Congregational Prayer at Sea on a Narrow Vessel
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
We are from Kuwait and we travel by sea on a boat. We are a large group, meaning seven people. When we pray, our rows are not aligned; some are ahead and some are behind. Should we form two congregations, or should each person pray alone?The Shaykh: Why? Is the boat small?The questioner: Yes.
Small, O Shaykh! The Shaykh: But is it a basin?The questioner: Yes, like a basin.
The Shaykh: Well! Why don’t they pray in this basin?
First: If possible, they should face it toward the qiblah so that it can accommodate more rows.
The questioner: But the row is not sufficient.
The Shaykh: There is no problem; the imam is alone.
The questioner: Yes, in front.
The Shaykh: Two behind him.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: .
Does it have enough space for two more people?The questioner: No, these other two should be slightly ahead or behind.
The Shaykh: There is no harm in separating them from the others.
The questioner himself: Separating them, or should this one be slightly ahead of the row?
The Shaykh: As for the issue of separation, it does not harm. But I have some concern about the issue of alignment, because aligning the rows is obligatory according to many scholars. So, if a person does not find a place in the row, there is no harm in him praying even if he is offset from the row. Just as a person who comes to ordinary mosques and finds the row full has the right to pray behind the row with the congregation.
The questioner: Does he pray alone?The Shaykh: He prays with the congregation, but in the place where he is.
Small, O Shaykh! The Shaykh: But is it a basin?The questioner: Yes, like a basin.
The Shaykh: Well! Why don’t they pray in this basin?
First: If possible, they should face it toward the qiblah so that it can accommodate more rows.
The questioner: But the row is not sufficient.
The Shaykh: There is no problem; the imam is alone.
The questioner: Yes, in front.
The Shaykh: Two behind him.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: .
Does it have enough space for two more people?The questioner: No, these other two should be slightly ahead or behind.
The Shaykh: There is no harm in separating them from the others.
The questioner himself: Separating them, or should this one be slightly ahead of the row?
The Shaykh: As for the issue of separation, it does not harm. But I have some concern about the issue of alignment, because aligning the rows is obligatory according to many scholars. So, if a person does not find a place in the row, there is no harm in him praying even if he is offset from the row. Just as a person who comes to ordinary mosques and finds the row full has the right to pray behind the row with the congregation.
The questioner: Does he pray alone?The Shaykh: He prays with the congregation, but in the place where he is.