the direction of the qiblah, bowing, or prostration. We therefore say: he must face the qiblah throughout the prayer, because he is able to do so: he can stop his journey, turn the mount toward the qiblah, and pray.

As for bowing and prostration, he gestures for both, because he is unable to perform them. Standing, however, takes precedence. This applies to the mounts known to the scholars—namely camels, donkeys, horses, mules, and the like. Yet mounts today are different: today’s mounts are vehicles. Some vehicles are like ships, in that a person can pray in them standing, bowing, prostrating, and facing the qiblah. Should it then be said that one may pray on such vehicles only on condition that dismounting would cause harm? Or should we say that, if he can perform the obligatory elements of the prayer in them, he may pray in them?

The answer is the latter. If the vehicle is a large bus with ample space for prayer, and a person is able to pray standing, bowing, prostrating, and facing the qiblah, there is no objection to his praying in it, because such vehicles are exactly like a ship. Usually, however, they are small, or they are public-transport vehicles filled entirely with seats. But if it is possible, then the ruling is the same as with other vehicles.

Likewise, on an aircraft, if he is able to pray standing, he must pray standing while facing the qiblah, and bow and prostrate toward the qiblah. If this is not possible, but the aircraft will reach the airport before the prayer time expires, then he waits until he lands. If it cannot reach the airport before the prayer time expires, and the prayer is one that may be combined with the one following it—such as Dhuhr with Asr, or Maghrib with Isha—then he waits until he lands and offers them both as a delayed combination,