How to Pray on an Airplane or Train
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A message has arrived from the listener (A. S. A. S.) from the Arab Republic of Egypt, asking two questions. In his first question, he says:
How does one pray on an airplane or a train? The passenger is exposed to a great deal of shaking and deviation to the right and left from the qiblah. Please guide the people on this matter. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If the journey is short, a person prays in the country he is traveling to. If his journey begins before the time for prayer enters, he prays before he travels, at the airport or elsewhere. But if the journey is long, he prays on the airplane or the train, and praise be to Allah. He does not leave the prayer until the time passes. He prays according to his ability, facing the qiblah. He turns with the train and turns with the airplane wherever it turns, toward the qiblah. He prays standing if he is able. If he is not able, he prays sitting, turning with the qiblah, like the owner of a ship or a boat. Each of them is commanded to pray according to his ability. Allah says: [al-Taghabun:16]. If he is able to stand in the middle of the airplane, or in the middle of a boat, or in the middle of a train, or in any part of it, he stands and prays standing, bowing and prostrating, and completes his prayer facing the qiblah. If the airplane, train, or boat turns, he turns with it toward the qiblah in the obligatory prayer. And so it is in the voluntary prayer, such as on a train or airplane, because it is not difficult to turn with it in the voluntary prayer. It was reported about him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the voluntary prayer that he used to pray on his mount wherever his face was directed in the voluntary prayer. And when he wanted to perform the obligatory prayer, he would say the takbir facing the qiblah, then pray in the direction of his travel on the mount.
But some of the scholars mentioned that turning with the qiblah on a mount is difficult, because his face is toward the direction of his travel, facing the rear of the animal, so it is difficult for him to turn toward the qiblah. But in a train, an airplane, or a car, the matter is in the hands of another; it is not he who is driving the train or the airplane. So he is able to turn with the airplane, even in the voluntary prayer. He is not like a rider on a camel, a mule, a horse, or a donkey in travel. Rather, he is more capable of turning with the qiblah, even in the voluntary prayer. If he turns in the voluntary prayer, as a group of scholars said, because he is able to do so, he does that just as he does in the obligatory prayer. But if he is not able to do that turning, and the voluntary prayer he likes to pray, such as the Dhuha prayer or the Tahajjud prayer at night on the airplane or the like, is missed, there is likely leniency in the matter, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in the direction of his travel in the voluntary prayer.
It may be difficult to observe the qiblah on an airplane during the Tahajjud prayer at night or the like. It may be difficult for him to do so. So if he prays in the direction of his travel in the voluntary prayer specifically, he is likely to be excused, if Allah wills, by equating the airplane with the camel or the like on which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in the direction of his travel. But if he is able to face and turn in the voluntary prayer, he does so to avoid the disagreement and to act on what some of the scholars said in this chapter.
As for the obligatory prayer, it is necessary to turn with it if it is not feasible for him to pray it on the ground before traveling or after traveling, such as if the journey is long and he is unable to pray it on the ground. Then he prays it on the train and on the airplane, but he turns with the qiblah in the obligatory prayer. Yes.
The presenter: This is regarding the deviation to the right and left. As for the shaking, is it possible for him to pray sitting?
The Shaykh: Yes. He prays according to his condition. If he is able to stand, he prays standing. Otherwise, he prays sitting. Yes. [al-Taghabun:16]. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A message has arrived from the listener (A. S. A. S.) from the Arab Republic of Egypt, asking two questions. In his first question, he says:
How does one pray on an airplane or a train? The passenger is exposed to a great deal of shaking and deviation to the right and left from the qiblah. Please guide the people on this matter. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If the journey is short, a person prays in the country he is traveling to. If his journey begins before the time for prayer enters, he prays before he travels, at the airport or elsewhere. But if the journey is long, he prays on the airplane or the train, and praise be to Allah. He does not leave the prayer until the time passes. He prays according to his ability, facing the qiblah. He turns with the train and turns with the airplane wherever it turns, toward the qiblah. He prays standing if he is able. If he is not able, he prays sitting, turning with the qiblah, like the owner of a ship or a boat. Each of them is commanded to pray according to his ability. Allah says:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْBut some of the scholars mentioned that turning with the qiblah on a mount is difficult, because his face is toward the direction of his travel, facing the rear of the animal, so it is difficult for him to turn toward the qiblah. But in a train, an airplane, or a car, the matter is in the hands of another; it is not he who is driving the train or the airplane. So he is able to turn with the airplane, even in the voluntary prayer. He is not like a rider on a camel, a mule, a horse, or a donkey in travel. Rather, he is more capable of turning with the qiblah, even in the voluntary prayer. If he turns in the voluntary prayer, as a group of scholars said, because he is able to do so, he does that just as he does in the obligatory prayer. But if he is not able to do that turning, and the voluntary prayer he likes to pray, such as the Dhuha prayer or the Tahajjud prayer at night on the airplane or the like, is missed, there is likely leniency in the matter, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in the direction of his travel in the voluntary prayer.
It may be difficult to observe the qiblah on an airplane during the Tahajjud prayer at night or the like. It may be difficult for him to do so. So if he prays in the direction of his travel in the voluntary prayer specifically, he is likely to be excused, if Allah wills, by equating the airplane with the camel or the like on which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in the direction of his travel. But if he is able to face and turn in the voluntary prayer, he does so to avoid the disagreement and to act on what some of the scholars said in this chapter.
As for the obligatory prayer, it is necessary to turn with it if it is not feasible for him to pray it on the ground before traveling or after traveling, such as if the journey is long and he is unable to pray it on the ground. Then he prays it on the train and on the airplane, but he turns with the qiblah in the obligatory prayer. Yes.
The presenter: This is regarding the deviation to the right and left. As for the shaking, is it possible for him to pray sitting?
The Shaykh: Yes. He prays according to his condition. If he is able to stand, he prays standing. Otherwise, he prays sitting. Yes.
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.