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Fatwa CenterTimes of prayer on a plane
Question
When one travels by plane for 8 hours, according to which time should he pray the Fajr (dawn) prayer: the time of the country of departure or arrival?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Being certain that the time of a certain prayer is due is a prerequisite for a valid prayer. When one is certain that the time of prayer is due, he can pray. Otherwise, the prayer is impermissible and invalid. Modern calendars may be used nowadays to determine the time of prayers, which differs from one country to another according to its location on earth.
A traveler by plane, however, cannot follow such times, as there is no certain calendar to determine the time of prayer when he is in the air between heaven and earth. Consequently, he can recognize the times of prayers through the known signs. The time of the Maghrib (sunset) prayer is known by sunset, the ‘Ishaa’ (night) pray by the disappearance of the twilight glow, and the Fajr (dawn) prayer by the break of dawn (the whiteness spreading through the horizon). As for the Thuhr (noon) and ‘Asr (afternoon) prayers, he has to try to determine their proper times.
One can also ask the flight crew, as they may have devices enabling them to accurately know the time. When one endeavors to know the time of a certain prayer and then he prays, he is not required to make up the prayer unless it becomes evident to him that he performed it before its fixed time. Otherwise, he is not required to repeat it, since he has endeavored to know the time and Allaah Does not Charge a soul beyond its capacity.
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