we do not know it except through the hadith of Rishdin ibn Sa'd, and some scholars have weakened him due to his memory. As for the Imam, if he finds no path, it is not disliked for him to step over [people], because it is a place of necessity.

Section: If he sees a gap that he cannot [reach] (26) except by stepping over [people], there are two narrations [in our school]. One of them is that he is permitted to step over them. Ahmad said: "A man should enter as much as he is able, and not leave an empty space in front of him. If he is ignorant and leaves the space in front of him empty, then he who comes after him should step over him and pass to the empty space, for there is no sanctity for one who left the space in front of him empty and sat elsewhere." Al-Awza'i said: "He steps over them to the spacious area." Qatadah said: "He steps over them to his place of prayer." Al-Hasan said: "Step over the necks of those who sit at the doors of the mosques, for there is no sanctity for them." From Ahmad, there is another narration: if he is stepping over one or two people, there is no harm, because it is insignificant, so it is pardoned, but if it is many, we deem it disliked. Al-Shafi'i said the same, unless he finds no way to his place of prayer except by stepping over, then it is permissible for him, if Allah the Almighty wills. Perhaps the saying of Ahmad, and those who agreed with him in the first narration, is regarding when they have left a spacious place—such as those who line up in the back of the mosque and leave empty rows in front of them; these people have no sanctity, as al-Hasan said, because they have opposed the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), turned away from the virtue and the best of the rows, and sat in the worst of them; and because stepping over them is something unavoidable. And his second saying is in regards to those who did not show negligence (27), but rather sat in their place because of the crowding in front of them, yet there is space in which it is possible to sit due to their crowding, and whenever (28) prayer is not possible except by entering...