Assalamu Alaikum. If a few travelers on an airport or a train station gathers to pray their prayer in congregation, and as soon they started the prayer, they realize that they are going to miss their train or flight, in that case, is it allowed for the travelers to leave their prayer and catch their train or flight? Can they pray it aboard or when they reach their destination?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

In principle, it is impermissible to interrupt an obligatory prayer abruptly before finishing it. However, if they knew that they would have missed their flight or train as you have mentioned in the question and their tickets were non-refundable or they would have faced trouble or hardship as a result of being late for the flight or train, there is no harm in interrupting the obligatory prayer before finishing it.

Muslim jurists have underlined that one of the valid and Sharee‘ah-acceptable reasons for interrupting the obligatory prayer before finishing it is fear of losing one’s wealth (or valuable belongings). Al-Mawsoo‘ah Al-Fiqhiyyah reads, “Interrupting the obligatory prayer before finishing it without a valid reason under the Islamic Sharee‘ah is impermissible according to the consensus of Muslim jurists because such an act is regarded as carelessness that contradicts the sanctity of worship. It is forbidden for Muslims to invalidate acts of worship (with no valid excuse under the Islamic Sharee‘ah). Allaah The Exalted says (what means): {O you who have believed, obey Allaah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds.}[Quran 47:33]

As for leaving the prayer before finishing it for a valid reason under the Sharee‘ah, such as killing a snake or the like, it is permissible since there is a reported command regarding killing such animals. Other valid reasons under the Sharee‘ah for leaving the prayer before finishing it are fear of losing valuable belongings, the need to relieve a distressed (someone who is in a critical situation), cautioning someone who is sleeping or inattentive about a snake or something similar and who cannot be warned by one raising one’s voice with Tasbeeh, for example, and the like. Similarly, it is permissible for the fasting person to break his fast abruptly before finishing it for the sake of rescuing a person from drowning, fear for one’s own safety or that of an infant…”

If they left the prayer abruptly before finishing it, they should perform it in the plane or train while standing if possible; if not, they should determine whether they would reach their destination before the prayer's end time or whether the prayer could be combined with (at the time of) the following prayer - like the case with Thuhr and ‘Asr prayers, for example. If so, they should delay performing it and perform it after reaching their destination to perform it properly (while standing).

Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “If the plane will land before the prayer’s end time or that of the following one – in case they can be combined together, he should not perform the prayer on the plane because he will not be able to perform it correctly and fulfill its obligations and pillars. In this case, he should delay the prayer until the plane lands and then perform it properly.”

On the other hand, if they knew that the prayer’s time would end before they reached their destination and that the prayer could not be combined with the following one, they may perform the prayer on the plane or train to the best of their abilities - sitting down if standing was not possible. Verily, Allaah does not burden a person except with that within his capacity. The Fatwa of the Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fataawa reads, “If a prayer becomes due during a flight and the person fears missing the prayer if he delayed performing it after landing, scholars unanimously agreed that he should perform it on the plane to the best of his ability and carry out the Rukoo‘ (bowing) and Sujood (prostration), and facing the Qiblah to the best of his ability. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {So fear Allaah as much as you are able…} [Quran 64:16] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Refrain from what I forbid you and do what I command you to the best of your ability and capacity.””

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 81826 and 82450.

Allaah Knows best.