Whenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out on ʿId day, he used to order that a Harba [??] (a short spear) to be planted in front of him (as a Sutra for his prayer) and then he used to pray facing it with the people behind him and used to do the same while on a journey. After the Prophet ﷺ , this practice was adopted by the Muslim rulers (who followed his traditions).

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا خَرَجَ يَوْمَ الْعِيدِ أَمَرَ بِالْحَرْبَةِ فَتُوضَعُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَيُصَلِّي إِلَيْهَا وَالنَّاسُ وَرَاءَهُ وَكَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي السَّفَرِ فَمِنْ ثَمَّ اتَّخَذَهَا الأُمَرَاءُ

"The Prophet ﷺ used to make his she-camel sit across and he would pray facing it (as a Sutra)." I asked, "What would the Prophet ﷺ do if the she-camel was provoked and moved?" He said, "He would take its camel-saddle and put it in front of him and pray facing its back part (as a Sutra). And Ibn ʿUmar used to do the same." (This indicates that one should not pray except behind a Sutra).

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُعَرِّضُ رَاحِلَتَهُ فَيُصَلِّي إِلَيْهَا قُلْتُ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِذَا هَبَّتِ الرِّكَابُ قَالَ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ هَذَا الرَّحْلَ فَيُعَدِّلُهُ فَيُصَلِّي إِلَى آخِرَتِهِ أَوْ قَالَ مُؤَخَّرِهِ وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ ؓ يَفْعَلُهُ

My father said, "I saw Bilal turning his face from side to side while pronouncing the Adhan for the prayer."

أَنَّهُ رَأَى بِلاَلاً يُؤَذِّنُ فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَتَبَّعُ فَاهُ هَا هُنَا وَهَا هُنَا بِالأَذَانِ

I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a red leather tent, and I saw Bilal take the wudu water of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I saw the people rushing toward that wudu water; whoever obtained some of it wiped himself with it, and whoever did not obtain any of it took from the moisture on his companion’s hand.

Then I saw Bilal take a short spear and plant it in the ground. The Prophet ﷺ came out wearing a red hullah with his garment tucked up, and he led the people in praying two rakaahs facing the spear. I saw people and animals passing beyond the spear.

رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي قُبَّةٍ حَمْرَاءَ مِنْ أَدَمٍ، وَرَأَيْتُ بِلاَلاً أَخَذَ وَضُوءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَرَأَيْتُ النَّاسَ يَبْتَدِرُونَ ذَاكَ الْوَضُوءَ، فَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا تَمَسَّحَ بِهِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُصِبْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا أَخَذَ مِنْ بَلَلِ يَدِ صَاحِبِهِ.

ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ بِلاَلاً أَخَذَ عَنَزَةً فَرَكَزَهَا، وَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي حُلَّةٍ حَمْرَاءَ مُشَمِّرًا، صَلَّى إِلَى الْعَنَزَةِ بِالنَّاسِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَرَأَيْتُ النَّاسَ وَالدَّوَابَّ يَمُرُّونَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَىِ الْعَنَزَةِ.

Once I came riding a she-ass and had (just) attained the age of puberty. Messenger of Allah ﷺ was offering the prayer at Mina. There was no wall in front of him and I passed in front of some of the row while they were offering their prayers. There I let the she-ass loose to graze and entered the row, and nobody objected to it.

أَقْبَلْتُ رَاكِبًا عَلَى حِمَارٍ أَتَانٍ وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ قَدْ نَاهَزْتُ الاِحْتِلاَمَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي بِمِنًى إِلَى غَيْرِ جِدَارٍ فَمَرَرْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ بَعْضِ الصَّفِّ وَأَرْسَلْتُ الأَتَانَ تَرْتَعُ فَدَخَلْتُ فِي الصَّفِّ فَلَمْ يُنْكَرْ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ