What is the ruling on praying while sitting on a train when unable to stand, knowing that the journey takes seven hours?
If a Muslim is in a vehicle during a fard prayer that does not allow for combining prayers that can be combined, and he is unable to disembark to perform the prayer standing on the ground within its prescribed time, then if he can disembark, he must do so. However, if he fears the prayer time will expire and cannot disembark, he should pray in the vehicle, taking into consideration facing the Qiblah and fulfilling the pillars of prayer to the best of his ability. Otherwise, he should pray in his current state. This is based on the statement of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah that prayer is not permissible to delay beyond its time, and a Muslim should pray within the time according to his situation, doing what he can, as Allah Almighty says: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity" (Quran 2:286) and "So fear Allah as much as you are able" (Quran 64:16). The most complete act is to repeat the prayer immediately upon disembarking.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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