What Prayers Should I Pray If I’m Traveling for 24 Hours and From West to East?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I traveled recently from the west to the east. We left the house and arrived 24 hours later, and it was still the same date. There was a six-hour layover which is why the trip was 24 hours. During the flight after the layover, the time for dhuhr entered the city where the layover was. The trip was 9 hours, and when we arrived, it was time for Asr. Throughout the whole trip, the sun was out. During these 24 hours, I only prayed fajr, Dhuhr, and Asr, as the sun was out the whole time. Should I have prayed more?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
What you did was correct, as the above prayers were due and became compulsory due to the time factor.
When a person is traveling eastwards, then as prayer time approaches, one should perform the prayer. Prayer times may be determined by the rising and setting of the sun and by information gained from the cabin crew. Also, there is now an in-flight prayer time calculator, which one can use as a support but with caution. See the link below.
If there will be stop-overs and if the passengers are not required to be on board the plane, then you should perform the prayer of that time in the transit lounge of the airport.
The prayer time should be determined by making a reasoned estimate based on one’s location.
[Ibn ‘Abidin , Radd al-Muhtar; Tahtawi, Hashiya al-Tahtawi ‘ala Maraqi ’l-Falah]
In Flight Prayer Time Calculator
Below is an app showing you how to calculate in-flight prayer times. You can use the in-flight information screen to show you where you are and determine your prayer too. Also, keep track by looking out from the window to ensure the daylight, sunset, etc.
How to Determine Prayer While on the Plane
Fajr is when light appears on the horizon
Dhuhr time does not vary much from one place to another.
Asr is when the shadow of something is equivalent to two full shadow lengths, and one should pray it halfway between Dhur and Maghrib to be safe.
Maghrib Determining Maghrib is straightforward as it is when the sun has completely set below the horizon.
Isha is when it is totally dark.
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Related Answers
- In-flight prayer times calculator for airplane travel | Halal Trip
- Praying On A Plane – SeekersGuidance
- Prayer Of The Traveler – SeekersGuidance
- Legal Rulings of Travel: A Reader – SeekersGuidance
- Prayer Reader: The Ultimate Guide To Prayer in Islam – SeekersGuidance
- Traveler’s Prayers Archives – SeekersGuidance
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
