What If the Prayer Times Comes But I Don’t Feel Safe to Pray on the Train?

Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra

Question

I attend madrassah in Liverpool, and I’m from Rochdale. My travel distance is 69 km. It gets dark early, and there are usually drunkards in the train after Asr. My travel is over 4 hours there and back. I wondered if I could combine Maghreb and Isha because I always end up missing it. I tried praying it on the seat, but I read my salah wasn’t valid.

I was wondering if any advice could be given?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

May Allah Most High reward you for your dedication to seeking knowledge.

Combining prayers would not apply to your situation because you are asking about praying Maghrib and Isha once you reach home, at which point you are no longer a traveler who can combine them. Therefore, the question is about praying in your seat or delaying the Maghrib prayer past its time due to fear of harm and safety concerns.

Please see here for those answers:
Can One Pray Sitting Down or in the Car Due to Fear of Harm? – SeekersGuidance
When does fear count?  – IslamQA

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.