Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As salaam alaikum brother.

How does one pray while on a journey? I mean if one is travelling by plane and the flying time is 7-8 hrs or longer duration? How does one determine whether it is prayer time or not? Also, it is inconvenient to do wudu in plane toilets due to cramped space. Can one do wudu by wiping parts of body by wet tissues? This would also prevent water from splashing in the toilet and making it messy. If there are socks on the feet, do you have to remove them and then wash the feet or simply wet the socks slightly? Please advise.

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Answer:

Wudu by wet tissue

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: How does one pray while on a journey?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 101: When you go on a journey, there is no harm, if you shorten your salaat.

Kuraib reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: "Shall I not inform you of the salah of the Prophet (saws) during a journey?" We said: "Certainly." He said: "If the sun passed its meridian while he (saws) stopped, he (saws) would combine the zuhr and 'asr prayers before remounting [i.e., moving on]. If the sun had not passed its meridian while he (saws) had stopped [i.e., before breaking camp], he (saws) would travel until the time of the 'asr prayer and then he (saws) would combine the zuhr and 'asr prayers. If the sun set while he (saws) had stopped, he (saws) would combine the magrib and 'isha prayers. If that did not occur while he(saws) had stopped, he would ride until the 'isha time and then combine them."

Related by Ahmad.

When one is on a journey, The Merciful Lord from His Immense Mercy and Grace has allowed the believers to shorten the Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers from four rakahs to only two rakahs. And it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and the Magrib and Isha prayers together while on a journey.

Your Question: I mean if one is travelling by plane and the flying time is 7-8 hrs or longer duration? How does one determine whether it is prayer time or not?

The determination of the time of the prayer depends on the position and movement of the sun at the place where one is presently in location. Besides, with the technological advances in timekeeping today, one can actually pinpoint the exact time at one’s present location.

Thus all one needs to determine the prayer times in long-haul flights for the prayers is:

If the sun is about to rise, one should offer the Fajr prayers.

If the sun has passed its meridien, one may offer ones Dhuhr and Asr prayers combined until the sun is about to set.

After the sun has set and it has become dark, one may offer his Magrib and Isha prayers combined until before dawn.

Your Question: Also, it is inconvenient to do wudu in plane toilets due to cramped space. Can one do wudu by wiping parts of body by wet tissues? This would also prevent water from splashing in the toilet and making it messy.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter5 Surah Maidah verse 6: O you who have believed! When you rise to offer the Salat, you must wash your faces and hands and your arms up to the elbows, and wipe your hands with wet hands and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you become unclean, cleanse yourself with a full bath. If, however, you have ‘touched’ women and you can find no water, then cleanse yourselves with pure dust. Strike your palms on it and wipe your hands and faces with it. Allah does not will to make life hard for you, but He wills to purify you, and complete His blessings upon you so that you may show gratitude.

If water is available, then one must perform one’s wudu with water; for the wudu is an obligatory pre-condition for offering ones prayers.

Without valid Shariah reasons, one may not substitute doing wudu by the water available, to something else; and inconvenience due to cramped space or making the toilet messy is not a valid reason for not performing the obligatory condition of wudu.

If one is on a journey and has absolutely no access to water, or one is sick whereby the touching of water on his body might deteriorate his health and condition, one may use pure dust to perform his wudu by doing ‘tayammum’. But if water is available one cannot do wudu by wiping oneself with wet tissues!

It would be considered good and righteous manners behoving of a believer, that after one has performed a proper wudu in the cramped space in aeroplane toilets, to wipe the area clean so as not to discomfort the other passengers who would wish to use the toilet.

Your Question: If there are socks on the feet, do you have to remove them and then wash the feet or simply wet the socks slightly?

If one has put the socks on when he was in the state of wudu, and then has to refresh his wudu later, he need not take off his socks and wash his feet. The wiping of wet hands over the socks would suffice for his wudu, as was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Saeed al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said, "I was with the Messenger of Allah (saws), one night during an expedition. I poured water for him to make ablution. He (saws) washed his face and arms and wiped his head. Then I went to remove his socks and he (saws) said, 'Leave them on, as I put them on while I was in a state of purity,' and he (saws) just wiped over them."

Related by Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad

Al-Mughirah reported, "We said, 'O Messenger of Allah (saws), may we wipe over our socks?' He (saws) said, 'Yes, if you put them on while you were in a state of purity."

Related by Al-Humaidi in his Musnad.

Hammam an Nakha'i said, "Jarir ibn 'Abdullah urinated, performed ablution and wiped over his socks." It was said to him, "You do that (wipe over socks) and you have urinated?" He said, "Yes, I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) urinate, and then do likewise."

Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi

In light of the above and several other narrations, it is permissible for one to wipe his wet hands over his socks when refreshing one’s ablution, as long as the condition is met that when he did put on the socks he was in a state of wudu.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan