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:

Asalamualaikum WRT

I have few questions.

1. When we are travelling by plane and our journey is for 1 day and 1night then how can we offer salat in plane. If we have to offer salat even in plane, will our salat be acceptyed by Allah (ST) if we have namahram sitting on the adjacent seats. If there is difference in time between the places, can we just decide by ourselves the best approximate time for every salat.

2. I have christian friends who work with me. They are living with their boy friends but are not married ( it is a usual thing here). Sometimes these girls come to my house. I was wondering wether I should befriend these girls, allow them to come my house, or share my food with them. I talk to them friendly since we share the common labs and have to work together. Please guide me in this regard. 

May Allah (SWT) shower u with His choicest blessings here and hereafter.

Allah Hafiz

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Prayers in flight

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: When we are travelling by plane and our journey is for 1 day and 1night then how can we offer salat in plane. If we have to offer salat even in plane, will our salat be acceptyed by Allah (ST) if we have namahram sitting on the adjacent seats. If there is difference in time between the places, can we just decide by ourselves the best approximate time for every salat.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.393 Narrated by Jabir

Allah's Messenger (saws) used to pray (voluntary prayer) while riding on his mount (Rahila) wherever it turned, and whenever he wanted to pray the obligatory (fard) prayer, he (saws) dismounted and prayed facing the Qibla.

There is allowance in the Shariah and in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) for the believers to offer their voluntary prayer while seated in/on their vehicles, regardless if the vehicle is an animal, a car, or even a plane.

Your Question: will our salat be acceptyed by Allah (ST) if we have namahram sitting on the adjacent seats

The sitting of a non-mehram on adjacent seat does not effect the validity of one’s prayer in the least.

Your Question: If there is difference in time between the places, can we just decide by ourselves the best approximate time for every salat.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 101-102:

101 When ye travel through the earth there is no blame on you if ye shorten your prayers.

To make the observance of the deen easy, the Lord Most Merciful has permitted the believers, men and women, to shorten their prayers when they are in the state of travel as stated in the above Verse of Surah Nisaa. There is also allowance in the Sunnah to combine one’s ‘dhuhr’/’asr’ and one’s ‘magrib’/’isha’ prayers when in the state of travel. Because the times of the daily prayers are determined by the movement of the sun, it would not be too difficult for one traveling by plane to estimate the time-bands of one’s due prayers.

Your Question: I was wondering wether I should befriend these girls, allow them to come my house, or share my food with them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 8-9:

8 Allah forbids you not with regard to those, who fight you not for (your) Faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.

9 Allah only forbids you with regard to those, who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong.

In light of the above guidance of the Holy Quran, Allah Subhanah guides the believers to judge the non-muslims or disbelievers, including the People of the Book, under two categories:

Category-1: Those disbelievers who do not fight the believers regarding their faith, nor drive the believers out of their lands and homes; Allah guides the believers to deal with them kindly and justly….for indeed, Allah Subhanah loves those who are just.

Thus, if a non-believer or a non-believing nation is not at war with the believers, there is no harm in dealing with such people in a good, kind, and just manner; for indeed they are our brothers in humanity.

Category-2: But Allah has forbidden the believers to befriend those unbelievers who have declared war on the believers because of their faith in Islam, and who drive the believers out of their homes and lands; or those unbelievers who help and support these enemies to oppress the believers. These are the unbelievers whom Allah has guided the believers not to befriend.

If your friends fall under ‘category-1’, there is absolutely no harm in befriending them, inviting them to one’s house, or sharing one’s food with them.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan