A Collection of Questions Concerning the Prayer of Combat Pilots During War or the Performance of Missions
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Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. After that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from the Honorable Director General of the Department of Religious Affairs of the Armed Forces, with reference number (2/10/756) and date 21/2/1432 AH, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with reference number (273) and date 26/2/1432 AH, accompanied by a set of questions. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has answered them as follows: Q4: Clothing becomes contaminated with impurity during flight in fighter jets
How can I pray with it, knowing that I cannot purify the clothes and the time for prayer will end?
A4: It is obligatory for the one praying to perform the prayer in pure clothes; because one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer is purity from ritual impurity and from impurity in the body, the garment, and the place; due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:, and because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took off his sandals during the prayer when he learned that there was impurity in them, as narrated by the Imam Ahmad , and Abu Dawud , and others, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him). If that is difficult for him, such that he does not find pure clothes, or he is unable to wash the impurity, he prays according to his condition, even if his clothes are impure, because he is excused by the inability to wash them or replace them, and he does not have to repeat the prayer, due to the saying of the Most High: [At-Taghabun 64:16], and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 7288. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Q5: I prayed without ablution while forgetting, on the plane, knowing that it is very difficult for me to repeat it?
A5: Ablution is a condition for the validity of the prayer, due to the command of Allah the Exalted for ablution for prayer. He said:
[Al-Ma'idah 5:6] the verse, and because it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 60Sahih (Al-Albani). Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Accordingly, your prayer while you are in a state of impurity due to your forgetfulness is considered invalid; because it lacks one of its conditions. It is obligatory for you to make it up as soon as you remember it and are able to perform it, after you perform the prescribed ablution for it, if possible, or otherwise perform dry ablution with clean earth. There is no sin on you for your prayer without ablution; because you are excused by forgetfulness.
Q6: The airplane bathroom sometimes causes the clothes to become contaminated with impurity. What is the best way to remove the impurity from my clothes? And if I cannot remove it, do I pray in my current state and then repeat it after landing from the plane? Or do I delay the prayer until landing?
A6: The original state of water is purity. If a person is certain that the water that touched him has become impure with urine or the like, he must wash and rub the place on his body or garment that was affected. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when asked about menstrual blood that touches a garment, said:Sahih Muslim 291a, as narrated by Muslim . And when he (peace and blessings be upon him) led his companions in prayer one day and he was wearing
his sandals, he took off his sandals and said:Mishkat al-Masabih 766, as narrated by the Imam Ahmad , and Abu Dawud , and others, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him). If he washes the impurity on his garment or body and its substance is removed, then he prays, and his prayer is valid. It does not harm him if some trace of it remains, as long as the substance of the impurity has been removed. If that is difficult for him, such that he does not find pure clothes, or he does not have water to purify them with, and he fears the time will end, then he prays according to his condition, and his prayer is valid, and he does not have to repeat it due to his inability to remove the impurity from his garment. And Allah the Exalted said: [At-Taghabun 64:16].
Q7: I prayed and my clothes were impure while forgetting , and after I finished my prayer I remembered that. What is obligatory for me? Knowing that it is very difficult for me to repeat the prayer.
A7: If a Muslim sees impurity on his garment or body after he has finished the prayer, he does not repeat it if he did not know of it until after the prayer, or if he was forgetting it and did not remember until after the prayer; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Jibril (peace be upon him) informed him while he was in prayer that there was dirt in his sandals, so he took them off and continued in
his prayer. Peace and blessings be upon him. As narrated by the Imam Ahmad , and Abu Dawud , and others, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him).
Q9: If a member of the crew is wounded and blood flows on his clothes, does it affect his prayer and the purity of his clothes ?
A9: If the blood coming out of him is a lot, it invalidates the ablution, so he must leave the prayer and repeat the ablution. But if it is a little, it does not harm. It is established from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he squeezed a boil and blood came out, so he prayed and did not perform ablution, and this is understood to be a small amount. As for the clothes, if the blood on the garment is a little, it is excused. If it is a lot and he did not know of it until after the prayer, then his prayer is valid, but he must wash it for the future. If he knows of it during the prayer and it is possible for him to take off the garment he is wearing, he takes it off and continues in his prayer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when he took off his sandals when he learned of their impurity while in prayer and continued in his prayer. If it is not possible for him to take it off, he leaves the prayer, washes it, and then resumes the prayer.
Q13: We pray on the floor of the plane and we do not know about its purity. Is it obligatory to pray on handkerchiefs?
A13: The original state of things is purity, so one does not rule that a thing or place is
impure except with evidence indicating that this thing was affected by impurity. If that is not confirmed, then the Muslim prays and his prayer is valid. But if you know that there is impurity in it; if you have the ability to replace it with something pure or spread something pure over it, it is obligatory for you to do so. If you do not have the ability to replace it or spread something pure over it, and you fear the time will end, then you pray on it; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16].
Q17: In long international flights for transport planes, how can we know the times of prayer on the plane ?
A17: The times of the prayers were established in the Sunnah. It is established from authentic hadiths that the time of the midday prayer is from the sun passing its zenith until the shadow of a thing becomes equal to it after the shadow it had when the sun passed its zenith. And the time of the afternoon prayer is from the shadow of a thing becoming equal to it after the shadow of the zenith until it becomes twice its length, or until the sun turns yellow. This is the time of choice for it. And the time of necessity is from that until the setting of the sun. And the time of the sunset prayer is from the setting of the sun until the red twilight disappears. And the time of the night prayer is from the disappearance of the red twilight until half the night. This is the time of choice for it. And the time of necessity is from half the
night until the appearance of the dawn. And the time of the dawn prayer is from the appearance of the true dawn (which is: the white thread that crosses the darkness of the horizon in the east and splits it) until the rising of the sun. It is obligatory for you to verify the entry of the times of prayer by the known signs. So the sunset prayer is known by the setting of the sun, the night prayer by the disappearance of the red twilight, and the dawn prayer by the appearance of the dawn, which is the white light crossing the horizon. As for the midday and afternoon prayers, one must strive to determine their time, either by devices that enable you to know the time accurately, or by knowing the time of the country over which the plane is flying. And in the case of not knowing the entry of the time, the Muslim must strive and seek to determine its entry and pray. If he hits the mark, praise be to Allah. If it becomes clear that he prayed before the time, then he is obligated to repeat it.
Q18: We depart from America at Maghrib time, which is 6:00 PM in the American time zone (9:00 AM in our time zone). We arrive in Canada three and a half hours later in the American time zone (12:00 AM in the Canadian time zone). We pray Maghrib and 'Isha in Canada , then we take off from Canada for three hours, and the sun rises on us. What is required of us?
A18: If the performance of the Maghrib and 'Isha prayers occurred within the time of one of them in the country where you landed, then the prayer is valid and was performed in its time. The rising of
the sun three hours after your takeoff from Canada has no effect; because the criterion is the time zone of the country in which you landed.
Q19: Every day we receive a weather summary that mentions the actual time of sunrise and sunset with precise calculation. Sometimes there is a difference of two or three minutes between it and the Umm al-Qura calendar. We have heard that the Umm al-Qura calendar is delayed by several minutes as a precaution. Is it permissible for us to pray Maghrib, for example, according to the summary time because we need the time?
A19: It is obligatory for the Muslim to perform the prayer in its time according to the Shari'ah marker established by the Sunnah. There is no harm in benefiting from calendars in this regard if their accuracy is established by their correspondence with the Shari'ah times. If the summary from which you take the time is known for its correspondence with reality through experience, then it is acted upon.
Q20: The time for Maghrib entered, and I had not yet boarded the plane, and I will not return from this trip until after 'Isha . Should I combine Maghrib with 'Isha? Knowing that this trip is a training flight on the instruments.
A20: If you are on the instrument training flight, then you pray every prayer in its time. So you pray Maghrib when its time enters before boarding the plane; then you pray 'Isha in its time when you return from this training flight. And if you fear that the time for 'Isha will end before your return, then you
pray it on the plane if that is usually possible. If you know that it is not possible, then you may advance it and combine it with Maghrib; because combining is permissible for need, as established in the case of the woman with irregular bleeding in the hadith of Himmah bint Jahsh - may Allah be pleased with her - in al-Tirmidhi , in which the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - said to her:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 128Da'if (Darussalam), then the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 128Da'if (Darussalam). Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a good, authentic hadith.
Q21: My departure for the plane is at the time of the adhan. Is it better for me to pray first before the congregation with my colleague who will fly with me at the plane before the trip, or to finish the trip and then pray after that before the time ends?
A21: Whoever finds it difficult to pray in the mosque due to being tied to the air trip, and it is possible for him to pray it with a group of colleagues or others, it is obligatory for him to do so; because congregational prayer is obligatory, and performing it in the first part of the time is better; for what came in the two Sahihs, from Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him - that he asked the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him -:Riyad as-Salihin 1286.
Q22: I landed about twenty-five minutes before the 'Isha prayer. Should I pray Maghrib while landing, or delay it until 'Isha ? And what is the ruling if I have another direct trip immediately after this landing ?
A22: It is obligatory for you to pray Maghrib while landing before its time ends, then you pray 'Isha in its time on the plane or on the ground after your landing if your return is before its time ends.
Q23: I got off the plane and caught the 'Isha prayer with the congregation, and I had not yet prayed Maghrib. What is the ruling?
A23: The order of the prayers is obligatory. So if people are found praying the current prayer and he has a prayer before it that he missed, then he prays the missed one first, then joins them in the remainder of the current prayer. And if he joins them with the intention of the previous prayer, then when they conclude the prayer, he concludes after completing his prayer, then prays the current prayer, there is no harm in that according to the correct opinion.
Q24: If I get off my trip, is it better for me, if I enter the mosque early, to pray Maghrib alone and then wait for the congregation to pray 'Isha with them, or wait for the congregation to pray 'Isha with them with the intention of Maghrib, then pray after 'Isha?
A24: If you arrive in your country after the time for 'Isha has entered and the prayer has not been performed, then it is obligatory for you at that time to start with the missed prayer, so you establish the prayer for Maghrib and pray it, then you pray the current prayer, 'Isha, with the congregation.
Q25: I got off the plane and caught the 'Asr prayer with the congregation, and I had not prayed Dhuhr, but I forgot about it and joined them with the intention of 'Asr. What is the ruling? Do I change my intention inside the prayer?
A25: It is recommended for one who remembers a prayer he forgot while engaged in an obligatory prayer to complete the prayer he is in, making it a voluntary prayer, then make up the prayer he forgot, then pray the current prayer.
Q26: If I forget to pray a four-rak'ah prayer while traveling, then I arrive in my country , do I make it up as four rak'ahs or two?
A26: If the traveler arrives in his country, it is not permissible for him to shorten the prayer; because the travel ends by his entering his country, even if the prayer became obligatory upon him before his arrival; because the criterion is the state of performing the prayer, not the state of its obligation upon him in this case.
Q27: Is it obligatory to face the qiblah in prayer for the fighter pilot ? (For there are air patrols or air trips with a specific and determined route
that it is difficult for the pilot to change or modify while he is seated, and he also cannot move. So is it obligatory for him in this state to face the qiblah?).
A27: Facing the qiblah during the obligatory prayer is a condition of it, and the prayer is not valid except by fulfilling it. But if a person is unable to do so, as mentioned in the question, it is dropped from him, and he prays according to his state, due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16]; and because there is no obligation with inability. And if the prayer is combined with the one after it; like Maghrib with 'Isha, and Dhuhr with 'Asr, and it is possible to perform it after landing from the plane in the time of the second one, then the best is to delay them until you pray them on the ground; because the time of the second one is a time for the first one in this case, and because in that is the performance of the prayer with the complete attribute.
Q28: In the A380 plane, we can pray in congregation, but the direction of the qiblah changes on us during the prayer. What is required of us? And what is the ruling also if our prayer is voluntary?
A28: Facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer in all of the prayer is a condition of it and obligatory upon the one praying according to his ability. So if the plane deviates
from the qiblah during the prayer, then you face the qiblah every time it turns. And if you are not able to turn to the qiblah, there is no blame on you and your prayer is valid, if Allah wills; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:115]. As for the voluntary prayer, one starts the prayer facing the qiblah, then prays toward the direction of his seat when the plane moves; because , narrated by al-Bukhari , and Muslim from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar - may Allah be pleased with them both -, and Ahmad , and Abu Dawud narrated from the hadith of Anas - may Allah be pleased with him - what indicates the legitimacy of facing the qiblah when entering the state of prayer in terms of voluntary prayer in travel. He said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:78.
Q29: If the time for prayer enters while the pilot is waiting for takeoff on the runway (Laast Chance), and he can pray during this period to avoid the difficulty he will face after takeoff regarding the possibility of the prayer time ending, is it permissible for him to pray on the runway facing a direction other than the qiblah, since facing the qiblah is not possible?
A29: Facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer throughout the entire prayer is a condition
of its validity, and it is obligatory for the one praying to do so according to his ability. If the plane has not yet taken off and it is possible to face the qiblah, then he must face it. However, if that is difficult, the pilot should begin the prayer facing the qiblah and continue in that direction if possible. If he cannot face the qiblah, it does not harm him, and he prays according to his situation, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16].
Q30: In hotels, it is difficult for us to find the direction of the qiblah at night, especially if the people there do not speak English. Should we use our own judgment (ijtihad)?
A30: Facing the direction of the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer. You should ask Islamic centers about it, or use a compass or other means that help determine the direction of the qiblah. If you do not find such means, you should use your judgment to search for the qiblah. If the one praying uses his judgment to search for the qiblah and prays, and it later turns out that his search was wrong, his prayer is valid.
Q31: In foreign countries , it is often difficult for us in hotels to find the time for prayer . What should we do?
A31: It is obligatory for the Muslim to perform the prayer at its time according to the Shari'ah signs indicated by the Sunnah, and he should seek assistance in knowing that if he does not
knows it, from those with experience and knowledge of it, such as Islamic centers or others. He should also seek help in knowing the time through signs or devices whose accuracy has been proven by experience, such as the clock.
Q32: If I arrived in a state of extreme exhaustion and did not have the ability to ask, so I used my judgment and prayed, and then the next day I realized that I had prayed facing a direction other than the qiblah, what is the ruling?
A32: If a person is in a non-Muslim country and does not find anyone there to direct him to the direction of the qiblah, and he does not have any devices to help him, such as a compass, and he uses his judgment to search for the qiblah and prays, and it later turns out that his search was wrong, his prayer is valid. As for the one who prays facing a direction other than the qiblah due to negligence, where he did not ask and did not look at the signs indicating the direction of the qiblah, he must repeat the prayer, because facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer when one is able to do so.
Q33: If a fighter is forced to pray in the plane during his mission , how should he pray? It is known that a requirement of his flight is listening to calls and responding to them immediately, and sometimes turning around.
Q34: If I am praying in the plane and the control radar contacts me during the prayer , or my colleague in the same plane speaks to me and I must respond to him immediately,
is it permissible for me to speak to him while I am praying, and is my prayer valid? Or should I break the prayer, respond to him, and then repeat the prayer? What are the justifications for breaking the prayer?
A33, 34: If the time for prayer arrives and the plane is still in flight, and there is a fear that the time for prayer will end before it lands at an airport, the scholars have agreed that it is obligatory to perform it to the extent of one's ability, standing, bowing, and prostrating, even if by gesturing, and facing the qiblah; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16], and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 7288. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. It does not harm his prayer what he hears of others' speech, especially when there is a need. As for turning around in the prayer, there is a prohibition against it, and it is described as a theft that Satan steals from the servant's prayer. In the authentic collection of al-Bukhari , through his chain, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: Mishkat al-Masabih 982. From this, it is known that turning around in the prayer is disliked and reduces its reward, but it is not obligatory to repeat the prayer for the one who turns around in his prayer, because it has been established in other hadiths that indicate the permissibility of turning around when there is a need. Among these is the hadith
of Sahl ibn al-Hanaziliyyah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:Sunan Abi Dawud 2501Sahih (Al-Albani). Narrated by Abu Dawud , and al-Hakim , and he authenticated it according to their conditions. From this, it is known that turning around for a need does not invalidate the prayer. As for intentional speech during the prayer, it is not permissible, and it invalidates the prayer, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 3:37. Narrated by Muslim . It is possible to respond to the speaker with tasbih (i.e., saying: Subhan Allah) to indicate that you are in prayer. If the matter is urgent and cannot be delayed, you respond to him, and that constitutes breaking the prayer, and you perform it or make it up at the earliest possible time.
Q35: We are cargo plane pilots. When we fear the time will end, is it prescribed for us to pray the obligatory prayer while sitting in our seats when we are unable to stand and unable to face the qiblah due to bad weather conditions? Or can we delay it until we land from the plane?
A35: If the prayer can be combined with the one following it, such as Maghrib with Isha, or Zuhr with Asr, and it can be performed after landing from the plane in the last part of the time of the second prayer, then it is better to delay them until you pray them on the ground;
because the time of the second prayer is also the time for the first prayer in this case, and because this allows the prayer to be performed with the full form. Likewise, if the journey is short and does not take up the time of the prayer such that you can perform the prayer in its time after the journey ends, then it is better to delay it to the last part of its time so that it is performed on the ground. However, if it is one of the prayers that cannot be combined with the one following it, such as the Fajr, Asr, or Isha prayer, and you fear that the time for the prayer will end if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you get off, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time ends. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it in the plane before its time ends. If you are able to perform it standing with bowing and prostrating in your place or in any place in the plane, then it is obligatory for you to do so. If you cannot stand and it is difficult for you, then you pray sitting and gesture with bowing and prostrating, and the prostration should be lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16], and what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani). Narrated by al-Bukhari , and al-Nasa'i . Facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer throughout the entire prayer is obligatory according to one's ability. If the plane deviates from the qiblah during the prayer, then you
face the qiblah whenever it turns; because facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer. If you cannot turn to face the qiblah, there is no blame on you, and your prayer is valid, if Allah wills; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:115].
Q37: Does the prayer of war differ from the prayer of peace for the pilot?
A37: The prayer of fear is only prescribed in congregation if there is a fear of an enemy attack on the Muslims during the prayer, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:102]. As for the pilot, the prayer of fear is not prescribed for him. If the time for prayer arrives and the plane is still in flight, and there is a fear that the time for prayer will end before it lands, it is obligatory for him to perform it to the extent of his ability, standing, bowing, prostrating, and facing the qiblah; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [At-Taghabun 64:16], and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Sahih al-Bukhari 7288 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Q38: In immediate takeoff shifts, is the prayer performed in its time or after the shift ends?
Answer 38: It is not permissible to delay the prayer beyond its time except for the traveler and the sick person who intend to combine the delay. So, if you are traveling and the time for prayer arrives while the plane is still in flight, and it is one of the prayers that is not combined with the one following it, such as Fajr, 'Asr, or 'Isha', and you fear that the time for the prayer will end if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you disembark, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time ends. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it on the plane before its time ends, according to your ability. If you are able to perform it standing, with bowing and prostration, in your seats or in any place on the plane, then it is obligatory for you to do so. If you are unable to stand and it would be difficult for you, then you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration with your head, making the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16]. If all of that is impossible, such as if the pilot is occupied with piloting the plane and cannot pray in this manner that we mentioned, then it is permissible in the case of
pressing need to combine the two prayers, either by advancing or delaying, such as combining Zuhr with 'Asr, or Maghrib with 'Isha, according to what the need requires. As for a prayer that is not combined with the one following it, such as 'Asr, Fajr, or 'Isha, if it is possible to perform it in its time, even if it is by taking turns with one of the crew members on the plane, and then the other prays after him, that is good. If that is not possible, then there is no blame in delaying the prayer and making it up after the immediate takeoff is over due to the need, and the need is estimated according to its extent.
Question 39: Is it prescribed for us the prayer of fear during immediate takeoff shifts ? (And by immediate takeoff, we mean the first line of defense for the Saudi airspace, where a group of officers or personnel wait next to the plane in their full flight gear, so that as soon as they receive the order to take off, they must be in the air within five minutes, and whoever is delayed beyond this period is held accountable. So, while they are sitting in this state and the time for one of the prayers enters, is it prescribed for them to pray the prayer of fear? Also, is it permissible for them to interrupt the obligatory prayer in the event of an order for immediate takeoff?)
Answer 39: If the time for prayer enters during immediate takeoff shifts, it is obligatory for you to pray in congregation. If the order to take off comes during the prayer and the danger is certain, and you cannot continue the prayer while it exists,
then you interrupt the prayer. Once you are done with it, you resume the prayer from the beginning; because your first prayer became invalid by being interrupted. However, if there is no certain danger when the order to take off is given, then you continue your prayer and complete it lightly; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Muhammad 47:33]. As for the prayer of fear, it is only prescribed if the Muslims are facing the enemy and fear his attack on the Muslims during the prayer; based on His saying: [An-Nisa 4:102].
Question 40: Is it permissible for me to pray the voluntary prayer on the plane, and what is its method?
Answer 40: The voluntary prayer is prescribed on the plane; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray on his mount while traveling. As for its method, one prays the voluntary prayer according to his condition. If he is able to stand, he prays standing. If he is not able, he prays sitting, indicating the bowing and prostration in the direction he is facing, and making the prostration lower; because, narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). It is also prescribed to begin the prayer facing the qiblah, then pray in the direction of travel, based on what was narrated by Ahmad , and Abu Dawud from the hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), which indicates the legitimacy of facing the qiblah when beginning the voluntary prayer while traveling. He said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:78.
Question 41: When is it prescribed for me to pray Witr if I combine Maghrib and 'Isha by advancing?
Answer 41: The beginning of the time for the Witr prayer is after the 'Isha prayer, even if it is combined with Maghrib. So you pray the Witr prayer after performing the 'Isha prayer whenever you combine Maghrib and 'Isha by advancing, provided there is a valid reason for combining, such as illness, rain, or travel. The time for the Witr prayer is from after the 'Isha prayer, absolutely, until the second dawn, based on what is established from the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:Mishkat al-Masabih 1188. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And based on what the Imam Ahmad narrated, from Kharijah ibn Huzhafah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he said: . Narrated by the five except al-Nasa'i , and authenticated by al-Hakim .
Question 42: Is it recommended for us the adhan on the plane ?
Answer 42: It is prescribed for the Muslim to give the adhan in residence or travel, on the ground or on the plane or ship, when the prayer time arrives, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Malik ibn al-Huwayrith and his companions:Sahih al-Bukhari 628 Narrated by al-Bukhari , and other hadiths regarding the virtue of the adhan and the command to give it.
Question 43: If the imam is in the back seat because he is better at reciting the Book of Allah, is his imamate valid while he is on his seat for the rest of the people, despite them sitting on seats in front of him in the plane cabin?
Answer 43: It is obligatory for the followers to stand behind the imam. If they stand in front of him, their prayer is not valid; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1236. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And because what is transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding his imamate is that he was in front, and the followers were behind him. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6008. Narrated by al-Bukhari .
Question 44: Praying in congregation on a transport plane is not possible during which the imam's recitation or his takbirs can be heard due to the loud noise of the plane. Is it permissible to pray via a microphone placed on the ear (headphone)?
Answer 44: If there is a need, there is no harm, as long as you see the imam or some of the followers.
Question 45: We sometimes need to hold onto something while praying and standing due to the shaking of the plane. Does this affect the prayer?
Answer 45: There is no harm in that if it is for a need; based on the hadith of Umm Qays bint Mahsun (may Allah be pleased with her):Sunan Abi Dawud 948Sahih (Al-Albani). Narrated by Abu Dawud .
Question 46: If we are forced to pray sitting on the plane , are we required to be standing for the opening takbir?
Answer 46: If you are able to perform the opening takbir standing, it is obligatory for you to do so, even if you pray the rest of the prayer sitting. The principle is to perform the prayer standing with bowing and prostration in your seats or in any place on the plane. If you are unable to stand and it would be difficult for you, then you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration, making the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16], and what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani). Narrated by
al-Bukhari and al-Nasa'i .
Question 47: If the plane crew lands and is very tired, and each one of them prays in his room in the hotel where they stayed, is there any blame on them? Or is the congregational prayer obligatory for them?
Answer 47: The congregational prayer is obligatory for men in residence and travel; because Allah the Exalted commanded it in the state of fighting, as He said:[An-Nisa 4:102] the verse. And other hadiths indicating that. So whenever it is possible for them to pray in congregation, they should do so. And whoever is excused by fatigue that resembles illness in its exhaustion is permitted to pray in his place; due to the dispensation for the sick person to pray in his house.
Q48: What is the ruling on combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers by bringing them forward , given that I know for certain that I will arrive in my city well before the time of 'Asr?
A48: A traveler who travels a distance of eighty kilometers or more is permitted to combine and shorten prayers while on the journey, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, whichever is more convenient for him, until he reaches his city, even if only a short distance remains before his arrival.
Q49: What is the distance for shortening the prayer ? Is the criterion custom or the distance? For example, if I depart from the city of Khamis Mushayt to the city of Thuwayth , or from al-Dhahran to al-Ahsa , going and returning, may we avail ourselves of the concessions for travel? The journey will take only about half an hour.
A49: If you leave your workplace to travel a distance of eighty kilometers or more, you may shorten the prayer. The travel for which the scholars of the majority permit the concessions of travel is that which reaches the distance of a two-day journey for a mount, which is two stages, estimated at approximately eighty kilometers. Therefore, if one's travel is this distance or more, he may avail himself of the concessions of travel: shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs, combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, breaking the fast for the one who is fasting, and wiping over the leather socks for three days and nights.
Q50: If I pray Zuhr in its time, and at 2:30 PM, before the time of 'Asr enters, I receive an order to take off for a mission, knowing that I will not land from the fighter jet until after
the time of 'Asr has passed, may I pray 'Asr before boarding the plane, intending to combine it with Zuhr, even though I am still in my city of residence? Or must I not pray it until the time of 'Asr enters while I am on the plane, unable to stand or face the qiblah?
A50: It is obligatory to perform the prayer in its time, and it is not permissible for you to bring the 'Asr prayer forward with Zuhr before your travel. Likewise, it is not permissible for you to delay the 'Asr prayer until Maghrib. If the time for prayer arrives and the plane is still in flight, and the prayer is one that is not combined with the one following it, such as Fajr, 'Asr, or 'Isha', and you fear that the time for the prayer will pass if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you disembark, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time passes. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it on the plane before its time passes, according to your ability. If you are able to perform it standing, with bowing and prostration, in your place or anywhere on the plane, it is obligatory for you to do so. If you cannot stand and it is difficult for you, you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration, with the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16], and based on what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani). It was narrated by al-Bukhari , and al-Nasa'i . If none of this is possible, it is permissible for you to bring the 'Asr prayer forward in the time of Zuhr; because combining is permissible for need, either by bringing forward or delaying, according to what is more convenient for the one praying. And because the time of one of the two prayers that may be combined is the time for the other when there is a need to combine. And based on the hadith of the woman with irregular bleeding, from the hadith of Hinnah bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her), in al-Tirmidhi , in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 128Da'if (Darussalam), and then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 128Da'if (Darussalam). Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a good, authentic hadith. It is not a condition for combining that the two prayers be performed consecutively. As for facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer, it is obligatory for you to face it throughout the prayer, according to your ability. If the plane deviates from the qiblah during the prayer, you face the qiblah as it turns; because facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer. If you cannot turn to the qiblah or begin the opening takbir facing it, there is no blame on you, and you pray according to your ability, and your prayer is valid, if Allah wills;
based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:115].
Q51: I must sleep a specific number of hours before I fly after the 'Asr prayer, and my standing up for the Zuhr prayer cuts off this necessary nap, and I cannot return to sleep after standing up for Zuhr. May I delay Zuhr until just before 'Asr, or combine it with 'Asr?
A51: A Muslim should strive to perform the prayer at the beginning of its time in congregation in the mosque. If he is compelled to sleep due to an impediment and delays the prayer until the end of its time, that is permissible for him. However, combining it with the 'Asr prayer in this case is not permissible.
Q52: We are two groups in a transport plane who take turns piloting the plane. But sometimes the time for prayer enters quickly before the first team gets their share of rest to continue the journey. May we delay waking them until after the time has passed, so that we do not cut off their necessary sleep for all of us?
A52: The majority of scholars held that the travel in which the prayer is shortened is that which reaches a distance of four burd, which is a two-day journey for a mount, and the estimation
of this distance in kilometers is approximately eighty kilometers. It was narrated from 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah : (That Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas used to pray two rak'ahs and break their fasts at four burd and more). It was narrated by al-Bayhaqi . And al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu': Its chain is authentic. If the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to combine the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers by delaying them in the time of 'Asr, and to combine the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers by delaying them in the time of 'Isha'. However, if the prayer is one that is not combined with another, it is not permissible to delay it beyond the end of its time.
Q53: I have a house in Riyadh and a house in al-Kharj , do I combine and shorten with those who combine and shorten at the al-Kharj base during the time of the midday prayer, before I return to Riyadh after the end of work?
A53: As long as you have made both houses your place of residence, it is not permissible for you to avail yourself of the concessions of travel, such as shortening and combining; because you are not considered a traveler.
Q54: At Prince Sultan's base in al-Kharj , the distance between the residence and the squadron is 16 kilometers, so do I consider myself, when I leave my house to the squadron on an air mission, to be under the ruling of a traveler, or do the rulings of travel begin when I take off in the plane?
A54: The rulings of travel, such as shortening and combining and others, begin when the traveler leaves the built-up area of his city. If the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, and the base is outside the city, it is permissible for you to combine and shorten the prayer at the base.
Q55: If the plane crew lands during the time of Zuhr, and they are very exhausted, and this is after they have arrived in their city, and they know that they cannot wait to pray with the congregation, may the crew members combine the 'Asr prayer with Zuhr?
A55: If you arrive in your city during the time of Zuhr, it is not permissible for you to combine the 'Asr prayer with Zuhr; because the travel has ended by your entering your city, even if the prayer became obligatory upon you before your arrival; because the criterion is the state of performing the prayer, not the state of its becoming obligatory upon you in this case.
Q56: A (TDY) mission from Riyadh to Tabuk , its mission is limited and its duration is known, being five days, so do we shorten the prayer during our stay in Tabuk?
A56: If you intend to stay in Tabuk for more than four days, it is not permissible for you to avail yourselves of the dispensations of travel, such as shortening and combining prayers, according to the majority of scholars. It is obligatory for you to perform the prayer in full at its proper time in congregation, because the rulings of travel cease to apply to you. It is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the Muhajirun to stay in
Makkah for three days, which indicates that four days and more constitute a stay. In the two Sahihs, it is narrated from al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1352b . Thus, the permission for three days indicates that the ruling of travel remains in effect for that duration, unlike four days.
Q57: If you are among those who hold that the duration for shortening the prayer is four days, and you have begun preparing to return, may I combine the subsequent prayer while I have not yet started my journey?
A57: If you travel to a town at the distance of shortening, which is eighty kilometers or more, and you intend to stay there for four days or less, then you resolve to return to your town, and you begin preparing for the return, it is permissible for you to combine, even if you have not begun the journey; because you are under the ruling of a traveler.
Q58: Is it obligatory for the flight crew to perform the Friday prayer if they land in a country outside the Kingdom, whether their stay is long or short?
A58: If they settle in a town and resolve to stay in it for more than four days, it is obligatory for them to perform the Friday prayer with the Muslims following others; because the rulings of travel have been cut off for them. But if they resolve to stay for four days or less, the Friday prayer is not obligatory for them, rather they perform it as the midday prayer with two units; because they are travelers, and if they perform it
as the Friday prayer with the Muslims, it is valid for them.
Q59: If the time of our return trip is on a Friday, is it permissible for us to combine the afternoon prayer with the Friday prayer after the Friday prayer? We know that it is difficult for us to pray on the plane.
A59: It is not permissible for you to combine the Friday prayer with the afternoon prayer; because that has not been transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from any of his Companions; and because the Friday prayer is not of the same kind as the afternoon prayer. And if you fear that the time of the afternoon prayer will end before the plane lands, it is obligatory for you to perform the afternoon prayer in the plane according to your ability, and it is not permissible for you to delay it from its time. If you are able to perform the prayer standing with bowing and prostration, it is obligatory for you to do so, and if you are not able to perform it standing, and that is difficult for you, then perform it sitting and indicate with bowing and prostration, and let the prostration be lower than the bowing; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:16], and for his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani). It was narrated by al-Bukhari .
Q61: If I combine the midday and afternoon prayers before my takeoff by combining them in advance, and then a malfunction in the plane prevents me from taking off, do I have to repeat the afternoon prayer at its proper time, or is the prayer I performed sufficient?
A61: The rulings of travel, such as shortening and combining, begin when the traveler leaves the inhabited area of his town, so if the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, and the base is outside the town, it is permissible for you to combine the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer by advancing the afternoon prayer, and you do not have to repeat the afternoon prayer, even if the plane's takeoff is delayed until the time of the afternoon prayer enters.
Q62: In some trips, takeoff occurs shortly before the time for the afternoon prayer enters, and the mission continues until after the time for the afternoon prayer ends and the time for the sunset prayer enters, and it is not possible to pray in the air. Is it permissible to combine the afternoon prayer with the midday prayer before the trip in anticipation of this?
A62: If the base is outside the town, and you are traveling eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to combine the afternoon prayer with the midday prayer by advancing the afternoon prayer before takeoff. But if the base is inside the town, or if the distance of your travel is less than eighty kilometers, it is not permissible for you to combine the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer, rather it is obligatory for you to perform the afternoon prayer in the plane at its time according to your ability; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
[At-Taghabun 64:16] , and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 7288 agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani) . It was narrated by al-Bukhari .
Q63: If I pray the midday prayer at the plane while I am on my way to board it, do I shorten the prayer or do I pray it in four rak'ahs?
A63: If you have begun the journey because the base is outside the town, and the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to shorten the midday prayer at the plane before boarding it.
Q64: What is the ruling on delaying the prayer and missing the congregation due to the pre-mission briefing or the post-mission debriefing? (The pre-mission or post-mission briefing refers to a briefing related to and connected with the mission for which the trip will take place. An example of a pre-mission briefing: If there is a trip that will take off at 2:00 PM, there will be a meeting for the pilots and those who will be on board this trip two hours or more before the trip time, and this briefing extends for more than an hour, during which they agree on what will happen during this trip.
And the post-mission debriefing: A review of what was executed or achieved during that mission. They are during this briefing, whether pre- or post-mission, when the prayer time arrives, so what is the ruling on delaying and missing the congregation due to this briefing? Knowing that they will perform this missed prayer in congregation and within the time).
A64: If the military base is outside the town and you are traveling eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to miss the congregation in the mosque, and to perform the obligatory prayer combined and shortened as a congregation in your place after the completion of the pre-briefing or post-briefing; because you are travelers. But if the base is inside the town, if you can hear the call to prayer, it is obligatory for you to pray in the mosques near you; for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:352. It was narrated by Ibn Majah , and Ibn Hibban , and al-Hakim . And al-Dhahabi said in Tanqih al-Tahqiq: Its chain is good. And Ibn Hajar said in al-Talkhis al-Habir: Its chain is authentic. And because when a blind man asked him (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: . It was narrated by Muslim .
And if you do not hear the call to prayer and there is no mosque near you, there is no blame on you for praying in your location in congregation at its proper time.
Q65: I prayed the sunset prayer at the plane before takeoff, then I took off and I saw the sun , so what is the ruling?
A65: Your prayer is valid, even if you had seen the sun after you took off, because you have performed the sunset prayer after its time entered on the ground.
Q66: We have difficult training flights over the city of Riyadh that last more than five hours. Is it permissible for us to avail ourselves of the dispensations of travel, such as shortening the prayer and leaving the Friday prayer, during this time?
A66: If you are in your training flights flying over the city of Riyadh , and circling the plane around its outskirts, you do not have the right to take the dispensations of travel; because these flights are not considered travel.
Q67: What is better for us when we stay in the country we traveled to: to pray the prayer at its proper time, or to combine the midday with the afternoon and the sunset with the night prayer?
A67: If you travel to a town and intend to stay there for more than four days, it is not permissible for you to combine and shorten and other dispensations of travel; because you are under the ruling of residents.
As for if you intend to stay for four days or less, it is permissible for you to combine the Zuhr prayer with the 'Asr prayer, and the Maghrib prayer with the 'Isha' prayer; because it is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Juhayfa (may Allah be pleased with him):. However, it is better for the traveler who intends to stay for four days or less, and is lodging there, to pray each prayer in its time, shortened, without combining; because that is the predominant practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He stayed in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage on the Day of 'Id and the eleventh and twelfth days of the days of Tashriq, praying each prayer in its time.
How can I pray with it, knowing that I cannot purify the clothes and the time for prayer will end?
A4: It is obligatory for the one praying to perform the prayer in pure clothes; because one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer is purity from ritual impurity and from impurity in the body, the garment, and the place; due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And purify your garments.
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتم وما نهيتكم عنه فانتهواQ5: I prayed without ablution while forgetting, on the plane, knowing that it is very difficult for me to repeat it?
A5: Ablution is a condition for the validity of the prayer, due to the command of Allah the Exalted for ablution for prayer. He said:
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِAllaah, the Exalted, does not accept the prayer of any of you when you are defiled until you performed ablution.
لا يقبل الله صلاة أحدكم إذا أحدث حتى يتوضأQ6: The airplane bathroom sometimes causes the clothes to become contaminated with impurity. What is the best way to remove the impurity from my clothes? And if I cannot remove it, do I pray in my current state and then repeat it after landing from the plane? Or do I delay the prayer until landing?
A6: The original state of water is purity. If a person is certain that the water that touched him has become impure with urine or the like, he must wash and rub the place on his body or garment that was affected. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when asked about menstrual blood that touches a garment, said:
She should scrape it, then rub it with water, then pour water over it and then offer prayer in it.
تحته ثم تقرصه بالماء ثم تنضحه ثم تصلي فيهhis sandals, he took off his sandals and said:
Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was filth on them
إن جبريل أتاني فأخبرني أن فيهما قذرًاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْQ7: I prayed and my clothes were impure while forgetting , and after I finished my prayer I remembered that. What is obligatory for me? Knowing that it is very difficult for me to repeat the prayer.
A7: If a Muslim sees impurity on his garment or body after he has finished the prayer, he does not repeat it if he did not know of it until after the prayer, or if he was forgetting it and did not remember until after the prayer; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Jibril (peace be upon him) informed him while he was in prayer that there was dirt in his sandals, so he took them off and continued in
his prayer. Peace and blessings be upon him. As narrated by the Imam Ahmad , and Abu Dawud , and others, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him).
Q9: If a member of the crew is wounded and blood flows on his clothes, does it affect his prayer and the purity of his clothes ?
A9: If the blood coming out of him is a lot, it invalidates the ablution, so he must leave the prayer and repeat the ablution. But if it is a little, it does not harm. It is established from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he squeezed a boil and blood came out, so he prayed and did not perform ablution, and this is understood to be a small amount. As for the clothes, if the blood on the garment is a little, it is excused. If it is a lot and he did not know of it until after the prayer, then his prayer is valid, but he must wash it for the future. If he knows of it during the prayer and it is possible for him to take off the garment he is wearing, he takes it off and continues in his prayer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when he took off his sandals when he learned of their impurity while in prayer and continued in his prayer. If it is not possible for him to take it off, he leaves the prayer, washes it, and then resumes the prayer.
Q13: We pray on the floor of the plane and we do not know about its purity. Is it obligatory to pray on handkerchiefs?
A13: The original state of things is purity, so one does not rule that a thing or place is
impure except with evidence indicating that this thing was affected by impurity. If that is not confirmed, then the Muslim prays and his prayer is valid. But if you know that there is impurity in it; if you have the ability to replace it with something pure or spread something pure over it, it is obligatory for you to do so. If you do not have the ability to replace it or spread something pure over it, and you fear the time will end, then you pray on it; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْQ17: In long international flights for transport planes, how can we know the times of prayer on the plane ?
A17: The times of the prayers were established in the Sunnah. It is established from authentic hadiths that the time of the midday prayer is from the sun passing its zenith until the shadow of a thing becomes equal to it after the shadow it had when the sun passed its zenith. And the time of the afternoon prayer is from the shadow of a thing becoming equal to it after the shadow of the zenith until it becomes twice its length, or until the sun turns yellow. This is the time of choice for it. And the time of necessity is from that until the setting of the sun. And the time of the sunset prayer is from the setting of the sun until the red twilight disappears. And the time of the night prayer is from the disappearance of the red twilight until half the night. This is the time of choice for it. And the time of necessity is from half the
night until the appearance of the dawn. And the time of the dawn prayer is from the appearance of the true dawn (which is: the white thread that crosses the darkness of the horizon in the east and splits it) until the rising of the sun. It is obligatory for you to verify the entry of the times of prayer by the known signs. So the sunset prayer is known by the setting of the sun, the night prayer by the disappearance of the red twilight, and the dawn prayer by the appearance of the dawn, which is the white light crossing the horizon. As for the midday and afternoon prayers, one must strive to determine their time, either by devices that enable you to know the time accurately, or by knowing the time of the country over which the plane is flying. And in the case of not knowing the entry of the time, the Muslim must strive and seek to determine its entry and pray. If he hits the mark, praise be to Allah. If it becomes clear that he prayed before the time, then he is obligated to repeat it.
Q18: We depart from America at Maghrib time, which is 6:00 PM in the American time zone (9:00 AM in our time zone). We arrive in Canada three and a half hours later in the American time zone (12:00 AM in the Canadian time zone). We pray Maghrib and 'Isha in Canada , then we take off from Canada for three hours, and the sun rises on us. What is required of us?
A18: If the performance of the Maghrib and 'Isha prayers occurred within the time of one of them in the country where you landed, then the prayer is valid and was performed in its time. The rising of
the sun three hours after your takeoff from Canada has no effect; because the criterion is the time zone of the country in which you landed.
Q19: Every day we receive a weather summary that mentions the actual time of sunrise and sunset with precise calculation. Sometimes there is a difference of two or three minutes between it and the Umm al-Qura calendar. We have heard that the Umm al-Qura calendar is delayed by several minutes as a precaution. Is it permissible for us to pray Maghrib, for example, according to the summary time because we need the time?
A19: It is obligatory for the Muslim to perform the prayer in its time according to the Shari'ah marker established by the Sunnah. There is no harm in benefiting from calendars in this regard if their accuracy is established by their correspondence with the Shari'ah times. If the summary from which you take the time is known for its correspondence with reality through experience, then it is acted upon.
Q20: The time for Maghrib entered, and I had not yet boarded the plane, and I will not return from this trip until after 'Isha . Should I combine Maghrib with 'Isha? Knowing that this trip is a training flight on the instruments.
A20: If you are on the instrument training flight, then you pray every prayer in its time. So you pray Maghrib when its time enters before boarding the plane; then you pray 'Isha in its time when you return from this training flight. And if you fear that the time for 'Isha will end before your return, then you
pray it on the plane if that is usually possible. If you know that it is not possible, then you may advance it and combine it with Maghrib; because combining is permissible for need, as established in the case of the woman with irregular bleeding in the hadith of Himmah bint Jahsh - may Allah be pleased with her - in al-Tirmidhi , in which the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - said to her:
If (not, and) you are able to delay Zuhr and hasten Asr then perform Ghusl when you have become pure, and pray Zuhr and Asr together. Then delay Maghrib and hasten Isha, then perform Ghusl and combine the two prayers. So do this (if you are able). Then perform Ghusl with the dawn and pray.
فإن قويت على أن تؤخري الظهر وتعجلي العصر ثم تغتسلين حين تطهرين وتصلين الظهر والعصر جميعًا ثم تؤخرين المغرب وتعجلين العشاء ثم تغتسلين وتجمعين بين الصلاتين فافعلي وتغتسلين مع الصبح وتصلينThat is what is preferable to me of the two
وهو أعجب الأمرين إليQ21: My departure for the plane is at the time of the adhan. Is it better for me to pray first before the congregation with my colleague who will fly with me at the plane before the trip, or to finish the trip and then pray after that before the time ends?
A21: Whoever finds it difficult to pray in the mosque due to being tied to the air trip, and it is possible for him to pray it with a group of colleagues or others, it is obligatory for him to do so; because congregational prayer is obligatory, and performing it in the first part of the time is better; for what came in the two Sahihs, from Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him - that he asked the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him -:
Which action is dearest to Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Performing As-Salat (the prayer) at its earliest fixed time." I asked, "What is next (in goodness)?" He (ﷺ) said, "Kindness towards parents." I asked, "What is next (in goodness)?" He (ﷺ) said, "To participate in Jihad in the Cause of Allah."
أي العمل أحب إلى الله ؟ قال : الصلاة على وقتها ، قلت : ثم أي ؟ قال : بر الوالدين ، قلت : ثم أي ؟ قال : الجهاد في سبيل اللهQ22: I landed about twenty-five minutes before the 'Isha prayer. Should I pray Maghrib while landing, or delay it until 'Isha ? And what is the ruling if I have another direct trip immediately after this landing ?
A22: It is obligatory for you to pray Maghrib while landing before its time ends, then you pray 'Isha in its time on the plane or on the ground after your landing if your return is before its time ends.
Q23: I got off the plane and caught the 'Isha prayer with the congregation, and I had not yet prayed Maghrib. What is the ruling?
A23: The order of the prayers is obligatory. So if people are found praying the current prayer and he has a prayer before it that he missed, then he prays the missed one first, then joins them in the remainder of the current prayer. And if he joins them with the intention of the previous prayer, then when they conclude the prayer, he concludes after completing his prayer, then prays the current prayer, there is no harm in that according to the correct opinion.
Q24: If I get off my trip, is it better for me, if I enter the mosque early, to pray Maghrib alone and then wait for the congregation to pray 'Isha with them, or wait for the congregation to pray 'Isha with them with the intention of Maghrib, then pray after 'Isha?
A24: If you arrive in your country after the time for 'Isha has entered and the prayer has not been performed, then it is obligatory for you at that time to start with the missed prayer, so you establish the prayer for Maghrib and pray it, then you pray the current prayer, 'Isha, with the congregation.
Q25: I got off the plane and caught the 'Asr prayer with the congregation, and I had not prayed Dhuhr, but I forgot about it and joined them with the intention of 'Asr. What is the ruling? Do I change my intention inside the prayer?
A25: It is recommended for one who remembers a prayer he forgot while engaged in an obligatory prayer to complete the prayer he is in, making it a voluntary prayer, then make up the prayer he forgot, then pray the current prayer.
Q26: If I forget to pray a four-rak'ah prayer while traveling, then I arrive in my country , do I make it up as four rak'ahs or two?
A26: If the traveler arrives in his country, it is not permissible for him to shorten the prayer; because the travel ends by his entering his country, even if the prayer became obligatory upon him before his arrival; because the criterion is the state of performing the prayer, not the state of its obligation upon him in this case.
Q27: Is it obligatory to face the qiblah in prayer for the fighter pilot ? (For there are air patrols or air trips with a specific and determined route
that it is difficult for the pilot to change or modify while he is seated, and he also cannot move. So is it obligatory for him in this state to face the qiblah?).
A27: Facing the qiblah during the obligatory prayer is a condition of it, and the prayer is not valid except by fulfilling it. But if a person is unable to do so, as mentioned in the question, it is dropped from him, and he prays according to his state, due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْQ28: In the A380 plane, we can pray in congregation, but the direction of the qiblah changes on us during the prayer. What is required of us? And what is the ruling also if our prayer is voluntary?
A28: Facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer in all of the prayer is a condition of it and obligatory upon the one praying according to his ability. So if the plane deviates
from the qiblah during the prayer, then you face the qiblah every time it turns. And if you are not able to turn to the qiblah, there is no blame on you and your prayer is valid, if Allah wills; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the voluntary prayer on his mount in whatever direction he was facing while traveling.
النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - كان في السفر يصلي النافلة على راحلته حيث كان وجههNarrated Anas in another narration of the Hadith reported by Abu Dawud: When [he (ﷺ)] traveled, and intended to pray a voluntary prayer, he used to direct his riding camel towards the Qiblah, say, "Allahu Akbar" and pray facing whatever direction it faced. [Its chain is Hasan (good)].
كان النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إذا سافر فأراد أن يتطوع استقبل بناقته القبلة فكبر ثم صلى حيث كان وجهة ركابهQ29: If the time for prayer enters while the pilot is waiting for takeoff on the runway (Laast Chance), and he can pray during this period to avoid the difficulty he will face after takeoff regarding the possibility of the prayer time ending, is it permissible for him to pray on the runway facing a direction other than the qiblah, since facing the qiblah is not possible?
A29: Facing the qiblah in the obligatory prayer throughout the entire prayer is a condition
of its validity, and it is obligatory for the one praying to do so according to his ability. If the plane has not yet taken off and it is possible to face the qiblah, then he must face it. However, if that is difficult, the pilot should begin the prayer facing the qiblah and continue in that direction if possible. If he cannot face the qiblah, it does not harm him, and he prays according to his situation, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْQ30: In hotels, it is difficult for us to find the direction of the qiblah at night, especially if the people there do not speak English. Should we use our own judgment (ijtihad)?
A30: Facing the direction of the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer. You should ask Islamic centers about it, or use a compass or other means that help determine the direction of the qiblah. If you do not find such means, you should use your judgment to search for the qiblah. If the one praying uses his judgment to search for the qiblah and prays, and it later turns out that his search was wrong, his prayer is valid.
Q31: In foreign countries , it is often difficult for us in hotels to find the time for prayer . What should we do?
A31: It is obligatory for the Muslim to perform the prayer at its time according to the Shari'ah signs indicated by the Sunnah, and he should seek assistance in knowing that if he does not
knows it, from those with experience and knowledge of it, such as Islamic centers or others. He should also seek help in knowing the time through signs or devices whose accuracy has been proven by experience, such as the clock.
Q32: If I arrived in a state of extreme exhaustion and did not have the ability to ask, so I used my judgment and prayed, and then the next day I realized that I had prayed facing a direction other than the qiblah, what is the ruling?
A32: If a person is in a non-Muslim country and does not find anyone there to direct him to the direction of the qiblah, and he does not have any devices to help him, such as a compass, and he uses his judgment to search for the qiblah and prays, and it later turns out that his search was wrong, his prayer is valid. As for the one who prays facing a direction other than the qiblah due to negligence, where he did not ask and did not look at the signs indicating the direction of the qiblah, he must repeat the prayer, because facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer when one is able to do so.
Q33: If a fighter is forced to pray in the plane during his mission , how should he pray? It is known that a requirement of his flight is listening to calls and responding to them immediately, and sometimes turning around.
Q34: If I am praying in the plane and the control radar contacts me during the prayer , or my colleague in the same plane speaks to me and I must respond to him immediately,
is it permissible for me to speak to him while I am praying, and is my prayer valid? Or should I break the prayer, respond to him, and then repeat the prayer? What are the justifications for breaking the prayer?
A33, 34: If the time for prayer arrives and the plane is still in flight, and there is a fear that the time for prayer will end before it lands at an airport, the scholars have agreed that it is obligatory to perform it to the extent of one's ability, standing, bowing, and prostrating, even if by gesturing, and facing the qiblah; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتمI asked God’s Messenger about looking to the side during prayer and he said, “It is something which the devil snatches from a servant’s prayer.”
سألت رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عن الالتفات في الصلاة فقال : هو اختلاس يختلسه الشيطان من صلاة العبدof Sahl ibn al-Hanaziliyyah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The announcement of the time for prayer was then made, and while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was saying the prayer, he began to glance towards the ravine.
ثوب بالصلاة - يعني : صلاة الصبح - فجعل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يصلي وهو يلتفت إلى الشعبIndeed, our prayer does not allow any of the speech of human beings
إن صلاتنا هذه لا يصلح فيها شيء من كلام الآدميينQ35: We are cargo plane pilots. When we fear the time will end, is it prescribed for us to pray the obligatory prayer while sitting in our seats when we are unable to stand and unable to face the qiblah due to bad weather conditions? Or can we delay it until we land from the plane?
A35: If the prayer can be combined with the one following it, such as Maghrib with Isha, or Zuhr with Asr, and it can be performed after landing from the plane in the last part of the time of the second prayer, then it is better to delay them until you pray them on the ground;
because the time of the second prayer is also the time for the first prayer in this case, and because this allows the prayer to be performed with the full form. Likewise, if the journey is short and does not take up the time of the prayer such that you can perform the prayer in its time after the journey ends, then it is better to delay it to the last part of its time so that it is performed on the ground. However, if it is one of the prayers that cannot be combined with the one following it, such as the Fajr, Asr, or Isha prayer, and you fear that the time for the prayer will end if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you get off, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time ends. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it in the plane before its time ends. If you are able to perform it standing with bowing and prostrating in your place or in any place in the plane, then it is obligatory for you to do so. If you cannot stand and it is difficult for you, then you pray sitting and gesture with bowing and prostrating, and the prostration should be lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائمًا فإن لم تستطع فقاعدًا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبface the qiblah whenever it turns; because facing the qiblah is a condition for the validity of the prayer. If you cannot turn to face the qiblah, there is no blame on you, and your prayer is valid, if Allah wills; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِQ37: Does the prayer of war differ from the prayer of peace for the pilot?
A37: The prayer of fear is only prescribed in congregation if there is a fear of an enemy attack on the Muslims during the prayer, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage so they could come down upon you in one [single] attack
وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةًSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتمQ38: In immediate takeoff shifts, is the prayer performed in its time or after the shift ends?
Answer 38: It is not permissible to delay the prayer beyond its time except for the traveler and the sick person who intend to combine the delay. So, if you are traveling and the time for prayer arrives while the plane is still in flight, and it is one of the prayers that is not combined with the one following it, such as Fajr, 'Asr, or 'Isha', and you fear that the time for the prayer will end if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you disembark, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time ends. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it on the plane before its time ends, according to your ability. If you are able to perform it standing, with bowing and prostration, in your seats or in any place on the plane, then it is obligatory for you to do so. If you are unable to stand and it would be difficult for you, then you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration with your head, making the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْpressing need to combine the two prayers, either by advancing or delaying, such as combining Zuhr with 'Asr, or Maghrib with 'Isha, according to what the need requires. As for a prayer that is not combined with the one following it, such as 'Asr, Fajr, or 'Isha, if it is possible to perform it in its time, even if it is by taking turns with one of the crew members on the plane, and then the other prays after him, that is good. If that is not possible, then there is no blame in delaying the prayer and making it up after the immediate takeoff is over due to the need, and the need is estimated according to its extent.
Question 39: Is it prescribed for us the prayer of fear during immediate takeoff shifts ? (And by immediate takeoff, we mean the first line of defense for the Saudi airspace, where a group of officers or personnel wait next to the plane in their full flight gear, so that as soon as they receive the order to take off, they must be in the air within five minutes, and whoever is delayed beyond this period is held accountable. So, while they are sitting in this state and the time for one of the prayers enters, is it prescribed for them to pray the prayer of fear? Also, is it permissible for them to interrupt the obligatory prayer in the event of an order for immediate takeoff?)
Answer 39: If the time for prayer enters during immediate takeoff shifts, it is obligatory for you to pray in congregation. If the order to take off comes during the prayer and the danger is certain, and you cannot continue the prayer while it exists,
then you interrupt the prayer. Once you are done with it, you resume the prayer from the beginning; because your first prayer became invalid by being interrupted. However, if there is no certain danger when the order to take off is given, then you continue your prayer and complete it lightly; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
and do not invalidate your deeds.
وَلاَ تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْAnd when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage so they could come down upon you in one [single] attack
وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةًQuestion 40: Is it permissible for me to pray the voluntary prayer on the plane, and what is its method?
Answer 40: The voluntary prayer is prescribed on the plane; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray on his mount while traveling. As for its method, one prays the voluntary prayer according to his condition. If he is able to stand, he prays standing. If he is not able, he prays sitting, indicating the bowing and prostration in the direction he is facing, and making the prostration lower; because
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the voluntary prayer on his mount in whatever direction he was facing while traveling.
النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - كان في السفر يصلي النافلة على راحلته حيث كان وجههNarrated Anas in another narration of the Hadith reported by Abu Dawud: When [he (ﷺ)] traveled, and intended to pray a voluntary prayer, he used to direct his riding camel towards the Qiblah, say, "Allahu Akbar" and pray facing whatever direction it faced. [Its chain is Hasan (good)].
كان النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إذا سافر فأراد أن يتطوع استقبل بناقته القبلة فكبر ثم صلى حيث كان وجهة ركابهQuestion 41: When is it prescribed for me to pray Witr if I combine Maghrib and 'Isha by advancing?
Answer 41: The beginning of the time for the Witr prayer is after the 'Isha prayer, even if it is combined with Maghrib. So you pray the Witr prayer after performing the 'Isha prayer whenever you combine Maghrib and 'Isha by advancing, provided there is a valid reason for combining, such as illness, rain, or travel. The time for the Witr prayer is from after the 'Isha prayer, absolutely, until the second dawn, based on what is established from the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
between the time when he finished the evening prayer and the dawn prayer the Prophet used to pray eleven rak'as , uttering the salutation at the end of every two and observing the witr,* with a single one
كان رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يصلي بين العشاء إلى الفجر إحدى عشرة ركعة يسلم من كل ركعتين ويوتر بواحدةIndeed, Allah has granted you a prayer that is better for you than red camels. We said: What is it, O Messenger of Allah? He said: The witr prayer, which is between the 'Isha' prayer and the appearance of the dawn.
إن الله أمدكم بصلاة خير لكم من حمر النعم ، قلنا : ما هي يا رسول الله ؟ قال : الوتر ما بين صلاة العشاء إلى طلوع الفجرQuestion 42: Is it recommended for us the adhan on the plane ?
Answer 42: It is prescribed for the Muslim to give the adhan in residence or travel, on the ground or on the plane or ship, when the prayer time arrives, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Malik ibn al-Huwayrith and his companions:
one of you should pronounce the Adhan for the prayer when its time is due and the oldest one amongst you should lead the prayer.
إذا حضرت الصلاة فليؤذن لكم أحدكم وليؤمكم أكبركمQuestion 43: If the imam is in the back seat because he is better at reciting the Book of Allah, is his imamate valid while he is on his seat for the rest of the people, despite them sitting on seats in front of him in the plane cabin?
Answer 43: It is obligatory for the followers to stand behind the imam. If they stand in front of him, their prayer is not valid; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم بهoffer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليQuestion 44: Praying in congregation on a transport plane is not possible during which the imam's recitation or his takbirs can be heard due to the loud noise of the plane. Is it permissible to pray via a microphone placed on the ear (headphone)?
Answer 44: If there is a need, there is no harm, as long as you see the imam or some of the followers.
Question 45: We sometimes need to hold onto something while praying and standing due to the shaking of the plane. Does this affect the prayer?
Answer 45: There is no harm in that if it is for a need; based on the hadith of Umm Qays bint Mahsun (may Allah be pleased with her):
that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became aged and the flesh grew increasingly on him, he took a prop at his place of prayer and rested on it.
أن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - لما أسن وحمل اللحم اتخذ عمودًا في مصلاه يعتمد عليهQuestion 46: If we are forced to pray sitting on the plane , are we required to be standing for the opening takbir?
Answer 46: If you are able to perform the opening takbir standing, it is obligatory for you to do so, even if you pray the rest of the prayer sitting. The principle is to perform the prayer standing with bowing and prostration in your seats or in any place on the plane. If you are unable to stand and it would be difficult for you, then you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration, making the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائمًا فإن لم تستطع فقاعدًا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبal-Bukhari and al-Nasa'i .
Question 47: If the plane crew lands and is very tired, and each one of them prays in his room in the hotel where they stayed, is there any blame on them? Or is the congregational prayer obligatory for them?
Answer 47: The congregational prayer is obligatory for men in residence and travel; because Allah the Exalted commanded it in the state of fighting, as He said:
And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms.
وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْQ48: What is the ruling on combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers by bringing them forward , given that I know for certain that I will arrive in my city well before the time of 'Asr?
A48: A traveler who travels a distance of eighty kilometers or more is permitted to combine and shorten prayers while on the journey, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, whichever is more convenient for him, until he reaches his city, even if only a short distance remains before his arrival.
Q49: What is the distance for shortening the prayer ? Is the criterion custom or the distance? For example, if I depart from the city of Khamis Mushayt to the city of Thuwayth , or from al-Dhahran to al-Ahsa , going and returning, may we avail ourselves of the concessions for travel? The journey will take only about half an hour.
A49: If you leave your workplace to travel a distance of eighty kilometers or more, you may shorten the prayer. The travel for which the scholars of the majority permit the concessions of travel is that which reaches the distance of a two-day journey for a mount, which is two stages, estimated at approximately eighty kilometers. Therefore, if one's travel is this distance or more, he may avail himself of the concessions of travel: shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs, combining the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers, and the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, breaking the fast for the one who is fasting, and wiping over the leather socks for three days and nights.
Q50: If I pray Zuhr in its time, and at 2:30 PM, before the time of 'Asr enters, I receive an order to take off for a mission, knowing that I will not land from the fighter jet until after
the time of 'Asr has passed, may I pray 'Asr before boarding the plane, intending to combine it with Zuhr, even though I am still in my city of residence? Or must I not pray it until the time of 'Asr enters while I am on the plane, unable to stand or face the qiblah?
A50: It is obligatory to perform the prayer in its time, and it is not permissible for you to bring the 'Asr prayer forward with Zuhr before your travel. Likewise, it is not permissible for you to delay the 'Asr prayer until Maghrib. If the time for prayer arrives and the plane is still in flight, and the prayer is one that is not combined with the one following it, such as Fajr, 'Asr, or 'Isha', and you fear that the time for the prayer will pass if you delay performing it until the plane lands and you disembark, then it is not permissible for you to delay it until its time passes. Rather, it is obligatory for you to perform it on the plane before its time passes, according to your ability. If you are able to perform it standing, with bowing and prostration, in your place or anywhere on the plane, it is obligatory for you to do so. If you cannot stand and it is difficult for you, you pray sitting and indicate the bowing and prostration, with the prostration lower than the bowing; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائما فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبIf (not, and) you are able to delay Zuhr and hasten Asr then perform Ghusl when you have become pure, and pray Zuhr and Asr together. Then delay Maghrib and hasten Isha, then perform Ghusl and combine the two prayers. So do this (if you are able). Then perform Ghusl with the dawn and pray.
فإن قويت على أن تؤخري الظهر وتعجلي العصر ثم تغتسلين حين تطهرين وتصلين الظهر والعصر جميعًا ثم تؤخرين المغرب وتعجلين العشاء ثم تغتسلين وتجمعين بين الصلاتين فافعلي وتغتسلين مع الصبح وتصلينThat is what is preferable to me of the two
وهو أعجب الأمرين إليbased on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِQ51: I must sleep a specific number of hours before I fly after the 'Asr prayer, and my standing up for the Zuhr prayer cuts off this necessary nap, and I cannot return to sleep after standing up for Zuhr. May I delay Zuhr until just before 'Asr, or combine it with 'Asr?
A51: A Muslim should strive to perform the prayer at the beginning of its time in congregation in the mosque. If he is compelled to sleep due to an impediment and delays the prayer until the end of its time, that is permissible for him. However, combining it with the 'Asr prayer in this case is not permissible.
Q52: We are two groups in a transport plane who take turns piloting the plane. But sometimes the time for prayer enters quickly before the first team gets their share of rest to continue the journey. May we delay waking them until after the time has passed, so that we do not cut off their necessary sleep for all of us?
A52: The majority of scholars held that the travel in which the prayer is shortened is that which reaches a distance of four burd, which is a two-day journey for a mount, and the estimation
of this distance in kilometers is approximately eighty kilometers. It was narrated from 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah : (That Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas used to pray two rak'ahs and break their fasts at four burd and more). It was narrated by al-Bayhaqi . And al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu': Its chain is authentic. If the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to combine the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers by delaying them in the time of 'Asr, and to combine the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers by delaying them in the time of 'Isha'. However, if the prayer is one that is not combined with another, it is not permissible to delay it beyond the end of its time.
Q53: I have a house in Riyadh and a house in al-Kharj , do I combine and shorten with those who combine and shorten at the al-Kharj base during the time of the midday prayer, before I return to Riyadh after the end of work?
A53: As long as you have made both houses your place of residence, it is not permissible for you to avail yourself of the concessions of travel, such as shortening and combining; because you are not considered a traveler.
Q54: At Prince Sultan's base in al-Kharj , the distance between the residence and the squadron is 16 kilometers, so do I consider myself, when I leave my house to the squadron on an air mission, to be under the ruling of a traveler, or do the rulings of travel begin when I take off in the plane?
A54: The rulings of travel, such as shortening and combining and others, begin when the traveler leaves the built-up area of his city. If the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, and the base is outside the city, it is permissible for you to combine and shorten the prayer at the base.
Q55: If the plane crew lands during the time of Zuhr, and they are very exhausted, and this is after they have arrived in their city, and they know that they cannot wait to pray with the congregation, may the crew members combine the 'Asr prayer with Zuhr?
A55: If you arrive in your city during the time of Zuhr, it is not permissible for you to combine the 'Asr prayer with Zuhr; because the travel has ended by your entering your city, even if the prayer became obligatory upon you before your arrival; because the criterion is the state of performing the prayer, not the state of its becoming obligatory upon you in this case.
Q56: A (TDY) mission from Riyadh to Tabuk , its mission is limited and its duration is known, being five days, so do we shorten the prayer during our stay in Tabuk?
A56: If you intend to stay in Tabuk for more than four days, it is not permissible for you to avail yourselves of the dispensations of travel, such as shortening and combining prayers, according to the majority of scholars. It is obligatory for you to perform the prayer in full at its proper time in congregation, because the rulings of travel cease to apply to you. It is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the Muhajirun to stay in
Makkah for three days, which indicates that four days and more constitute a stay. In the two Sahihs, it is narrated from al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The Muhijir should stay at Mecca after performing the rituals (of Hajj) but for three (days) only.
يقيم المهاجر بمكة بعد قضاء نسكه ثلاثًاQ57: If you are among those who hold that the duration for shortening the prayer is four days, and you have begun preparing to return, may I combine the subsequent prayer while I have not yet started my journey?
A57: If you travel to a town at the distance of shortening, which is eighty kilometers or more, and you intend to stay there for four days or less, then you resolve to return to your town, and you begin preparing for the return, it is permissible for you to combine, even if you have not begun the journey; because you are under the ruling of a traveler.
Q58: Is it obligatory for the flight crew to perform the Friday prayer if they land in a country outside the Kingdom, whether their stay is long or short?
A58: If they settle in a town and resolve to stay in it for more than four days, it is obligatory for them to perform the Friday prayer with the Muslims following others; because the rulings of travel have been cut off for them. But if they resolve to stay for four days or less, the Friday prayer is not obligatory for them, rather they perform it as the midday prayer with two units; because they are travelers, and if they perform it
as the Friday prayer with the Muslims, it is valid for them.
Q59: If the time of our return trip is on a Friday, is it permissible for us to combine the afternoon prayer with the Friday prayer after the Friday prayer? We know that it is difficult for us to pray on the plane.
A59: It is not permissible for you to combine the Friday prayer with the afternoon prayer; because that has not been transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from any of his Companions; and because the Friday prayer is not of the same kind as the afternoon prayer. And if you fear that the time of the afternoon prayer will end before the plane lands, it is obligatory for you to perform the afternoon prayer in the plane according to your ability, and it is not permissible for you to delay it from its time. If you are able to perform the prayer standing with bowing and prostration, it is obligatory for you to do so, and if you are not able to perform it standing, and that is difficult for you, then perform it sitting and indicate with bowing and prostration, and let the prostration be lower than the bowing; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائمًا ، فإن لم تستطع فقاعدًا ، فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبQ61: If I combine the midday and afternoon prayers before my takeoff by combining them in advance, and then a malfunction in the plane prevents me from taking off, do I have to repeat the afternoon prayer at its proper time, or is the prayer I performed sufficient?
A61: The rulings of travel, such as shortening and combining, begin when the traveler leaves the inhabited area of his town, so if the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, and the base is outside the town, it is permissible for you to combine the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer by advancing the afternoon prayer, and you do not have to repeat the afternoon prayer, even if the plane's takeoff is delayed until the time of the afternoon prayer enters.
Q62: In some trips, takeoff occurs shortly before the time for the afternoon prayer enters, and the mission continues until after the time for the afternoon prayer ends and the time for the sunset prayer enters, and it is not possible to pray in the air. Is it permissible to combine the afternoon prayer with the midday prayer before the trip in anticipation of this?
A62: If the base is outside the town, and you are traveling eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to combine the afternoon prayer with the midday prayer by advancing the afternoon prayer before takeoff. But if the base is inside the town, or if the distance of your travel is less than eighty kilometers, it is not permissible for you to combine the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer, rather it is obligatory for you to perform the afternoon prayer in the plane at its time according to your ability; for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتمoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صل قائمًا فإن لم تستطع فقاعدًا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبQ63: If I pray the midday prayer at the plane while I am on my way to board it, do I shorten the prayer or do I pray it in four rak'ahs?
A63: If you have begun the journey because the base is outside the town, and the distance of your travel is eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to shorten the midday prayer at the plane before boarding it.
Q64: What is the ruling on delaying the prayer and missing the congregation due to the pre-mission briefing or the post-mission debriefing? (The pre-mission or post-mission briefing refers to a briefing related to and connected with the mission for which the trip will take place. An example of a pre-mission briefing: If there is a trip that will take off at 2:00 PM, there will be a meeting for the pilots and those who will be on board this trip two hours or more before the trip time, and this briefing extends for more than an hour, during which they agree on what will happen during this trip.
And the post-mission debriefing: A review of what was executed or achieved during that mission. They are during this briefing, whether pre- or post-mission, when the prayer time arrives, so what is the ruling on delaying and missing the congregation due to this briefing? Knowing that they will perform this missed prayer in congregation and within the time).
A64: If the military base is outside the town and you are traveling eighty kilometers or more, it is permissible for you to miss the congregation in the mosque, and to perform the obligatory prayer combined and shortened as a congregation in your place after the completion of the pre-briefing or post-briefing; because you are travelers. But if the base is inside the town, if you can hear the call to prayer, it is obligatory for you to pray in the mosques near you; for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever hears the call and does not respond, he has no prayer, except one who has an excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يجب فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرO Messenger of Allah: I have no guide to lead me to the mosque, so do I have a dispensation to pray in my house? He said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): Do you hear the call to prayer? He said: Yes. He said: Then respond.
يا رسول الله : ليس لي قائد يقودني إلى المسجد ، فهل لي من رخصة أن أصلي في بيتي ، فقال له - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : هل تسمع النداء بالصلاة ؟ قال : نعم . قال : فأجبAnd if you do not hear the call to prayer and there is no mosque near you, there is no blame on you for praying in your location in congregation at its proper time.
Q65: I prayed the sunset prayer at the plane before takeoff, then I took off and I saw the sun , so what is the ruling?
A65: Your prayer is valid, even if you had seen the sun after you took off, because you have performed the sunset prayer after its time entered on the ground.
Q66: We have difficult training flights over the city of Riyadh that last more than five hours. Is it permissible for us to avail ourselves of the dispensations of travel, such as shortening the prayer and leaving the Friday prayer, during this time?
A66: If you are in your training flights flying over the city of Riyadh , and circling the plane around its outskirts, you do not have the right to take the dispensations of travel; because these flights are not considered travel.
Q67: What is better for us when we stay in the country we traveled to: to pray the prayer at its proper time, or to combine the midday with the afternoon and the sunset with the night prayer?
A67: If you travel to a town and intend to stay there for more than four days, it is not permissible for you to combine and shorten and other dispensations of travel; because you are under the ruling of residents.
As for if you intend to stay for four days or less, it is permissible for you to combine the Zuhr prayer with the 'Asr prayer, and the Maghrib prayer with the 'Isha' prayer; because it is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Juhayfa (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined the midday and afternoon prayers while descending in al-Abtah, during the Farewell Pilgrimage.
أن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - جمع الظهر والعصر وهو نازل في الأبطح ، في حجة الوداع
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.