Praying on an Airplane

by Asma bint Shameem

Salaah is the most important aspect of our ibaadah and there’s no excuse for not praying, even when we’re traveling. 

Here are some points related to this important issue:

🔺WUDHU 

🌿If we make wudoo before we leave for the airport and put on socks, right after the wudoo while in the state of tahaarah, it will be so much easier for us. 

(We all know how difficult it is to put your feet up in that tiny sink on the plane!)

Then if we break our wudhu and need to renew it, all we have to do is wipe over the socks and we don’t have to remove them to wash our feet.

🌿We are allowed to wipe over our socks for up to three days, since the time of breaking wudhu because the rules of traveling will apply to us. 

🌿The socks do NOT have to be made only of leather in order for us to wipe over them. Rather they could be of ANY material, be it cotton, silk, nylon, etc. just as long as the color of the skin underneath is not showing, making the feet appear naked.

🍃 Ibn Hazm said: 

“Wiping over anything that is worn on the feet – of things that are permitted to be worn and which come up above the ankles – is Sunnah, whether they are slippers (khuffayn) made of leather or felt or wood, or socks made of linen, wool, cotton, camel hair or goat hair, whether leather is worn over them or not, or whether they are overshoes or slippers worn over slippers or socks worn over socks.” (Al-Muhalla, 1/321)

🔺SALAAH ON THE PLANE

🌿1. Timings:

The time for the prayers on the plane will be determined by the location of the plane and its relationship to the sun and NOT according to the prayer timings at the place of departure or destination, like some people get confused about. 

So, for example, if the sun can be seen from the plane due to us flying over  the clouds, we will not pray Maghrib until the sun disappears from our sight, even though, it may be Maghrib already in the city the plane is flying over, or in the city of departure or arrival. 

So look out the window and when you see the sun setting, pray Maghrib 

Similarly pray Fajr when you see dawn (before the actual sunrise of course). 

All the other prayers will be done similarly, in accordance with where we are at that moment on the plane and NOT according to the departure city or the arrival. 

🌿2. Position

Remember that we HAVE to offer the Fardh prayer STANDING with the proper postures of rukoo and sujood on the ground. 

That’s because standing is a condition of the Salaah, if one is able to stand and offer the prayer. 

There’s usually place in the back of the plane for you to do that. 

🍃 The ulama of the Standing Committee said:

“With regard to offering obligatory prayers sitting down when one is able to stand, that is not permissible because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says: 

“And stand before Allaah with obedience” [al-Baqarah 2:238] 

and because of the hadeeth of ‘Imraan ibn Husayn, according to which the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said to him: “Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot then lying on your side.” (al-Bukhaari, 1117)

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 8/126)

Of course, try your best to pray at an appropriate time when they are not serving meals etc because otherwise, they’ll not allow you. 

But if you pray at a time when they’re done with their meal service and there’s no turbulence etc, they're usually ok with you praying standing. 

If they don’t allow you, then obey Allaah as much as you are able and you MAY pray SITTING in your seat.

🍃 Allaah says:

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286] 

🌿WHAT IF I’M TOO SHY?

We shouldn’t be ‘shy’ or ‘embarrassed’ about ANY thing related to our Deen. 

Rather we should be PROUD to be Muslim Alhamdulillaah. 

Islaam is the best religion and Alhamdulillaah, Allaah has blessed us with the greatest blessing there could ever be. 

So have confidence, hold your head up high and PRAY standing up. 

🍃 The Standing Committee was asked: 

“Is it permissible to pray sitting in the plane even though one is able to stand, because one feels shy?”

They said: 

“It is not permissible to pray sitting in the plane or elsewhere if one is able to stand...” [(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/126)]

🌿3. Facing the Qiblah 

Facing the qiblah is also one of the conditions of fardh prayers. 

So establish the Qiblah to the best of your ability or at least in the general direction. 

Ask the staff where Saudi Arabia is and you can get an idea of the direction of the qiblah. 

🍃 Allaah says:

“so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction”

[al-Baqarah 2:144] 

Generally speaking, IN CASE NO ONE knows where exactly the qiblah is, one good rule of thumb is “ If you’re going east towards Pakistan or Middle East from North America then qiblah is towards the FRONT of the plane. 

And if you’re traveling west, coming back from the Middle East or Indian Subcontinent to North America, then qiblah would be towards the back of the plane. 

🍃Someone asked Shaikh Saleh al-Fowzaan:

“How should the obligatory prayer be performed in an airplane, bearing in mind at the time of prayer it [could] turn in its direction?”

He said:

“This is according to what he is able to do, [as Allaah (‘Azza wa Jall) says]:

{So fear Allah as much as you are able}, soorah at-Taghaabun, aayah 16

…[so] he should pray according to [the best of] what he is able.”

(Sharh ‘Umdatil-Fiqh – Tape No.9, Question No.36)

🌿4. Pray Qasr

Since we’re traveling we may pray Qasr (shortened prayer) because that was the practice of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. 

This means that all the four rak’ah prayers (Dhuhr, Asr, ishaa) will become two but Maghrib and Fajr remain the way they are. 

🌿5. No Sunnah

It was NOT the practice of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam to pray the regular Sunnahs associated with the five daily prayers except for two Sunnah of Fajr and witr. 

We should pray these two prayers because the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam never left them even while he was traveling. 

So as one of the Shuyookh said: “the ‘Sunnah’ during travel is to leave the ‘Sunnah’ (of Dhuhr, Maghrib and Ishaa’). 

However we can pray the nawaafil prayers any time. 

🍃Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:  

“With regard to the regular Sunnah prayers, I have studied what was narrated in the Sunnah concerning the naafil prayers, and it seems to me that the regular Sunnah prayers of Zuhr, Maghrib and ‘Isha’ need not be offered (by the traveller), but he may offer other naafil prayers apart from that, such as the Sunnah of Fajr, the Sunnah of Witr, qiyaam al-layl, Duha and tahiyyat al-masjid, and naafil prayers in general.”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 15/258)

🌿6. You can say these (the two Sunnah of Fajr and witr prayer) sitting in your seat because facing the qiblah and standing are not a must for non-fardh prayers. 

🍃 The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would remain on his mount and pray these prayers without getting off. 

“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam “used to pray voluntary prayers when he was riding without facing the qiblah.” (al-Bukhaari)

But it is better to face the qiblah if you can do so even for the nawaafil. 

🌿7. Combining the prayers 

You can combine two prayers together, meaning Dhuhr and Asr together, either at the time of Dhuhr or later at the time of Asr. 

Similarly you can combine Maghrib and Isha together, either at the of Maghrib or later at the time of Isha. 

But you cannot combine the prayers in any other combination. 

And Fajr is prayed alone without combining it with any prayer. 

🍃 Mu’aadh radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“We went out with the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam on the campaign of Tabook, and he used to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr together, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together.” (Muslim)

May Allaah accept our prayers wherever we offer them. Ameen. 

And Allaah knows best