Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ibnmajah:944Hishām b. ʿAmmār > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalūnī > Zayd b. Khālid Asʾaluh > al-Murūr Bayn Yada al-Muṣallī

“They sent me to Zaid bin Khalid to ask him about passing in front of one who is performing prayer. He told me that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Waiting for forty is better than passing in front of one who is performing prayer.’” (One of the narrators) Sufyan said: "I do not know if he meant forty years, months, days, or hours."  

ابن ماجة:٩٤٤حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلُونِي إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمُرُورِ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الْمُصَلِّي

فَأَخْبَرَنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَقُومَ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَوْ شَهْرًا أَوْ صَبَاحًا أَوْ سَاعَةً  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad
ahmad:17051Sufyān > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr a freed slave of ʿUmar b. ʿUbaydullāh b. Maʿmar > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalanī Abū Juhaym Ibn Ukht Ubay b. Kaʿb > Zayd b. Khālid Asʾaluh Mā

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "To stand (in prayer) for forty days, I do not know whether it is better for him than passing between his hands."  

أحمد:١٧٠٥١حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ مَوْلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبُو جُهَيْمٍ ابْنُ أُخْتِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ أَسْأَلُهُ مَا سَمِعَ فِي الْمَارِّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَأَنْ يَقُومَ أَرْبَعِينَ لَا أَدْرِي مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَوْ شَهْرٍ أَوْ سَنَةٍ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ