Praying in a Car

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I am a taxi driver and sometimes I don’t find any mosque near to me. Can I pray on the driving seat ?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum assalam.

I pray you are well. You should keep a prayer mat and some water to hand in your car, and pray outside when the time comes. As long as you’re able to stand and pray, sitting would not be valid. (Shurunbulali; Maraqi al Falah)

It should be possible to pray in a car park or somewhere like that without too much difficulty. It might seem uncomfortable, but any effort you go to in oder to seek Allah’s pleasure you’ll find that your rewarded for it many times over in this life and the next. “Indeed, Allah is appreciative and all-knowing.” (Qur’an; 2:1580

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.