I am studying architecture in Cairo, and I have chosen the colonization of planet Mars as the topic of my graduation research. I would like to know how the qiblah, the direction of prayer, is to be determined in outer space and on other planets, particularly on Mars.

A person in outer space has no fixed direction for the qiblah, since facing the qiblah is contingent upon being on Earth; Allah Almighty says, “So wherever you go out, turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram” (Quran, 2:149).

Going out into outer space is not the same as ascending to the sky. Therefore, a person who is in outer space or on a planet other than Earth, including Mars, may face any direction for prayer. This is supported by the words of Allah Almighty, “To Allah belong the East and the West; wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing” (Quran, 2:115).

The obligation of prayer is not lifted for a person who is outside the Earth. When the movement of the sun is absent, prayer times must be estimated, based on the well-known hadith concerning the Dajjal. In such circumstances, the prayer times of Mecca should be followed, as it is the Mother of all Cities (Umm al-Qura).

And Allah Almighty knows best.