# Muslims in space! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389 "2007-10-11T22:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/1 "2007-10-11T22:08:10Z")
If you’re a Muslim and about to become an astronaut or even a space passenger, this is important reading, so I thought I pas it along. [religious rules for Muslims in space](http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/11/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Space-Rules.php) > [@](#): > > Ritual cleansing before prayer can be performed through “dry ablution” — striking both palms of one’s hands on a clean surface such as a wall or mirror, with or without clean sand or dust. > > Facing Mecca to pray is encouraged, but facing the Earth or any direction will still do. I would imagine facing Mecca to pray might be problematic if the spaceship is rotating or if the prayer was long enough that the orientation kept changing. Drives a devout Muslim crazy, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Fozzie\_Bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Fozzie\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fozzie_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/2 "2007-10-12T00:11:03Z")
For a minute there, I wondered if History of the World, Part 3 was coming out. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/3 "2007-10-12T00:29:12Z")
[QUOTE=Fozzie Bear] For a minute there, I wondered if History of the World, Part 3 was coming out. [/QUOTE] You mean the subject didn’t remind you of the Muppets? I must be slipping. Or getting old. ---
**Author:** ![Fozzie\_Bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Fozzie\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fozzie_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/4 "2007-10-12T00:36:25Z")
Since the subject reminded me of Mel Brooks, I don’t think you’re slipping - I’m probably just older than you. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/5 "2007-10-12T00:51:35Z")
It’s easy to laugh at the Muslims over this because it seems kind of silly, but it does point up something that I think needs to be remembered in this country – namely that Islam is a highly flexible religion. It’s not a religion of monomaniacs as it’s often portrayed. There’s a wide variation in what’s considered acceptable, and the religion freely adapts itself to new circumstances – even space, as it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/6 "2007-10-12T00:51:53Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] If you’re a Muslim and about to become an astronaut or even a space passenger, this is important reading, so I thought I pas it along. [religious rules for Muslims in space](http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/11/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Space-Rules.php)I would imagine facing Mecca to pray might be problematic if the spaceship is rotating or if the prayer was long enough that the orientation kept changing. Drives a devout Muslim crazy, I’m sure. [/QUOTE] Will sure drive 'em crazy, Cletus! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/7 "2007-10-12T01:05:38Z")
Seems rather straight forward to me. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/8 "2007-10-12T03:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] It’s easy to laugh at the Muslims over this because it seems kind of silly, but it does point up something that I think needs to be remembered in this country – namely that Islam is a highly flexible religion. It’s not a religion of monomaniacs as it’s often portrayed. There’s a wide variation in what’s considered acceptable, and the religion freely adapts itself to new circumstances – even space, as it happens. [/QUOTE] It’s easy to laugh at Muslims because they ARE silly. Laugh away! Something in your post makes me suspect you haven’t read the Koran much. “Highly flexible”? Infidels are not tolerated unless, of course, they are in the majority. :dubious: But that’s temporary, since Allah wills otherwise. How flexible is a religion that accepts no others and commands all followers to kill anyone that objects? Sorta like 11th Century Christians, no? (Want cites? I got 'em by the holy bookfull. Ask and you’ll be sorry. 🙂 ) Whoops…maybe this belongs in The Pit. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/9 "2007-10-12T03:32:26Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] “Highly flexible”? Infidels are not tolerated unless, of course, they are in the majority. :dubious: But that’s temporary, since Allah wills otherwise. How flexible is a religion that accepts no others and commands all followers to kill anyone that objects? [/QUOTE] You know, I’ve met a lot of Muslims, and none ever tried to kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/10 "2007-10-12T03:36:44Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] You know, I’ve met a lot of Muslims, and none ever tried to kill me. [/QUOTE] Apparently they didn’t follow the teachings of Mohammed. Reformed, perhaps. Yep, that’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/11 "2007-10-12T04:02:05Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Whoops…maybe this belongs in The Pit. [/QUOTE] Probably. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/12 "2007-10-12T04:12:29Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] You know, I’ve met a lot of Muslims, and none ever tried to kill me. [/QUOTE] Touche’ **RickJay**. Can we stop this shit please? ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/13 "2007-10-12T07:54:33Z")
“observe peace with other beings” Other space beings? I may convert. ---
**Author:** ![Aquila\_Be](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@Aquila\_Be](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquila_Be)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/14 "2007-10-12T10:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] I would imagine facing Mecca to pray might be problematic if the spaceship is rotating or if the prayer was long enough that the orientation kept changing. Drives a devout Muslim crazy, I’m sure. [/QUOTE] Assuming a 90 minute orbital period for the spacecraft, that would result in 16 dawns/dusks and sixteen times the usual number of 5 prayers per day rituals he’d have to go through, or 80 prayer sessions in a 24 hour period. As the prayer ritual takes about 10 minutes to perform, that would mean he’d need to pray for 800 minutes per day. That still leaves him ten hours per day to conduct scientific experiments. More than enough time for him to help advance the cause of science. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/15 "2007-10-12T12:29:03Z")
[QUOTE=Aquila Be] Assuming a 90 minute orbital period for the spacecraft, that would result in 16 dawns/dusks and sixteen times the usual number of 5 prayers per day rituals he’d have to go through, or 80 prayer sessions in a 24 hour period. [/QUOTE] From the link: “Praying five times a day can be calculated in a 24-hour duration according to the time zone from where the astronaut was launched — in this case, Baikonur, Kazakhstan.” As I said, rather straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/16 "2007-10-12T12:43:23Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] You mean the subject didn’t remind you of the Muppets? I must be slipping. Or getting old. [/QUOTE] Not Only that, but with your username, I saw the thread as “Muslims in Space! the musical” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-in-space/422389/17 "2007-10-12T15:45:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] Not Only that, but with your username, I saw the thread as “Muslims in Space! the musical” [/QUOTE] Hey! Not a bad idea! Anyone want to try their hand at a sample verse from the hit song, “Rebecka, My Mecca”?