If it is asked: If a person is in his own town, but its neighbourhoods are far apart, may he offer voluntary prayers while facing the direction in which he is travelling?

The answer is: He may not, because he is not a traveller.

If someone were to ask: A man in Mecca is travelling about in his car; may he offer voluntary prayers in it without facing the qiblah, or not?

The answer is: If he is one of the residents of Mecca, it is not permissible for him; but if he is from elsewhere, it is permissible. Thus, if you went to Mecca for ʿumrah and travelled by car from the Sacred Mosque to your residence, it would be permissible for you to offer voluntary prayers even if the Kaʿbah were behind you, because you are a traveller. This is what appears to be indicated by the generality of the evidence, though the matter requires some further investigation and consideration.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that one may offer voluntary prayers on his mount even if the journey is short. Thus, if you leave your town—even for a nearby town to which travelling would not be considered a journey that permits the shortening of the prayer—it is permissible for you, by virtue of the general wording of the evidence, to offer voluntary prayers on a mount without facing the qiblah. However, some of the scholars of our school, may Allah have mercy on them, said: Voluntary prayers on a mount are permissible only on a journey in which the prayer may be shortened; if the prayer may not be shortened on it, then this is not permissible (1).

He must begin the prayer facing it …

His statement, “He must begin the prayer facing it”: “He must,” that is, the rider, “begin the prayer facing it,” that is, facing the Kaʿbah; thereafter, he may face whichever direction he happens to be facing.

The evidence for this is the hadith of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, which