ANIMISTIC ELEMENTS IN MOSLEM PRAYER 43 



The following tradition is most important as it shows 

 what the Sutra originally meant. The reference to the 

 demon is animistic: "Abu Salih es-Sam'an said: 'I saw 

 Abu Said el-Khodri one Friday make his prayers before 

 something that separated him from the crowd. A young 

 man of the Bni Abu Mo 'ait trying to pass before him, 

 Abu Said gave him a push full on the chest. The young 

 man looked round for another way out and not finding any, 

 he returned. Abu Said pushed him back still more 

 violently. The young man cursed him and then went and 

 told Merwan of Abu Said's conduct. The latter at his 

 moment entered and Merwan said to him. "What is the 

 matter with you, O Abu Said, that you thus treat one of 

 your own religion?" "I have heard the Prophet pronounce 

 these words," Answered Abu Said, 'When one of you prays, 

 let him place something before him which will separate him 

 from the public, and if anyone tries to pass between turn 

 him away and if he refuse to leave let him use force, for it is 

 a demon/ "* Muslim adds : f "If any of you pray do not 

 allow any one to pass between himself and the Sutra for it 

 protects from the demons." 



The Sutra or object placed before the one in prayer is 

 usually some object such as a stone or a stick placed at a 

 certain distance from the one praying: i.e. about one foot 

 beyond where his head would touch the ground. It is 

 also a sign that none must pass before him, but never used 

 except by men of mature years and serious mind, and then 

 •only in open or public places, never in a room or housetop. 

 If stones are used they must never be less than three, other- 

 wise it would seem as if the stone were the object of worship. 



There are cases in which passing before one at prayer is 

 counted as sin either to the pray-er or to the one passing, 

 i.e. : 



(a) If he who prays is obliged to pray in the public way, 

 and there is no other way of passing except before him, 

 there is sin neither to pray-er or to the passer-by. 



(b) If he who prays chooses a public place in preference 

 to one less exposed and one passes in front of him, who 

 could as easily have gone behind, sin is accounted to both 

 of them. 



(c) If he who prays chooses a public place in preference 

 to one less exposed and the one who passes has no choice 

 but to go in front of him sin is accounted to him who prays. 



*Les Traductions Bokhari, Hondas, p. 181. 

 t Muslim : vol. i, p. 193. 



