page_title: Qibla
section_title: Outer space
hierarchical_section_title: Qibla / Diversity / Outer space
caption_attribution_description: English: ISS photo taken from shuttle Discovery in August 2005. Original description: "Backdropped by a colorful Earth, this full view of the International Space Station was photographed from the Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-114 Return to Flight mission, following the undocking of the two spacecraft." The upper part of the Caspian Sea is visible in the background (the Volga delta is the dark area in the lower right. Editing: Brightness and contrast was enhanced, saved 85% JPEG. Français&#160;: La station ISS vue de la navette Discovery en Aout 2005. Description originale: "Avec les couleurs de la terre en arriere-plan, cette vue de la Station Spatiale Internationale (ISS) a été prise depuis la navette Discovery durant la phase retour de la mission STS-114, après la séparation des deux vaisseaux." Retouches: Luminosité, contraste, et sauvegarde sous format JPEG (85%) Română: Fotografie a ISS făcută de pe naveta Discovery în august 2005. Descrierea originală: „Având în fundal un Pământ multicolor, această vedere în întregime a Staţiei Spaţiale Internaţionale a fost capturată de pe naveta Discovery în timpul misiunii STS-114 Return to Flight, imediat după decuplarea celor două aparate de zbor.” Pe fundal, se vede nordul Mării Caspice; pata întunecată din dreapta-jos este delta Volgăi. Retuşare: Intensificarea luminozităţii şi contrastului; imagine salvată în format JPEG (85%). Türkçe: Uluslararası Uzay İstasyonu'nun, Ağustos 2005'te Discovery Uzay Mekiği'nden çekilmiş bir pozu
context_page_description: The qibla is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, such as serving as the including the direction of the salah or ritual prayer. Muslims believe the Kaaba to be a sacred site built by the prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and that its use as the qibla was ordained by God in several verses of the Quran revealed to Muhammad in the second Hijri year. Prior to this revelation, Muhammad and his followers in Medina faced Jerusalem for prayers. The qibla is also the direction for entering the ihram; where animals are turned into an Islamic slaughter; for the deceased when buried; the recommended direction to make supplications; and the direction to avoid when relieving oneself or spitting. Most mosques contain a mihrab or a wall niche that indicates the direction of the qibla. In practice, there are two manners of observing the qibla: ayn al-ka'bah and jihat al-ka'bah. Most Islamic scholars believe that the more precise ayn al-ka'bah is only required when possible, and otherwise jihat al-ka'bah can be used.
context_section_description: The issue of the qibla in outer space arose publicly before the spaceflight of Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian surgeon who is a devout Muslim, who went on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2007. The ISS orbits the earth at high speed, so that the direction to Mecca changes significantly in a matter of seconds. Before his departure, Sheikh Muzsaphar requested guidance from Malaysian religious authorities about the performance of Islamic practices in space, including how to pray, fast, and determine the qibla. The Malaysian National Fatwa Council wrote a response that was intended to be used as guidelines for future Muslim astronauts, and which has been translated into multiple languages. The council wrote that the qibla determination should be "based on what is possible" and recommended four options, saying that Sheikh Muzsaphar should pray toward the first option if possible and, if not, fall back successively on the later ones:
  the Kaaba itself
  the position directly above the Kaaba at the altitude of the astronaut's orbit
  the Earth in general
  "wherever"
  In line with the fatwa council, other Muslim scholars argue for the importance of flexibility and adapting the qibla requirement to what an astronaut is capable of fulfilling. Khaleel Muhammad of the San Diego State University opined "God does not take a person to task for that which is beyond his/her ability to work with". Kamal Abdali argued that concentration during a prayer is more important than the exact orientation, and he suggested keeping the qibla direction at the start of a prayer instead of "worrying about possible changes in position". Before Sheikh Muszaphar's mission, at least eight Muslims had flown to space, but none of them publicly discussed issues relating to worship in space.
caption: The spaceflight of Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to the International Space Station started discussion about Islamic religious practices in space, including the determination of the qibla.
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