The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out at the height of midday heat and prayed at al-Batha, performing the noon and afternoon prayers as two units each. He set up an anazah in front of him as a barrier. He then performed his ablution, and the people began wiping themselves with the water left from it.
خرج رسول الله ﷺ بالهاجرة، فصلى بالبطحاء الظهر والعصر ركعتين، ونصب بين يديه عنزة. وتوضأ فجعل الناس يتمسحون بوضوئه.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Prayer (501) from Sulayman bin Harb, who said, Shuba narrated to us, from Hakam, from Abu Juhayfa, who mentioned something similar. He and Muslim (503) also narrated it through other routes, and its referencing was given previously in the Book of Purification, chapter on using the leftover water of wudu.His words "the Batha" refer to the Batha of Makkah.As for what was narrated from Muttalib bin Abu Wada, who said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when he finished seven circuits, come until he was level with the corner, and pray two rak'ahs at the edge of the tawaf area, with no one between him and those performing tawaf." This is daif.Ibn Majah narrated it (2958) from Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba, who said, Abu Usama narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from Kathir bin Kathir bin Muttalib bin Abu Wada Sahmi, from his father, from Muttalib, who mentioned it. Ibn Majah said, "This applies to Makkah specifically." Nasai (2959) and Ibn Khuzayma (815) also narrated it through the route of Ibn Jurayj, with the same wording.Abu Dawud narrated it (2016) from Ahmad bin Hanbal, Sufyan bin Uyayna narrated to us, Kathir bin Kathir bin Muttalib bin Abu Wada narrated to me, from some of his family, from his grandfather, that he saw the Prophet ﷺ praying near the door of Banu Sahm, while people were passing in front of him, with no barrier between them. Sufyan said, "There was no barrier between him and the Kaaba." Sufyan said, "Ibn Jurayj had informed us about him, saying, 'Kathir informed us from his father.' So I asked him, and he said, 'I did not hear it from my father, but from some of my family, from my grandfather.'" End of quote.So there are flaws in the chain of transmission. Among them, it is disconnected, since Kathir bin Kathir did not hear it from his father. Among them, he heard it from some of his family, who are unknown. Among them, Kathir bin Muttalib bin Abu Wada was not deemed reliable by anyone except Ibn Hibban, and so Hafiz said, "Acceptable," meaning if corroborated, but he was not corroborated in this. He indicated the weakness of the hadith in Fath al-Bari (1/576) by saying, "Its narrators are reliable, but it contains a hidden flaw."Even granting the soundness of the hadith, it does not indicate that there is no need for a barrier in Makkah, since it can be understood to mean that those performing tawaf were passing behind the place of sujud, or behind what falls within the sight of one absorbed in devotion. Sindi said in his commentary on Nasai, "Whoever does not hold this view interprets it as meaning that those performing tawaf were passing behind the place of sujud, or behind what falls within the sight of one absorbed in devotion."Ibn Khuzayma placed it under the chapter heading, "Chapter mentioning the evidence that the severity regarding passing in front of one who is praying applies when the person praying is praying toward a barrier, and the permissibility of passing in front of the person praying when he is praying without a barrier." End of quote.Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, used the hadith of Abu Juhayfa as evidence that there is no difference between Makkah and elsewhere regarding the prescribed practice of the barrier, for he mentioned nothing else in the chapter besides the hadith of Abu Juhayfa. Ibn Umar used to pray in Makkah and would not let anyone pass in front of him.Yahya bin Abu Kathir said, "I saw Anas bin Malik inside Masjid al-Haram, and he planted something, or prepared something, to pray toward." Ibn Saad and others narrated it with a sahih chain of transmission.A useful note, we have learned that there is no difference between Makkah and elsewhere regarding the recommendation of a barrier for prayer, but the question remains, does someone passing in front of a person praying, when there is heavy crowding, incur sin or not? The answer is, he does not incur sin, because Allah Almighty says, "So fear Allah as much as you are able" [Taghabun 64:16]. It is very difficult to avoid passing in front of a person praying amid heavy crowding, and so senior scholars have given the ruling that during heavy crowding there is no harm in passing, whether in Masjid al-Haram or in Masjid Nabawi, and the act of pushing back is waived in this situation, for pushing back is only recommended when there is open space in the masjid for passing.One who prays voluntary prayers should observe their proper etiquette, and among the etiquettes of the person praying are,1. That he pray the voluntary prayers at home.2. And if he prays in the masjid, he should pray in a place where passing by is not difficult.In the two Holy Mosques there are many places and spots far from the crowding.