From the count of more than 600 people who have been in outer space, at least 2% of them are Muslims, and it is believed that the number of Muslim astronauts will continue to grow. How would Muslims spend Ramadan in space?
The act of breaking the fast at sunset while the pre-dawn meal that precedes the fast depends on where you’re from. If you live somewhere where the sun never sets or in communities where the sun sets and rises so quickly that the window where you eat is brief, most Muslims would observe Ramadan by the hours of sunlight in a neighboring country in which fasting would be more manageable.
But what about Muslim astronauts? How would they fast while living in space? Let’s find out based on the experiences of Muslim astronauts.
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The first Arab astronaut and first Muslim to go to space, Prince Sultan bin Salman wrote about his story in “Seven Days in Space”. It details the experiences of five astronauts and their spaceship Discovery in 1985. Prince Sultan would be fasting for a day in space as the shuttle was launched on the 29th day of Ramadan. As he completed his training for the mission during Ramadan, the doctors at NASA observed the effect of fasting on his health. As he was deemed to be in excellent health, he was able to fast during the mission.
While in space at an altitude of 387 kilometers, Prince Sultan completed his fast on the first day of the Discovery trip. Despite the thirst and loss of fluid, he successfully completed his fast and broke his fast according to the Florida calendar, the place of launch. While he completed Ramadan in space, the rest of the crew supported him until he was able to eat.
Prince Sultan noted that he could not see the new moon on that day but was able to see it on the second day. He informed the Saudi scientific team, and after careful investigation, the authorities confirmed that Prince Sultan had missed one day of Ramadan and was to be compensated.
Prince Sultan also shared how he completed his prayers in the shuttle. He wrote that he had to fix his feet inside a special fastener to stand firm inside the shuttle. However, as sujood was impossible due to zero gravity, he could only do a partial one.
Apart from that, Prince Sultan completed a full recitation of the Holy Qur’an in six days during his space journey using the small Qur’an that he brought with him.
In another case, in 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is a Malaysian astronaut, became the first practicing Muslim to stay on the International Space Station (ISS). As his mission coincided with Ramadan, the Islamic National Fatwa Council of Malaysia issued special guidelines translated into both Arabic and English to guide him and other future Muslim astronauts’ practices.
The Islamic National Fatwa Council of Malaysia wrote that fasting could be postponed until he returned to earth or to fast according to the time zone of the place from which he was launched.
As for prayers, the space station circles the Earth 16 times a day, facing Mecca while praying is left to the astronaut's “best abilities,” or if not, they could generally face the Earth.
Watch a short clip of his journey in space here!
Sultan Al Neyadi, an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. His space mission lasted for a duration of six months, including the month of Ramadan in 2023. As an astronaut, he fits the definition of a “traveler”, which excuses him from observing Ramadan. He mentioned that if he were to fast, he would follow the time zone used on the space station. That was the Greenwich Mean Time, or Coordinated Universal Time.
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“Astronauts in space witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets a day, so it becomes unclear when they could pray or fast,” said Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency.
By definition, a traveler that is traveling long distances is allowed to miss their fast but is to be compensated later in the form of Qada. This is agreed upon by various Islamic scholars prior to the launch of several space missions with Muslim astronauts.
Prior to his mission, Sultan Al Neyadi shared that he would try to fast but would also postpone his fast in order to prevent any escalation of lack of food or nutrition, or hydration as it would jeopardize the mission or put the crewmember at risk.
For instance, with prayers, due to zero gravity, astronauts are unable to prostrate so they could make appropriate motions with their heads, or simply imagine the common earthly motions. They also use a wet towel to do their ablution.
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was issued a fatwa to follow the prayer timings for the launch location in Kazakhstan. While Major Al Mansouri, another astronaut who did his mission in 2019, was advised to adhere to the prayer timings in Makkah.
In all these cases, as with other astronauts, they were advised based on their mission and health conditions.
Their stories offer an opportunity for us to learn about how remarkably adaptable humans are and how the strength of faith can be even in challenging environments. Despite the unique environment posed by zero gravity, astronauts have found ways to maintain spiritual and physical practices of fasting, prayer, and reflection during Ramadan. Their experiences beautifully emphasize the importance of faith and tradition in their lives.
