Where do Muslims in space face when they pray

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BornInMarch

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This hypothetical may seem silly, but human exploration of space shows up in fiction quite a bit. And apart from that, in real life there is the International Space Station: presumably there are Muslims during the prayer times who are unable to know where to face when they pray (Muslims must face Mecca when they say their prayers).

In a hundred years, when humans set up perminanely colonies on Mars, how will Muslims there pray?
 
Why won’t Mecca be in a direction? You could face Sol/Earth from elsewhere, you know - assuming in the future Islam still exists and that there is space exploration, I guess they will do that. 🙂
 
TheSurvivor said:
Actually, a colony is set to go to Mars in 2025 (or sometime around then, I think).

Here is a link.

mars-one.com/
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No way.

The ship would take at least that long to build.

As per the OP, if they were on Mars or beyond, they’d simply face their heads toward the Earth. But if the Earth had “set” relative to their planetary location, would they just look straight down?

ICXC NIKA.
 
There is a Qur’anic verse as follows:

**To God belong the East and the West (and therefore the whole earth with its east and west: wherever you are, you can turn to Him in the Prayer). Then, in whatever direction you turn, there is the “Face” of God. God is All-Embracing (with His mercy), All-Knowing.
**
  • Surih al-Baqarah 2:15
Baha’is would have the same issue as our Qiblih is Bahji in Northern Israel…

With the earth turning under one’s feet while in orbit a general direction would be possible I think.
 
BornInMarch said:
This hypothetical may seem silly, but human exploration of space shows up in fiction quite a bit. And apart from that, in real life there is the International Space Station: presumably there are Muslims during the prayer times who are unable to know where to face when they pray (Muslims must face Mecca when they say their prayers).

In a hundred years, when humans set up perminanely colonies on Mars, how will Muslims there pray?
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Not a difficult question at all. It would be sufficient for a Muslim to pray in anything direction.

While on Earth, if a Muslim does not know the direction of Mecca, it is sufficent for a Muslim to pray in any direction. Some Muslim scholars believe it is superior to make up such prayer when one discovers the proper direction.

Muslim scholars debate which direction to pray while in North America, some scholars say North East while other scholars say, South East.
 
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