martindo

I spend a lot of time in Indonesia and take at least 20 domestic flights a year. I was surprised earlier this year to see the entire row (both left and right sides) of hijab clad women in front of me break out into prayer DURING the standard pre-flight safety talk given by the FA. Apparently, the informal leader of the women started and the others immediately joined in. It's possible they were on their way to Umroh (off season Haj) and/or they were as bored with the usual announcement as I was. But the FA took no action to ask them to quiet down or delay their prayer for a few minutes. Has anyone else experienced this?

HMPS

I would pray if I had to take Garuda Air too !

joshwex90

What's the problem? Praying on board or during the safety announcements?

craz

No problem with praying on board, during the safety briefing it most certainly shouldnt be done especially if out load, when it may impact others from hearing the info

joshwex90

If done quietly, I see no issue. I frequently do it when I'm rushing to catch a flight and it's just about sunset, so can't pray Mincha (Jewish afternoon services) any later. I do it during the safety briefing, but quietly and while seated. Doesn't bother anyone (except perhaps me who misses the brief, but I know the brief by heart at this point).

N1120A

If you think about it, the subject of the safety lecture might draw more than a few to prayer.

jahason

I agree if possible prayer should be delayed by a few minutes to give courtesy to FA and their safety briefing. Sometimes though its not possible to delay, but then in some cases perhaps prayer could have been completed inside the terminal building before boarding.

GUWonder

I have visited mosques during peak holiday times when they were packed; and then, during the actual praying time for even holiday prayers, the noise level from the actual praying is usually at a lower noise level than the noise level of an in-flight plane where no passengers/crew members are talking. It is the taking off and on shoes that makes a lot more noise and involves a lot more noise.

Is praying during a standard, routine safety announcement really so disruptive as to make competent adults into easily distracted toddlers? If it was a large group of monks or nuns chanting out rather loudly so as to be louder than the airline announcement, then perhaps I could see it as perhaps something that may require action from the FA.

theddo

Muslims are not required to pray at specific times and it is possible to delay the times if necessary. Anyone starting to pray loudly during a safety demonstration is simply an ........

Prayer is also not necessary for anyone of the muslim dogma travelling.

I was under the impression that mincha could be performed between noon and sunset, with most authorities not requiring it be performed before sunset. Unless on a Friday, when I'm guessing you can't perform mincha post-sunset.

joshwex90

I can't speak for Islam, but in Judaism, the most common issue will be the afternoon prayer, Mincha. That MUST be completed by sunset (except according to very few commentators that almost the entire Orthodox population does not follow). For reference, that's 8:27PM today at JFK; 7:49PM today at TLV. This can easy be a problem. Rush to the airport with no real chance to pray, get to the airport with enough time to check bags, clear security, (and passport control if necessary,) and head to the plane for boarding. Therefore, no real time to pray until on board, and if the plane departs at around sunset, then that would be the time to pray - during the safety briefing.
This has happened to me multiple times.

As for praying Mincha on a Friday afternoon, chances are, if you're praying Mincha on a Friday close to sunset, you're not flying!

GUWonder

Actually, shouldn't we get the facts right before making up stuff about others? Five fixed prayer times do exist for muslims and the times are often printed and vary by calendar day in some geographical locations. And what muslims are required to do is not dictated by anyone here. Different people of the same faith may have different ideas of what is required and of how or whether travel is an opt-out opportunity for some religious activity, including the five fixed prayer times which are dependent upon sunrise and sunset too.

If there weren't fixed prayer times for some muslims, then there would be no demand for applications like this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ayertime&hl=en

theddo

The Salahs can under most faiths be combined, and a few of them can almost always be combined. For long travel you can also do the qasr which makes the prayers significantly shorter. I also thought the whole point of the qada was that if your were unable to complete it on time it could be delayed (as little as possible, thought). Yes there are some downsides to it, like having to apologize and beg for forgiveness. But it most certainly can be done. If the plane doesn't crash.

I've never heard of any prayers being required at specific times but they are guided by the movement of the sun (not to many watches around 1500years ago) meaning you should be able to pray before you board a plane unless it's been sitting on the tarmac for 2hrs. Due to cleanliness rules I'm still uncertain if it would be kosher to pray onboard a jet, but hey, I don't make the rules. Which is the whole point, almost all of these prayers that are required can be performed under at least a couple of hours and there is no reason to perform them when you are bothering and disturbing everyone else.

GUWonder

To each their own. It's not that disturbing. If crew and passengers are so easily disturbed by relatively quiet prayer, then the "disturbed" crew and passengers really are in need of a prayer in case there is an emergency while on board the plane.

The danger of fundamentalism is in the making up of religious rules for others who may have a different approach to religion, even if nominally of the same faith.

The problem with contemporary society has again become that of a growing intolerance for others and other ways; another way too common problem with contemporary society is that of people being so easily distracted and pointing the finger at others as bothering and disturbing them when it is really the persons "bothered" who are bothered and bothering themselves more than anything else.

Muslims pray even in farm fields that are fertilized by bovine excrement or on sands that are a bacterial haven. Why shouldn't they also pray on planes, when they have been since very near the beginning of regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights to/from/in the country where the OP had a flight.

Night Owl

Is it part of Judaism and Islam that prayers be aloud? I don't know much about either religion.

joshwex90

In Judaism, no. (There are out loud prayers in the communal prayers, but when praying alone, no)