Chapter on the Prayer During Travel

From him, from Ahmad ibn Hilal, from Amr ibn Uthman, from Muhammad ibn ‘Udhafir, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “A man brings sheep down from the mountain, and among them is a Magian (al-majusi) or Christian (al-nasrani) hired worker, and the sudden, unforeseen death of the animal (al-aridah) occurs, so it is brought to him salted.” (meaning the non-Muslim worker brings the meat back, salted, presumably to preserve it for later use) Imam عليه السلام said: “He should not eat it.” I asked: “(What if) it is during the time of an obligatory prayer, and the ground does not allow him to stand on it or to prostrate upon it due to the abundance of snow, water, rain, and mud does it become permissible for him to perform the obligatory prayer in the litter (al-mahmil)?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, it is like the case of a boat if he is able to (pray) standing, then (he should do so), and if not, then sitting. And in all such cases, Allah سبحانه وتعالى is more deserving of granting the excuse. Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, says: ‘Rather, man is a witness against himself.’ (Surah Al Qiyamah 75:14)”