Question:

Very often I am away from home in a new place where I am unable to find a mosque or suitable place where I can offer my salah. Many a time I have to read Qaza and am really remorseful. Frankly, I am embarrassed to ask Allah for forgiveness in connection with Qaza prayers because I do it over and over again.

Is it permissible for me to sit in my car and pray while away from home in a new city? Obviously, I will make every effort to find a mosque or suitable place in the first instance. I am not always comfortable praying outside on my own in an open public space.

Answer:

The Deen has in fact made it very easy to worship Allah taala and there are only but a very few and simple requirements that need to be fulfilled to offer Salah. One does not need to be in a Masjid to offer Salah, and for a traveller it is perfectly permitted to pray in the car park of a service station or somewhere else that is suitable. You may pray on the naked ground as it is and it would be praiseworthy to keep a prayer mat with to ensure you are standing and prostrating on pure ground.

To offer one's prayer in a car sitting down is sinful as the very essential components of Salah are missing, namely Qiyam (standing) and Sajood (prostrating). Thus, all prayers offered in this way must be repeated and tawbah must be done for doing this.

One should also be careful not to miss offering any of the five prayers in their specific times. In hadith narrated in Bukhari the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said whoever misses just the Asr Salah, the loss of it would be so much it would be equal to a person losing all his wealth and family. The Deen has also made it easy for the traveller as the prayer is reduced, where 4 rakaas need to be performed, to 2 rakaas; and similarly one is allowed to miss the various Sunnas that are normally prayed before and after the Salah.

Mufti Mohammed Sajjad

Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab

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The answer to this question is the opinion of the scholar and does not reflect the opinion of other scholars of As-Suffa Institute and As-Suffa Institute as an organisation.