Guidelines for Travelers and Aviators
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the most honorable of prophets and messengers, and upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed, among the efforts extended by His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sālih al-‘Uthaymīn (may Allah have mercy upon him) in the cause of serving Da‘wa to Allah Almighty were his keenness and his persistence in spreading religious knowledge among the different categories of people, and holding meetings with them for that purpose.
He used to be extremely delighted and happy in his meetings, in Jeddah, with the aviators; including pilots, engineers, and flight attendants who work in the Saudi Arabian Airlines, as they expressed their need to have the issues they encounter throughout their flights and frequent trips addressed.
They listed and arranged such issues that involve rulings related to acts of worship, dealings, etiquette, and conduct, which are important for travelers to know. They had their queries submitted to the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy upon him) during such blessed meetings and he answered them. Thus, this precious beneficial treatise was the fruit of these efforts.
Shaykh Walīd ibn Muhammad al-Tawīl (may Allah safeguard him) exerted great efforts in preparing and publishing this treatise in 1421 AH, under the title:
He took good care of the book by providing accurate references of the Qur’anic verses and Hadīth and making the index with the help of some seekers of religious knowledge and specialists. May Allah reward them all amply.
This treatise has been released in accordance with the rules and directives decided by the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy upon him) with regard to publishing his academic heritage. The morning and evening supplications, written by the Shaykh, has also been added at the end of this treatise.
We ask Allah Almighty to make this effort sincerely dedicated to Him, and render it beneficial to His servants. We ask Him to reward our Shaykh the best for his efforts exerted for the good of Islam and Muslims, multiply for him the reward, and raise his degree among those who are rightly guided. Indeed, He is All-Hearing and Near.
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow him with righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
I thank Allah Almighty for giving me the opportunity to meet with my brothers from among the aviators, pilots, air-traffic controllers, and flight attendants in the Saudi Arabian Airlines, and to answer their queries, especially that we have seen and heard good things about them.
I advise them to fear Allah Almighty, to earnestly care for the passengers’ comfort, and to ensure providing all services that involve worldly and religious benefits, by paying attention to Shariah-related issues, such as observing the prescribed times of prayers in case they become due during the flight. They also have to draw the passengers’ attention to the time of assuming Ihrām (ritual state of consecration) for Hajj or ‘Umrah before passing by the Miqāt (place where pilgrims assume Ihrām) with an adequate period of time to allow them to take off their ordinary clothes and put on their Ihrām garments. So, if this would normally take ten minutes, then they are required to notify them five minutes or more earlier since some people may be unable to take off their clothes and put on the Ihrām garments easily, and would need some time.
I would further assert that adhering to caution in assuming Ihrām before reaching the Miqāt is better than passing the Miqāt, even by one minute, without having assumed Ihrām. That is because, in flight, a great distance could be covered in a single minute, whereby one could miss the Miqāt without assuming Ihrām.
It is also highly recommended to notify the passengers to make the intention of assuming Ihrām before reaching the Miqāt, because if they notify them exactly at the time they have reached the Miqāt, people will miss the right timing of making the intention, given the speed of the plane.
It is well-known that there is nothing wrong with assuming Ihrām before reaching the Miqāt, but being late, even for a short while, is wrong.
I ask Allah Almighty to make us leaders to good and reform. Indeed, He is Omnipotent over all things.
Answer: Some Muslim scholars (may Allah have mercy upon them) believe that distance is the criteria that determines whether or not a journey is to be considered travel. It is about 81 to 83 km. Others see that it depends upon custom. So, whatever is regarded to be travel as per custom, then it is, regardless of the distance, otherwise, it is not. This opinion is the one chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him), and it is more correct in terms of the relevant supportive evidence, however, it could be difficult in terms of application. That is because some people would consider a journey to be travel, when others do not. Yet, setting a certain distance for travel provides more accuracy and clarity for people. In fact, a journey that is considered travel according to distance and custom is not problematic, but if the distance and custom are clashing, then one should abide by the side of caution.