Prayer: Disapproved Places for Prayer

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani

Ruling 884

Performing prayers is disapproved in a number of places, including:

1. A public bath;

2. On saliferous land;

3. Facing a person;

4. Facing an open door;

5. On a street, road, and in an alley, in the event that it does not cause trouble for passers-by; if it does cause them trouble, it is unlawful;

6. Facing a fire or lamp;

7. In a kitchen and in every place where there is a furnace;

8. Facing a pit or ditch where people urinate;

9. Facing a picture or statue of a living thing, unless it is covered;

10. In a room where a junub[¹ is present;

11. In a place where there is a picture [of a living thing], even if it is not facing the person performing prayers;

12. Facing a grave;

13. On a grave;

14. In between two graves;

15. In a graveyard.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Prayer (Salah)

1. Junub is the term used to refer to a person who is in the state of ritual impurity (janābah). Janābah is explained in Ruling 344.