If one is on an airplane and the time for prayer arrives, should he pray sitting or standing, considering that some flight attendants may pass in front of him?

The questioner : Regarding prayer on an airplane seat, sometimes there are areas spacious enough for a person to pray standing, but the flight attendants pass through frequently, and it may be close to the place of relief. So, is it better to pray in that area or on the airplane seat? And should a person try to ask the pilot about the direction of the qiblah? Sometimes the direction of the qiblah is not known, but rather the direction is specified as northeast, southwest, and so on. What is the solution to this issue?

The Shaykh : First: What is the difference between praying on the seat and praying in that spacious area regarding the passing of the flight attendants, as you say? Do you mean they pass in front of the one praying, or beside him?

The questioner : Sometimes this location does not allow them to pass except in front of the one praying if the direction of the qiblah is a certain direction. But if the direction of the qiblah is in another direction, they do not pass in front of the one praying.

The questioner : There is an issue, my dear brother, regarding...

The Shaykh : We have not finished with the first one. Did you get the answer to the first one? I do not think so.

The questioner : Excuse me, no, because of the many questions.

The Shaykh : Yes, perhaps before we enter into some detail in answering the previous question, is the limit of the prohibited passing in your mind established?

The questioner : If Allah wills.

The Shaykh : Ah, so if the flight attendants pass, do they pass in the prohibited area where it is forbidden for a passerby to pass in front of the one praying, or not?

The questioner : Yes, because, my dear brother, the place is small.

The Shaykh : Small.

The questioner : So the sutrah—if a sutrah is taken—would be almost just the wall of the flight attendants' kitchen, and certainly the passing would be in front of him.

The Shaykh : So in that case, pray on the seat.

The questioner : Regarding the direction of the Ka'bah, should he exert his own effort (ijtihad) to determine it? Because it is difficult to exert effort while you are in the sky.

The Shaykh : That is a second issue now, the issue of the qiblah, whether you are praying on the seat or in that free area—let us call it that. The issue of the qiblah is a second issue. Here, something applies that is called by the jurists "taharri" (seeking the direction). This taharri differs from person to person. A cultured person, for example, knows first the four directions. We said that it is obligatory for each person to seek the direction according to his ability. So, for example, you know that for some countries, if one has some awareness and culture, for our country here, one knows that the qiblah is in the south. But it is not so if one is in Yemen, and even there they hear about the issue. And it is not so if one is in Egypt or in Jeddah, or in Morocco, in France or Britain, and so on. So, the one who is a passenger on an airplane, the problem of seeking the qiblah is more precise than for one who lives in a country, knowing that the west of this country is here and its east is here. But the airplane, every hour it is different. So here, in my opinion, for most people, there is no room for seeking the qiblah except with this new compass that has been found. And this is specific to some cultured and aware people. If this compass is facilitated for him and he knows how to use it, then he waits for the direction of the airplane. That is, he does not begin the prayer (ihram) except when the compass indicates to him that the airplane is facing the qiblah, then he begins. And after that, it does not harm him if it tilts to the right or to the left. Others

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.