Salah in a Moving Van

Question:

Assalamualaikum

1-Zaid joined a van contract for pick and drop. In the evening while coming back Maghrib prayer come in travelling. Zaid offers prayer standing at the back of the van sometimes whilst the van is moving and at times when the van is stationary. Is offering prayer in this way permissible, if not permissible, could you please mention the reason and is it compulsory to repeat the salah prayed in the van ?

2-If the salah is prayed on a moving train or a plane standing or seated( if difficult to stand) will the salah be valid, if not would the salah have to be repeated? Jazakallah Khair

Answer:

As-salāmu ‘Alaykum Wa-rahmatullāhi Wa-barakātuh.

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Respected Brother

1. Salaah prayed in a moving van would not be permissible.[1]

If one does perform Salaah in this manner the Salaah would have to be repeated.[2] The Fuqahaa (Jurist) mention, due to one having the ability to stop the vehicle and to perform the Salaah on the ground, would not give one any justification for performing Salaah in a moving vehicle.

2. The issue of performing Salaah in a plane or a train differs due to one having the inability to perform the Salaah on the ground.

Hence in this case as well it would be necessary for one to perform the Salaah whilst standing[3] in one corner and praying towards the direction of the Qibla,[4] if one could not get the direction of the Qibla (even after finding out), then one should give due thought and perform the Salaah in the direction one might think it to be the Qibla.[5]

However if standing becomes difficult then one should sit in the Tashahud posture and perform the Salaah like a sitting person would do so.

And Allah Ta‘ala knows best
Mufti Luqman Hansrot
Fatwa Dept.

www.efiqh.com