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:

ASWK,

Hope all fine at your end!

I am fine alhamdullilah!

I want to ask how to find which side is Qibla when we are in the room or at a very strange place?

Secondly tell me in morning and asar rather than the sajdah of namaz we should not do additional sajdah, is this right? If so why?

Also let me know whether i can go for umrah with my friends along with her brother(married)?

Kindly give me the answer.

Take care

Jazakallah khair

(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:

Prohibited times of sajdah prayer

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.

Your Question: I want to ask how to find which side is Qibla when we are in the room or at a very strange place?

The direction of the ‘Qibla’ is the one which faces the Sacred Masjid of Makkah; thus depending on the location where one is, their ‘Qibla’ from that location of theirs would be the one which faces the Sacred Masjid of Makkah.

Thus if one is in a room or a strange place, and one knows what side of the Sacred Mosque they happen to be, one could easily determine the location of the ‘Qibla’ through the usage of a compass, or even the movement of the sun during the day-light hours.

For example, if one happens to be in a room or any ‘strange’ place in a country like India…..because India is East of Makkah, their ‘Qibla’ would be towards the Westerly direction or the direction towards which the sun sets. Alternatively, if one happens to be in a room or any ‘strange’ place in a country like Egypt….because Egypt is to the West of Makkah, their ‘Qibla’ would be towards the Easterly direction, or the direction towards which the sun rises.

Your Question: Secondly tell me in morning and asar rather than the sajdah of namaz we should not do additional sajdah, is this right? If so why?

Amr ibn 'Abbas related that he said, "O Prophet of Allah (saws), inform me about the prayers." He (saws) said, "Pray the morning (fajr) prayer, and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Shaitaan. That is when the disbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, as your prayer will be witnessed and attended to until the shadow of a spear becomes less than its length (zawaal time). At that time stop praying, for at that time the hell-fire is fed with fuel. When the shade comes, you may pray (dhuhr), for your prayer will be witnessed and attended (to by Angels) until you pray the afternoon (Asr) prayer. Then abstain from praying until the sun sets, for its sets between the horns of theShaitaan, and that is when the disbelievers make prostrations to it."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers from offering voluntary prayers after one has prayed one’s obligatory prayers of ‘fajr’ until the sun has completely risen; and after one’s obligatory ‘asr’ prayers until after the sun has completely set.

One is absolute liberty to perform the ‘sajdah’ or prostration unto their Lord at any time they will and please except three:

1. When the sun is actually in the process of rising from the easterly horizon until it has completely risen.
2. When the sun is at its exact zenith at noon-time.
3. When the sun is actually in the process of setting in the horizon until it has completely set and ‘Magrib’ time has begun.

Your Question: ….Also let me know whether i can go for umrah with my friends along with her brother(married)?

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.194 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "It is not permissible for a woman, who believes in Allah and the Last Day, to travel for one day and night except with a Mahram."

In light of the above authentic narration of the Prophet (saws), the law of traveling with a male mehram relative is not for all women…. The law is only for those believing women who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day! It is not permissible for a believing woman, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to travel a considerable distance which would take more than 24 hours without being accompanied by a male mehram relative.

Secondly sister, the law is applicable for all types of travel whose duration is more than a day and a night…..and not only for the journey to Umrah.

Unless your girl-friend’s brother, regardless of whether he happens to be married or not, is your ‘mehram’ relative, or unless you can find a male ‘mehram’ relative of yours to accompany you on the journey, it would not be lawful for you as a believing woman to undertake any travel whose duration is more than a day and a night….regardless of whether that journey is for the ‘Umrah’ pilgrimage or for any other purpose.

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