The Prayer of Naval Personnel While They Remain on Board
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Fatwa No. ( 14616 )
Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the President General from the Honorable Director of the Religious Affairs Department
The religious affairs of the Naval Forces, referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (4194) on 17/10/1418 AH. His Excellency asked a question contained in a letter from the Head of Religious Affairs at King Faisal Naval Base , the text of which is: We have received many inquiries regarding the ruling on performing the Friday prayer and the Tarawih prayer on the decks of ships or on the pier . Discussion on this topic has been extensive, and we were asked to send these inquiries, along with an explanation of the situation of the workers on the decks, to the Council of Senior Scholars to issue a fatwa that everyone can follow, thereby ending the discussion and debate. We would like to clarify the situation of the ships and their workers before stating the questions: First: Naval Force ships vary in size; some are small, making it difficult to perform congregational prayer on their decks, some are medium-sized, and some are large, with crews exceeding one hundred and fifty people. The large and medium-sized types have large decks where the crew can perform the Friday and congregational prayers without any difficulty or shaking, as they are large ships that are generally not affected by waves. Second: These ships are in various states; usually, they are in the water, tied to the pier and not moving. Sometimes they are out at sea, a distance of Qasr or more from the base, and do not stay in one place but are on patrol. Sometimes they are out at sea, less than the Qasr distance from the base, also on patrol. Sometimes they drop anchor in the sea and remain in one place. Sometimes they leave the sea and are docked on land at bases for repair, which may take a month or more. In this last case, they are like a multi-story building on land, not on the sea. Third: The workers on the decks do not live inside the ships; they live at the base. The time they spend on the ship is only the official working hours, or a full day for the person on shift, or more if the ship is out at sea, or more during the period of stationing. The first case is the most common. After this brief explanation of the situation of the ships, we state the questions: Question 1: What is the ruling on performing the Friday prayer on the decks of large and medium-sized ships that have space sufficient for prayer, in the cases mentioned, which are: A - When the ship is tied to the pier and not moving or shaking. B - When the ship is out at sea, a distance of Qasr or more from the base
and does not stay in one place, but is on patrol. C - When the ship is out at sea, less than the Qasr distance from the base, and does not stay in one place, but is on patrol. D - In cases (B) and (C), but the ship drops anchor and stays in one place. E - When the ship is out of the sea on land, fixed on iron supports or others, during the repair period. Question 2: What is the ruling on performing the Tarawih prayer in the cases mentioned in Question 1? Question 3: What is the ruling on performing the congregational prayer on the decks of small ships that do not have enough space for congregational prayer, and if there is space, it is not sufficient to form rows, when this type of ship is out at sea, and when it is tied to the pier? Question 4: We request clarification of the cases in Question 1 if the Friday prayer is not obligatory in some of them and the crew performed the Friday prayer, is it sufficient for them or must they repeat it as Zuhr? Question 5: If the ship is tied to the pier, is it
a distance of shortening the prayer or more, and not remaining in one place, but being on patrol. C - If the ship is in the open sea, far from the base, at a distance less than the distance for shortening the prayer, and not remaining in one place, but being on patrol. D - In both cases (B) and (C), but it drops anchor and remains in one place. E - If the ship is out of the sea on land, fixed on iron bases or others, during the period of repair. Second question: What is the ruling on performing the Tarawih prayer in the cases mentioned in Q1? Third question: What is the ruling on performing the congregational prayer on the decks of small ships that do not have enough space to perform the congregational prayer, and if there is space, it is not sufficient to establish rows, in the case where this type of ship is in the open sea, and in the case where it is moored at the dock? Fourth question: We request clarification of the cases in the first question: if the Friday prayer is not obligatory in some of them, and the crew performed the Friday prayer, is it sufficient for them, or must they repeat it as the Zuhr prayer? Fifth question: If the ship is moored at the dock, does
the crew have to perform the Friday prayer on the dock, or is the Friday prayer dropped from them, knowing that they are not traveling and there is a mosque where the Friday prayer is held that is not far from them, but not all members of the crew can leave the ship and go to the mosque, and if they prayed on the dock, it would be possible for all of them to pray? Sixth question: If the ship is in the open sea at the distance for shortening the prayer, and the crew performed the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, and some of them wanted to perform voluntary prayer after the prayer , is that permissible for him, considering that the time for the 'Asr prayer has not entered, or is it not permissible because they prayed 'Asr? Likewise, regarding the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, if the crew performed them combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, do they perform the Witr or Tarawih prayer immediately after the prayer, or do they wait until the red twilight disappears and the time for the 'Isha' prayer enters? Seventh question: If the ship is in the open sea at the distance for shortening the prayer or more, and the crew performed the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, then the ship entered the port and was moored at the dock before the time for the 'Asr prayer entered, or during the time, are they required to repeat the 'Asr prayer because they reached their land before or during the time for the 'Asr prayer, or are they satisfied with its previous performance? The same applies to the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers?
We hope you will kindly submit this inquiry to the Committee of Senior Scholars to obtain the necessary fatwa and circulate it to the Navy ships, and we hope it will be urgent. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
A: First: The Friday prayer is not obligatory for the military workers on the ships in all the cases mentioned; because they are not residents of them like the people of villages and cities, except for those among them who are stationed on the pier and are not considered travelers, for whom the Friday prayer is obligatory in the mosques where it is held. As for Tarawih, there is no harm in performing it while traveling. Second: Whoever among the people of the ships combined the Zuhr and Asr prayers because he is considered a traveler, he may not perform voluntary prayer after the Asr prayer, even if the combination is a combination of advancing; due to the generality of the hadiths prohibiting prayer after the Asr prayer, which includes travelers and others. As for combining the Maghrib and Isha prayers, it does not prevent voluntary prayer after them, even if the combination is a combination of advancing. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the President General from the Honorable Director of the Religious Affairs Department
The religious affairs of the Naval Forces, referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (4194) on 17/10/1418 AH. His Excellency asked a question contained in a letter from the Head of Religious Affairs at King Faisal Naval Base , the text of which is: We have received many inquiries regarding the ruling on performing the Friday prayer and the Tarawih prayer on the decks of ships or on the pier . Discussion on this topic has been extensive, and we were asked to send these inquiries, along with an explanation of the situation of the workers on the decks, to the Council of Senior Scholars to issue a fatwa that everyone can follow, thereby ending the discussion and debate. We would like to clarify the situation of the ships and their workers before stating the questions: First: Naval Force ships vary in size; some are small, making it difficult to perform congregational prayer on their decks, some are medium-sized, and some are large, with crews exceeding one hundred and fifty people. The large and medium-sized types have large decks where the crew can perform the Friday and congregational prayers without any difficulty or shaking, as they are large ships that are generally not affected by waves. Second: These ships are in various states; usually, they are in the water, tied to the pier and not moving. Sometimes they are out at sea, a distance of Qasr or more from the base, and do not stay in one place but are on patrol. Sometimes they are out at sea, less than the Qasr distance from the base, also on patrol. Sometimes they drop anchor in the sea and remain in one place. Sometimes they leave the sea and are docked on land at bases for repair, which may take a month or more. In this last case, they are like a multi-story building on land, not on the sea. Third: The workers on the decks do not live inside the ships; they live at the base. The time they spend on the ship is only the official working hours, or a full day for the person on shift, or more if the ship is out at sea, or more during the period of stationing. The first case is the most common. After this brief explanation of the situation of the ships, we state the questions: Question 1: What is the ruling on performing the Friday prayer on the decks of large and medium-sized ships that have space sufficient for prayer, in the cases mentioned, which are: A - When the ship is tied to the pier and not moving or shaking. B - When the ship is out at sea, a distance of Qasr or more from the base
and does not stay in one place, but is on patrol. C - When the ship is out at sea, less than the Qasr distance from the base, and does not stay in one place, but is on patrol. D - In cases (B) and (C), but the ship drops anchor and stays in one place. E - When the ship is out of the sea on land, fixed on iron supports or others, during the repair period. Question 2: What is the ruling on performing the Tarawih prayer in the cases mentioned in Question 1? Question 3: What is the ruling on performing the congregational prayer on the decks of small ships that do not have enough space for congregational prayer, and if there is space, it is not sufficient to form rows, when this type of ship is out at sea, and when it is tied to the pier? Question 4: We request clarification of the cases in Question 1 if the Friday prayer is not obligatory in some of them and the crew performed the Friday prayer, is it sufficient for them or must they repeat it as Zuhr? Question 5: If the ship is tied to the pier, is it
a distance of shortening the prayer or more, and not remaining in one place, but being on patrol. C - If the ship is in the open sea, far from the base, at a distance less than the distance for shortening the prayer, and not remaining in one place, but being on patrol. D - In both cases (B) and (C), but it drops anchor and remains in one place. E - If the ship is out of the sea on land, fixed on iron bases or others, during the period of repair. Second question: What is the ruling on performing the Tarawih prayer in the cases mentioned in Q1? Third question: What is the ruling on performing the congregational prayer on the decks of small ships that do not have enough space to perform the congregational prayer, and if there is space, it is not sufficient to establish rows, in the case where this type of ship is in the open sea, and in the case where it is moored at the dock? Fourth question: We request clarification of the cases in the first question: if the Friday prayer is not obligatory in some of them, and the crew performed the Friday prayer, is it sufficient for them, or must they repeat it as the Zuhr prayer? Fifth question: If the ship is moored at the dock, does
the crew have to perform the Friday prayer on the dock, or is the Friday prayer dropped from them, knowing that they are not traveling and there is a mosque where the Friday prayer is held that is not far from them, but not all members of the crew can leave the ship and go to the mosque, and if they prayed on the dock, it would be possible for all of them to pray? Sixth question: If the ship is in the open sea at the distance for shortening the prayer, and the crew performed the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, and some of them wanted to perform voluntary prayer after the prayer , is that permissible for him, considering that the time for the 'Asr prayer has not entered, or is it not permissible because they prayed 'Asr? Likewise, regarding the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, if the crew performed them combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, do they perform the Witr or Tarawih prayer immediately after the prayer, or do they wait until the red twilight disappears and the time for the 'Isha' prayer enters? Seventh question: If the ship is in the open sea at the distance for shortening the prayer or more, and the crew performed the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers combined and shortened as a combination of advancing, then the ship entered the port and was moored at the dock before the time for the 'Asr prayer entered, or during the time, are they required to repeat the 'Asr prayer because they reached their land before or during the time for the 'Asr prayer, or are they satisfied with its previous performance? The same applies to the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers?
We hope you will kindly submit this inquiry to the Committee of Senior Scholars to obtain the necessary fatwa and circulate it to the Navy ships, and we hope it will be urgent. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
A: First: The Friday prayer is not obligatory for the military workers on the ships in all the cases mentioned; because they are not residents of them like the people of villages and cities, except for those among them who are stationed on the pier and are not considered travelers, for whom the Friday prayer is obligatory in the mosques where it is held. As for Tarawih, there is no harm in performing it while traveling. Second: Whoever among the people of the ships combined the Zuhr and Asr prayers because he is considered a traveler, he may not perform voluntary prayer after the Asr prayer, even if the combination is a combination of advancing; due to the generality of the hadiths prohibiting prayer after the Asr prayer, which includes travelers and others. As for combining the Maghrib and Isha prayers, it does not prevent voluntary prayer after them, even if the combination is a combination of advancing. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.