QUESTION
You
mentioned that it is permissible for the driver of a car to
pray in his car. [ Click here for the
original Q&A ]
We
need some explanation to this. How does he make rukoo'
and sujood? And does he place his hands on his chest
or the steering wheel? And is this practice connected to the
high number of automobile accidents in Saudi Arabia?
ANSWER
by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa
University in Makkah
As
for someone praying on his riding beast, and similarly in
his car, then this is something authentically established
in the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam). [1]
He
makes rukoo' and sujood with gestures. He places
his hands on his chest if he is able. He may be able to place
one hand on his chest and hold the steering wheel with the
other.
It
should be noted that the optional prayers are very flexible
as a rule, and this is understood from what has been reported
about him (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) praying on
his riding beast. [1]
So
he places his hands on his chest if he is able, however he
is able, and he pays attention to the road.
And
without a doubt, we have to mention the Sharee'ah principle:
There is no harming, and no reciprocation of harm. If
a man feels that his optional prayers that he wants to offer
in his car may lead to harming himself or others, then it
is not permissible for him. Due to the generality of the hadeeth:
"There
is no harming, and no reciprocation of harm."
[2]
As
for the idea that praying in one's car is one of the reasons
for the high traffic accident rate in Saudi Arabia, then I
have never heard of this.
And
to further elaborate on exactly how to make rukoo'
and sujood in a car, I say: He gestures (with his head)
for rukoo' and he gestures for sujood, and his
gestures for sujood should be lower than his gestures
for rukoo'. As for placing the hands on the chest,
then this is done according to one's ability.
FOOTNOTES
[1]
Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree #400 (1/628 of Fat-hul-Baaree)
on the authority of Jaabir, and Saheeh Muslim #1615
(3/217) of Sharh An-Nawawee) on the authority of Ibn
'Umar
[2]
Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah #1910 on the authority of 'Ubaadah
ibn As-Saamit
SOURCE
This
was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette
recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh,
file no. AAMB035, dated 1423/7/25.
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