If we know anything about Islam, it’s that its followers
are required to pray towards Mecca five times a day.
Sounds simple right? Well, maybe if you’re on Earth.
Orbiting the planet at 27,000 kph (17,000 mph) it’s a
whole different ball game. After two Muslim astronauts
encountered problems in orbit, 150 Islamic scholars
called a meeting and produced a detailed set of
guidelines for Muslims praying in space.
The Whole Bushel
When Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor blasted off to the ISS in
2007, he was the first Malaysian and only the third
practicing Muslim to visit space. But he wasn’t really
able to focus on the honor, as his journey was marked
by an improbable amount of thorny theological
quandaries.
As a devout Muslim, how would he know where to turn
to face Mecca from orbit? With a sunset and sunrise
occurring on the ISS every 90 minutes, when should he
fast for Ramadan? With water at an absolute premium in
space, how would he ritually wash himself? To answer
his questions, Malaysia called a conference of 150
Islamic scholars, who produced possibly the first
religious guide to worshiping in space.
Approved by the country’s National Fatwa Council (thus
making it official, at least in Malaysia), the document
sets out the rules for a new generation of Muslim
scientists intent on heading for the stars. Among its
recommendations were mentally projecting Mecca’s holy
mosque (the Ka’aba) into space to avoid praying to the
floor and using local time at the launch site to determine
sunrise and sunset. A damp cloth or symbolically striking
a mirror were decreed to be acceptable stand-ins for
ritual washing, while the Halal problem was got around
by advising space-faring Muslims to eat only enough to
ward off hunger.
As others have pointed out, many of these rulings open
up further paradoxes for taking religion into space. What
happens when a team of Muslims from different launch
sites works together in space? Do they designate one
launch site for sunrise and sunset or all work on different
time zones? Other issues have yet to be addressed. A
new Islamic month starts with the first sighting of the
crescent moon: Will that include the moons of future
planets we may explore? These are just a few of the
issues in the cards for the future.
Intriguing as it is, if Malaysia’s conference above teaches
us anything, it’s that space exploration is going to be
even more complex than we thought; especially if we
choose to take our religions with us.

basilico:
Islam is really funny. Read this

Demmzy15:

Wetin concern u?!

basilico:




That Allah the all knowing did not know that one day one of best of his people would visit a space station.

Demmzy15:
Very immature and obsolete response!
*spits mucus on his face*

You dare spit on an old man's face?

Rilwayne001:


You dare spit on an old man's face?

Demmzy15:

Wallahi d guy dey vex me gann!

Rilwayne001:


You should know truthman2012 to be a stiffnecked reprobates...

Basillico a.k.a truthmam, I thought you said you are going away, what are you still doing here??

Demmzy15:
a.k.a true2god!

Rilwayne001:


Idontbelieveit

basilico:
I gave you a link. Just refute the link and content.
Else
Scrub that nonsense off your holy books that misled 150 top scholars in one of the largest Muslim country in the world to declare the stupid fatwa.
Else
Dump Islam and join the rest of the sane humanity looking for present day solutions and not justifying an illiterate seventh century Arabic Berber's delusions

Old man, respect your age.

basilico:
Islam is really funny. Read this

Demmzy15:

Very immature and obsolete response!

*spits mucus on his face*

parisbookaddict:

parisbookaddict:


Apparently islamic Allah aka Mohammed didn't know that one day people will go to space.. . Islam is a fraud.