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Fatwa CenterPrayer Times for Astronauts and Space Travelers
Question
Many non-Muslims have asked me, how will Islamic rules will apply on people travelling in space. Islam is a Universal relegion there must be a way to live our lives without using Sun or Moon as our indicators of time.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
As for the Muslim astronauts and other space travelers, they are like all other Muslims obliged to perform all types of worship. They should pray and fast, as clarified below:
A) If the daylight hours are distinct from the night during 24 hours (a day) in the place where they are then they are obliged to perform prayers and to fast regardless of how long the daylight hours and how short the night hours. They have to determine the prayer times and pray accordingly, no matter how long the daylight hours may be as detailed earlier.
B) If the daylight hours or hours of darkness continue for more than 24 hours, i.e. the sun does not set during the 24-hour period or it does not rise during the 24-hour period, they have to approximate the times for the five prayers basing their estimation on the closest part of the earth where the times for prayer are distinct from each other. They have to fast according to the details mentioned above.
Allah has made us able to use the moon, the stars and the sun to define time and make use of it. These simple symbols are everywhere and can be used by everybody. Using them does not require any previous knowledge. They can be used by people in the city, in the country, women, men, ….etc. Usually the rising and setting of the sun indicates to us the beginning of the day and its end. It helps us know the times of the prayers just as we recognize the time of the fasting and the pilgrimage depending on the phases and shapes of the moon.
Allah Says (what means): {They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, “They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.”} [Quran 2:189]
Allah also Says (what means): {…So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it;.…} [Quran 2:185]
The prophet said: “Observe fast upon sighting it (the new moon) and break (fast) upon sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number (thirty days) of the month (of Sha'baan).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
So, Allah prescribed for us the Islamic duties based on the moon and the sun. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah 
said: “All the Muslims are agreed that fasting, breaking the fast, and performing Hajj are all through the sighting of the moon. So, these forms of worship should not be done through calculations that are used by Romans, pagans, Persians, Hindus… etc. It is said that the People of the Book themselves were ordered to use the moon sighting as their indication of time and date. But they changed that.”
Another evidence for choosing the sighting is the sound Hadeeth that the Prophet said: “We are an illiterate nation, we neither write nor know accounts. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of 30 days” [Al-Bukhari]
So, astronomy is not an acceptable way for us as far as our religious duties are concerned, nor is astrology under any condition. In fact, our worshipping is linked to the sighting of the moon.
Finally, using the moon and the sun as our indicators of time and dates is not contradictory to the worldwide nature of Islam. In fact, Islam is for all people and if its forms of worship were linked to a given science then only a few people would be able to worship Allah accurately. Allah Says (what means): {And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.} [Quran 17:12]
Allah knows best.
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