prayer in ships trains and aeroplanes

so, it is obvious from bahar e shariat and radd al-muhtaar, that if you risk missing the train or your flight - you may as well pray on a moving train or the plane.

certainly, we cannot get down from the train in motion nor can we stop the train. yes, if the train stops for a time enough to get down on the platform and pray, there does not remain an excuse.

Allah ta'ala knows best.

 

that was my point. here are a few issues that need to be considered.

in bahar e shariat etc., when they spoke of a moving train and stopping at stations, it was a different age and a different time. in these days, it is difficult to stop at the station to pray and not miss the train. trains and planes do not leave or stop with our schedules and this is beyond our control.

in the matter of 'istiqbal e qibla' or 'facing qibla' in bahar e shariat vol.3/pg.181, it is written:

such a person who cannot face the qibla and has a valid excuse is exempt from it. for example a sick person who cannot turn towards the qibla nor someone is there to help him, or someone whose belongings might get stolen if he turns towards qiblah, or a person in a boat or a floating on a log may drown if he turns towards the qiblah, or it is an unruly animal which doesn't let him mount or unmount easily - in all these conditions one must pray howsoever possible. and there is no need to repeat the prayer either.

yes, if one can stop his vehicle [sawari] and get down, he must do so. if not, he can pray as is possible. if he stops the vehicle, and the caravan may get far ahead such that one may lose sight of it, in this case, there is no need to stop the vehicle either. one can pray as the vehicle moves. [adapted from radd al-muHtar.]

jo shaks istiqbal e qiblah se aajiz ho masalan mareez hai ke uss meiN itni quwwat nahiN ke idhar rukh badle, aur wahaN koyi aysa nahiN jo mutawajjah karde ya uskey paas apna ya amanat ka maal hai jiskey chori ho jaane ka sahih andesha ho ya kishti ke takhtey par bahta jaa raha hai aur sahih andesha hai ke istiqbal karey to doob jayega

ya sharir janwar par sawar hai ke utarne nahiN deta, ya utar to jaayega magar be madadgar sawar hone nahiN dega, ya buDha hai ke khud sawar na ho sakey ga, aur aysa koyi nahin jo sawar kara de - to in sab suratoN meiN jis rukh namaz paRh sakey paRh ley aur i`adah bhi nahiN

haN sawari ke rokne par qadir ho, to rok kar paRhey aur mumkin ho to qibley ko muNh karey warna jayse bhi ho sakey.

aur agar rokney meiN qafila nigah se makhfi ho jayega to sawari taHraana bhi zaruri nahiN. yuNhi rawani meiN paRhey. [radd al-muhtaar]

 

translation of mufti khalil khan's fatwa as quoted by brother medni below in transliterated urdu:

One cannot pray farD wajib and sunnah of fajr in a running train. Because it is a necessary condition to pray the farD etc, in a stationary position AND to face the qiblah. In a running train both of these conditions are not met. Therefore one should pray [farD etc.] when the train stops at a station.

However, if time is running out [and you are still in a running train] one must pray in any way that is possible - and thereafter repeat the prayer when one can do so.

This is the same ruling in all cases where a condition cannot be met. This is also the case about praying in an aircraft. It is an error to consider the case of a moving train to be similar to that of a ship/boat/airplane. because it is not permissible to pray in a ship unless it is in the middle of the sea/river. If a ship/boat is close to the bank and a man can come over to the shore, it is not permissible to pray on such a ship.

 

brother that is exactly what was confusing me..

having said that there is another fatawa from mufti muhammed khalil khan barkaati,which reads ..

chalti rail gaari par farz aur wajib ,aur sunnate fajr nahin ho saktey.
han nafl aur doosri namazein hoe sakti hain.
is liyay kay faraiz waghaira mein jaggah ka aik rehna aur namaazi ka qibla rukh hona shart hay.
aur chalti huwi rail mein yeh downon baatein mafquud hain,lehaaza jab rail gaari astation par tehray us waqt yeh namazein parhay.

aur agar dekhay kay waqt jaata hay to jis tarah bhi mumkin ho parh lay ,phir jab moqa milay iaada kar lay.
jahan koi shart mafquud ho us ka yahi hukm hay,
yehi hukm hawai jahaz ka hay .aur rail gaari ko jahaz aur KASHTI KAY HUKM MEIN TASAWWAR KARNA GHALTI HAY,KAY KASHTI AGAR TEHRAI BHI JAI JAB BHI ZAMEEN PAR NA TEHRAY GI,AUR RAIL GAARI AISI NAHIN,AUR KASHTI PAR BHI USSI WAQT NAMAZ JAIZ HO GHI JAB WOH BEECH DARYA MEIN HOW,kinaaray par ho aur aadmi khushki par aa sakta ho to us par bhi jaaiz nahin hay.

 

alaHazrat, mawlana amjad `ali and many other scholars in the past went on Hajj. Most of them went to Hajj on a ship from bombay or karachi (both being ports even today)

this journey would be approximately two months. the question is: what did they do for salah during these days? did they pray or not? if they did, where is the following condition met:

obviously, there was no 'resting on the earth' for every prayer time. what is the solution to this problem?

 

It is not right to perform obligatory prayer, essential prayer and sunnah of fajar in a running train. While in an airplane, it is right to perform any prayer. Because both, train and airplane have different cases. The cause of prohibition of performing prayer in moving train is that it should be in a static condition. So it is not found in a moving train. Therefore in those cases, in which such static condition is not found, to perform prayer is unlawful. As mulana Amjad Ali Khan (Peace be upon Him) says with reference to Fathul Qadeer:

"If it (boat) is tranquil on the bank of the river and it rests on the earth, so prayer is lawful in it. Because when it (boat) rests on the earth its order is like the order of earth and in case it is tied on the bank and it is possible to come out from it, the prayer is unlawful in it because when it does not rest on the earth so it is like an animal, on the contrary, it is like earth in case it rests.
(Fatawa-e- Amjadia, Page 40, Vol. 1)

The above quotation shows that, performing prayer in a rested train is lawful because it comes under the order of plank and condition of resting on the earth is also found while in a moving train such condition is not found at all and this compulsion is from men and it also has same order because it stops for taking meal and etc but not for prayer it can be defined with an example of crippled who can not perform qiyam, Ruku and Sajdah (Standing, bowing down, and prostration). It is right for him to perform prayer by indications and he would not repeat it again in case he gets healthy. While, on the contrary a person who has been tied, will have to repeat his prayer in case he is unfastened because this kind of compulsion was from a man. Therefore the same case is with train that he should say prayer if time is going to finish but he must repeat it after wards

 

what is the hanafi rule regarding prayer in ships planes and trains
i understand the prayer is valid on a stationary train so that you can determine the qibla,
but i didnt really understand the ship and aeroplane ruling in bahare shariat
could someone shed any light