Q: I
have a problem regarding offering Salah (prayer) on foreign aircrafts while
travelling to a remote areas, as the journey may last for ten hours, which makes
a person unable to delay the Salah till one disembarks from the plane, for it
may take off at the time of Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer and land after Maghrib (Sunset)
Prayer. How should we offer Salah in this case? Should we offer it on the
plane according to ability or inability of standing, and also with respect to
facing the Qiblah (direction faced for Prayer towards the Ka’bah) if we are
unable to locate its direction or find one who can guide us to it.
We
hope that your Eminence would elaborately clarify what we should do regarding
offering the Salah on the plane in case the distance is short and long, and
whether the due time extends until the plane lands or not, May Allah reward you
and guide your steps.
A: If
the reality is as mentioned, when the time of Salah becomes due while the plane
is still flying and this Salah is one that cannot be combined with the
next-in-time Salah such as Fajr (Dawn), ’Asr (Afternoon), or ‘Isha’ (Night)
Prayer, and you are afraid that the time expires if you delay it until the plane
lands and you become able to leave it, it is not permissible for you
to delay the Salah until its prescribed time expires; rather, you should offer it
on time on the plane before the due time expires as much as you can, either by
standing, offering Ruku’(bowing) and Sujud (prostration) at your seat or by
offering it in any other place on the plane. This is obligatory on
you. However, if you cannot stand and it is difficult for you to do so, you may
offer the Salah while sitting and make a gesture for Ruku’ and Sujud,while
making the Sujud lower than Ruku’, for Allah (Exalted be He) says: <<So
keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can>> Also, it is
authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: <<
Offer Salah standing if you cannot, then sitting; if you cannot, then lying on
your side.”>> [Related by Al-Bukhari and Al-Nasa’i]
As
for facing the Qiblah during the Faridah (obligatory Salah), you should face it
in all Salahs as much as you can, such that if the plane for instance deviates
away from the Qiblah during the Salah, you should turn towards it whenever it
deviates, because facing the Qiblah is a condition for the validity of
Salah; but,if you are unable to face the Qiblah, in this case,there is no
blame on you, and your Salah will be valid In sha’a-Allah (If Allah wills), for
Allah (Exalted be He) says: <<And to Allah belong the east and the west, so
wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah
(and He is High above,over His Throne.>> Moreover, you can identify the
Qiblah by asking the pilot or his crew, for they have instruments which clarify
this, but if you fail to identify it, you should try hard to detect it and offer
your Salah in accordance with your surmise.
The
same applies if the Salah can be combined with the next-in-time Salah, but you
will not be able to offer it when you leave the plane at the last of the
prescribed time of the next Salah, because the journey extends until the
time of the next Salah expires, in this case you should offer both the Salahs on
the plane by shortening them as previously clarified. It is also
permissible for you to combine them at the due time of any of them.
However,it
is impermissible to delay both Salahs until the time of the next one
expires, but if the Salah is combinative with the next one such as Maghrib and
‘Isha’, or Zhuhr and ‘Asr, and can be offered at the last time of the second one
after leaving the plane, it is better to delay it until you offer it on the
ground, because in this case of the second Salah is also valid for the
first; this discharges the obligation of offering the Salah according to its
perfect description. Furthermore, if the journey is a short one such that
you can offer the Salah on time after arriving at your destination, it is better
to delay it until the last of its prescribed time in order to offer it on
ground. Yet, if you offer the Salah whose time becomes due while you are on board
of the plane at the first of its prescribed time, performing it according
to ability, this will be permissible and will count as sufficient for you.
May
Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his
family, and Companions.
~
Source: Fatwas
of the Permanent Committee, vol. 6 | Part no.6; Page no. 458-460 | www.alifta.net
