18/04/2026
Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, an orthopedic surgeon and the first Malaysian astronaut to travel into space. His historic 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) began on October 10, 2007, aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft.
Dr. Muszaphar made history as the first Muslim astronaut to observe Ramadan in space. Because the ISS orbits Earth 16 times every 24 hours, leading to 16 sunrises and sunsets daily, standard prayer times were impractical. To assist him, the Malaysian government assembled 150 Islamic scholars to produce a specialized 18-page guidebook, "Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites (Ibadah) at the International Space Station".
Key Religious Adaptations in Space:
Prayer Frequency & Timing: Instead of praying 80 times a day (for every "day" cycle in orbit), he followed a standard 24-hour Earth schedule based on the time at his launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Direction (Qibla): The guideline prioritized facing the Kaaba if possible. If not, facing the projection of the Kaaba, the Earth in general, or any direction was permitted.
Physical Movements: In microgravity, Dr. Muszaphar secured his feet to maintain stability. If standing was impossible, sitting or using head gestures to represent bowing (Ruku') and prostration (Sujud) was allowed.
Ritual Cleansing (Wudu'): Due to the lack of running water, he used wet towels to perform ritual ablutions.
Celebration: He celebrated Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan) aboard the ISS on October 13, 2007, sharing Malaysian satay and cookies with his fellow crew members.
Disclaimer : The Background picture is Enhanced by Al while the other stuff is authentic and genuine and shared on various social media platforms, this post is just for awareness and informational purposes only.