Al-Fadl b. ‘Abbas said, “God’s Messenger came to us accompanied by ‘Abbas when we were in open country belonging to us. He prayed in a desert with no sutra in front of him, and a she-ass and a bitch of ours were playing in front of him, but he paid no attention to that.”
Abu Dawud transmitted it and Nasa’i has something similar.
Al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad said, “I never saw God’s Messenger praying in front of a stick, a pillar, or a tree, without having it opposite his right or left eyebrow (i.e. side), and not facing it directly.”
Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Nothing interrupts prayer, but repulse, as much as you can anyone who passes in front of you, for he is just a devil.”
وَعَن سهل بن أبي حثْمَة قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى سُتْرَةٍ فَلْيَدْنُ مِنْهَا لَا يَقْطَعِ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَيْهِ صَلَاتَهُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
Sahl b. Abu Hathma reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you prays facing a sutra* he should keep close to it and not let the devil interrupt his prayer.”
* Sutra (covering, screen) is used of an object a worshipper places in front of him in the direction of the qibla when engaging in prayer.
