Muslim astronaut in space worship problem

[Click]

HOW do you pray facing Mecca five times a day when you are circling the Earth 16 times every 24 hours?

This is one of the problems facing Malaysian authorities as they prepare to send their first man into space.

There are others: how to hold the prayer position in zero gravity, ensure that only halal freeze-dried food is in your space cupboard and perform your ritual ablutions before worship?

They have all been answered by a team of Islamic scholars and scientists that has spent more than a year working on guidelines for the astronaut.

The Malaysian will travel to Russia's International Space Station in October, in exchange for a lucrative arms deal.

The Government hailed the mission as an important milestone but religious scholars questioned how a practising Muslim could accommodate worship with the demands of space travel.

The space station travels around the world at 27,000km/h, making Mecca a target in perpetual motion. With 16 orbits a day and five daily devotion sessions determined by times of sunrise and sunset, devout Muslim astronauts could find themselves chanting their prayers as many as 80 times in 24 hours.

Water is a valuable commodity in space, but Muslims are required to wash before each prayer session.

The holy month of Ramadan also falls during the mission.

All Muslims are required to abstain from food during daylight hours -- but what is daylight in space?

Only two Muslims have gone into space, Prince Sultan bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who travelled on the US shuttle Discovery in 1985, and Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American space tourist, who went to the space station last year. Both had to work out their obligations on their own.

Malaysia insists, however, that maintaining Islamic beliefs "ismandatory for Muslims in every situation, time and place".

Mustafa Abdul Rahman, the head of the nation's Department of Islamic Development said: "Circumstances on the ISS that are different from circumstance on Earth are not an obstacle for an astronaut to fulfil a Muslim's obligations."

Two finalists remain from 10,000 applicants: Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Faiz Khaleed.

The winner will be told that he may choose to fast in space or make up for it when he returns. If an astronaut doubts that the food provided is halal, he "'should consume it only to the extent of restraining hunger".

On prayers to Mecca, however, the guidebook sidesteps. These should be performed, it says, "according to the capability of the astronaut".

Muslim astronaut in space worship problem | News.com.au

 

[Cherokee]

HOW do you pray facing Mecca five times a day when you are circling the Earth 16 times every 24 hours?

This is one of the problems facing Malaysian authorities as they prepare to send their first man into space.

There are others: how to hold the prayer position in zero gravity, ensure that only halal freeze-dried food is in your space cupboard and perform your ritual ablutions before worship?

They have all been answered by a team of Islamic scholars and scientists that has spent more than a year working on guidelines for the astronaut.

The Malaysian will travel to Russia's International Space Station in October, in exchange for a lucrative arms deal.

The Government hailed the mission as an important milestone but religious scholars questioned how a practising Muslim could accommodate worship with the demands of space travel.

The space station travels around the world at 27,000km/h, making Mecca a target in perpetual motion. With 16 orbits a day and five daily devotion sessions determined by times of sunrise and sunset, devout Muslim astronauts could find themselves chanting their prayers as many as 80 times in 24 hours.

Water is a valuable commodity in space, but Muslims are required to wash before each prayer session.

The holy month of Ramadan also falls during the mission.

All Muslims are required to abstain from food during daylight hours -- but what is daylight in space?

Only two Muslims have gone into space, Prince Sultan bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who travelled on the US shuttle Discovery in 1985, and Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American space tourist, who went to the space station last year. Both had to work out their obligations on their own.

Malaysia insists, however, that maintaining Islamic beliefs "ismandatory for Muslims in every situation, time and place".

Mustafa Abdul Rahman, the head of the nation's Department of Islamic Development said: "Circumstances on the ISS that are different from circumstance on Earth are not an obstacle for an astronaut to fulfil a Muslim's obligations."

Two finalists remain from 10,000 applicants: Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Faiz Khaleed.

The winner will be told that he may choose to fast in space or make up for it when he returns. If an astronaut doubts that the food provided is halal, he "'should consume it only to the extent of restraining hunger".

On prayers to Mecca, however, the guidebook sidesteps. These should be performed, it says, "according to the capability of the astronaut".


Muslim astronaut in space worship problem | News.com.au

Problem Solved . No use of Beating a dead bush right ??

 

[FEDEX]

You are putting the whole ideology into doubt. There will be a serious problem for sure. But as per Quran, there is nowhere mentioned that they have to pray surrounding Mecca. These beliefs are been put by the religious leaders.

Basically all are required to pray in a common ground is only for a reason that in front of god no one is higher or lower. It teaches each and every person humility and acceptance. Which the religious leaders are using it to establish their own agenda.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

This is stupidity... !! Science and technology is a better disguise than many !!
Work is God !! They are on a mission and they should concentrate on that, instead of praying !! Astranaut is no easy job!

 

[Rusty]

Why do Indian trolls feel the compulsive need to troll on every single Islamic topic.

We don't troll about you guys worshiping rocks or animals or what ever.
If you want to do that, more power to you.

But for some reason, you guys are incapable of not trolling Islamic topics.


As for the topic, It is for the Muslims to decide how they pray, and it is non of your guys concern.

 

[FEDEX]

In short, the flexibilities in Islam are provided as follows:

(1) If water is scarce, you can symbolically do ablution called Taymmum. This is applicable for example in deserts or when traveling on Earth as well historically
(2) You can combine the five prayers into three prayers and perform it on the basis of Earth time from the place of your launch or Mecca time. Each prayer takes about 2-3 minutes and would be based on Earth hours rather than revolutions of the space craft.
On the 0-gravity issue, prirotiy to be given to stand, if that's not possible then you can sit and pray and if that is not possible then you can just lie down and action the prayer.
(3) For facing Qibla or Mecca. Priority should be given to facing towards Earth and if that is not possible then in any direction
(4) For eating, priority to be given to vegetarian if halal food is not available. If that is not possible than any food item is OK.
(5) On Fasting, even on earth, if you are travelling, you don't have to fast. But you should redo the skipped fasts whenever you can after you reach your destination. Other exceptions include, Pregnant and lactating female, the sick and the infirm like Diabetes patients for example. So an astronaut would be expected to skip the fasting and completed the missed days back on earth.

I think there was a feature on Wired magazine done on this back in 2007 when the Malaysian astronaut was first going to go to space. It was part of a deal that the Russians gave for purchasing sukhoi fighter jets. They had like a national lucky draw/competition to select the winner.

(If any of above is incorrect or hurt religious sentiments then I am sorry for that )

 

[tvsram1992]

Just forget religion when they are in space . Does quran mention man in space ?

 

[Archdemon]

Talking about retardation, wow.

 

[neutral_person]

Why do Indian trolls feel the compulsive need to troll on every single Islamic topic.

We don't troll about you guys worshiping rocks or animals or what ever.
If you want to do that, more power to you.

But for some reason, you guys are incapable of not trolling Islamic topics.


As for the topic, It is for the Muslims to decide how they pray, and it is non of your guys concern.

Just report posts you think are inappropriate and move on (and save us your personal fatwas)

On topic:

I first thought this was some kind of satire article, but this seems serious lol.

 

[OrionHunter]

Malaysia's space agency, Angkasa, convened a conference of 150 Islamic scientists and scholars last year to wrestle with these and other questions. The resulting document, "A Guideline of Performing Ibadah (worship) at the International Space Station (ISS)", was approved by Malaysia's National Fatwa Council earlier this year.

According to the report, determining the qibla should be "based on what is possible" for the astronaut, and can be prioritized this way: 1) the Ka'aba, 2) the projection of Ka'aba, 3) the Earth, 4) wherever.

And no one stops to pray in the thick of battle, whilst attacking the enemy! Can you imagine a Muslim army stopping to pray during an assault? It is always "based on what is possible" during that particular period.

 

[Click]

Why do Indian trolls feel the compulsive need to troll on every single Islamic topic.

This is a Topic of International Concern. No Muslim Nations have the Capability to Launch a Rocket.

We don't troll about you guys worshiping rocks or animals or what ever.
If you want to do that, more power to you.

We Worship an Imaginary God Who may not even Exist, That is Non of Your Concern too.

But for some reason, you guys are incapable of not trolling Islamic topics.

This is not an Exclusively Islamic Topic. It affects Non-Muslims too.

As for the topic, It is for the Muslims to decide how they pray, and it is non of your guys concern.

Like the Malaysian Astronaut will use Russian(Non-Muslim) Rockets and ISS(0% Muslim Components), All Astronauts have to adhere to Very Strict Standards with Zero Compromise. But like said in the article,

devout Muslim astronauts could find themselves chanting their prayers as many as 80 times in 24 hours.

A Devout Muslim like above may waste a Lot of Resources and Time Management Schedule of the Space Mission which is in NO WAY Acceptable.

Muslims have yet to attain A Respectable Payload in LEO.

 

[neutral_person]

Malaysia's space agency, Angkasa, convened a conference of 150 Islamic scientists and scholars last year to wrestle with these and other questions. The resulting document, "A Guideline of Performing Ibadah (worship) at the International Space Station (ISS)", was approved by Malaysia's National Fatwa Council earlier this year.

According to the report, determining the qibla should be "based on what is possible" for the astronaut, and can be prioritized this way: 1) the Ka'aba, 2) the projection of Ka'aba, 3) the Earth, 4) wherever.

And no one stops to pray in the thick of battle, whilst attacking the enemy! Can you imagine a Muslim army stopping to pray during an assault? It is always "based on what is possible" during that particular period.

"Islamic Scientists" ? No such thing, considering religion and science are not compatible and the exact opposite. One is knowledge that proves (most) religions wrong, and the other is made up fairy tales.

 

[Nair saab]

Just forget religion when they are in space . Does quran mention man in space ?

Wait Till Some Mulla Comes & Says The Astronaut Would Become a Kafir if he Goes to Space... Over all a LOL topic ...

The Space Agency should be more Concerned about how can they ensure the Astronauts Safe return & How Would they achieve the Basic Target of this Mission... Rather then How Would be Eat & Pray... Nonsense