A Muslim man has been filmed stopping to pray in the gutter in the middle of a popular Sydney beachside shopping strip.
The footage, which was filmed from Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs just before 8pm on Sunday night, shows the man rolling out his prayer mat on the busy street.
The man appeared to be unfazed he was in the gutter, wedged between two cars as he set himself up to pray in the direction of Mecca.
The footage, which was filmed from Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs about 9pm on Sunday night, shows the man pulling out his prayer mat in the busy street
In full view of pub goers, the man was filmed bowing his head to the ground.
While unfazed by the gutter, he ensured he knelt facing the direction of Mecca.
Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia, is the direction of Muslim prayer because it is regarded as the holiest place in Islam.
After praying, the man stands up, collects his mat from the roadside and puts it back in his car.
While it was standard to pray five times a day, the man’s choice of location piqued the interest of witnesses.
The man appeared to be unfazed he was in the gutter and wedged between two cars as he set himself up to pray in the direction of Mecca
While it was standard to pray five times a day, the man’s choice of location piqued the interest of witnesses
The man behind the camera could be heard saying ‘funny place to be praying on a mat isn’t it?
Islamic Council of Victoria Vice President Adel Salman said it was not uncommon for someone to pray in unusual places.
‘I’ve prayed on the street many times, also parks, airport terminals and even football grounds,’ Mr Salman told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
‘We pray five times a day so if we have no access to a mosque or prayer room, we find a relatively quiet, clean tidy place.
‘He probably didn’t want to risk missing his evening prayer.’
Mr Salman said the man might have decided to pray in the gutter so he didn’t ‘inconvenience’ anyone on the footpath.
‘The last thing we want to do is inconvenience people when we perform prayers, we are very sensitive to our surrounds,’ he said.
‘I’ve prayed on the street many times, also parks, airport terminals and even football grounds,’ Mr Salman (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia on Monday
After praying, the man stands up, collects his mat from the roadside and puts it back in his car
The man was praying on the side of Coogee Bay Road, facing up the hill, which is in the direction of Mecca