mount without tying it. 

~al-Khisal page 141 (Shia source)

2) From The Sahabah 🏃

Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated :

 عَنْ سَيَّارِ بْنِ مَعْرُورٍ، قَالَ: رَأَى عُمَرُ قَوْمًا يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ فَقَالَ: صَلُّوا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ

Sayyar Ibn Ma’roor said Umar Ibn al-Khattab saw some people praying on the road and he said : ‘Pray in the mosque.’

~Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah vol 2:169

3) From Fiqh al-Hanafi 👳‍♂️

Ibn Abideen al-Shaami al-Hanafi wrote :

فيه أن ‌الصلاة ‌في ‌الطريق مكروهة كالمرور في المسجد فالصواب لعدم جواز ‌الصلاة ‌في ‌الطريق

It is mentioned that praying on the road is disliked, just like using the Masjid as a road. Therefore, the correct view is that praying on the road is disliked. 

~Hashiyah Rad al-Muhtar ala al-Darr al-Mukhtar vol 6:576

4) From Fiqh al-Maliki 👳‍♂️

Qadhi Iyyadh al-Maliki wrote :

وكره مالك ‌الصلاة ‌فى ‌قارعة ‌الطريق

Malik considered it Makhrooh (disliked) to pray on the road. 

~Ikmal al-Mu’alam bi-Fawa’id Muslim vol 2:435

5) From Fiqh al-Shafi’i 👳‍♂️

Ibn Abi al-Khayr al-Imrani al-Shafi’i wrote :

وتكره ‌الصلاة ‌في ‌قارعة ‌الطريق

It is disliked to pray on the road. 

~al-Bayan fee Madhab al-Imam al-Shafi’i vol 2:113

6) From Fiqh al-Hanbali 👳‍♂️

Abu Bakr al-Marwazi said :

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ‌تَرَى ‌أَنْ ‌أُصَلِّيَ ‌فِي ‌مَسْجِدِ ‌بُنِيَ ‌عَلَى ‌سَابَاطٍ قَالَ لَا هَذَا طَرِيقُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

I asked Ahmad Ibn Hanbal about praying in a Masjid built upon a roadway, he replied : No, it’s a passage for the Muslims. 

~al-Waraa’ page 35

7) From the Ahl al-Hadith movement 👳‍♂️

Abd al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri said :

‌والمراد ‌ها ‌هنا ‌نفس ‌الطريق وكأن القارعة بمعنى المقروعة أو الصيغة للنسبة وإنما يكره الصلاة فيها لاشتغال القلب بمرور الناس وتضييق المكان عليهم

Praying on the road is disliked because the heart cannot concentrate on the prayer due to the passing of the people, and it also blocks the way for the passers. 

~Tuhfat al-Awadhi vol 2:271 

Thank you for reading!