Shortening Prayers While Traveling

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1. When a person is deemed to be a Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah) it is Waajib (obligatory) to shorten the Prayer.

[4:101]When you travel on the earth, there is no sin on you in shortening your Salah, if you fear that the disbelievers would put you in trouble. Surely, the disbelievers are an open enemy for you.

2. A casual reading of the verse indicates that shortening of prayer must be done due to fear, however Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and Sahaba (RA) shortened prayers with or without fear during travel.

Yahya b. Umayya (RA) said: I told 'Umar b. al-Khattab (RA) that Allah had said:" When you travel on the earth, there is no sin on you in shortening your Salah, if you fear that the disbelievers would put you in trouble "[4:101], whereas the people are now safe. He (RA) replied: I wondered about it in the same way as you wonder about it, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) about it and he said: It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity. [Muslim]

3. During Travel Salatul Zohar, Asar and Esha are shortened from 4 Rakaat to 2 Rakaat but the rest remain the same.

Narrated Asiha (RA): Two Rakaat were obligated in Makkah, however when Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) migrated to Madinah two (additional) Rakaat were added to it except for Maghrib as it is Wit’r of the day and Morning prayer because it has a long recitation (in it), but whenever Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) travelled he prayed the earlier prayers (i.e. Two Rakaat as the obligation was during Makkah). [Ahmed]

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): I accompanied Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and he never offered more than two Rakat during the journey. Abu Bakr (RA), 'Umar (RA)and 'Uthman (RA) used to do the same. [Bukhari]

4. There is a consensus of opinion that there is no shortening of Salah for Faj’r and Maghrib.

5. The majority of scholars in Hanafi, Shaf’ae, Maliki and Hanbali Madhab agree that the minimum required distance for a person to be considered a Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah) is 4 Burud which is equivalent to 16 Farsakh or 48 (Shariah Miles) or 88 Kilometres or 55 miles.

Ibn Umar (RA) and Ibn Abbas (RA) used to shorten their prayers and not fast at a distance of 4 Burud, which is 16 Farsakh [Bukhari]

Note: There is some disagreement in the matter which arises from the Ulama calculating the distance which can be travelled in 3 days (or 1 day) rather then the distance (itself) which is stipulated in the Hadeeth.

6. Intention must be made to travel the minimum distance as stipulated above, without intention the person shall not be deemed a Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah).

Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Every action is based on Intention, and everyone shall havewhat he intended” [Bukhari]

7. Shortening of prayer cannot begin until the person has left the city-limits as this was the practise of Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Narrated Anas bin Malik (RA): I offered four Rakat of Zuhr prayer with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) at Madinah and two Rakat at Dhul-Hulaifa. (i.e. shortened the 'Asr prayer). [Bukhari]

Note: Dhul-Hulaifa is outside of Madinah.

8. In addition to shortening of prayers Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah) is also entitled to delay his/her obligatory fasts (to be made up later) and perform Masa’h on the socks for up to 3 days (a resident can only perform Masah for upto 1 day) .

[2:183]O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may be God-fearing,[2:184]for days few in number. However, should any one of you be sick or on a journey, then (he should fast) a number of other days (equal to the missed ones); and those who have the strength, (still, they do not opt for fasting,) on them there is a fidyah (compensation), that is, the feeding of a poor person. Then whoever does good voluntarily, that is better for him. However, that you fast is better for you, if you only knew.

Sayyidina Safwan Ibn Assal (RA) narrates that Rasul-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ordered us to perform Masah on our socks for 3 days and 3 nights during travel and for one day and one night when at home when we had put our socks after Taharah and not to take them off for any reason except for Janabah (sexual cohabitation). [Ahmed]

9. When a person intends to stay at a place for longer then 15 days he/she will cease to be a Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah) and prayers must be offered in full.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA): The Apostle of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) stayed fifteen days in Mecca in the year of Conquest, shortening the prayer. [Abi Dawud]

Note: There is some disagreement in the matter and other periods (19 days, 17 days, 10 days etc.) are also mentioned , therefore the Hanafi Ulama have adopted the middle period as mentioned in the Hadeeth above.

10 . There was consensus amongst the Sahaba (RA) that if a person got stranded at a location (without intending it to be so) then he can continue to be a Musaafir (traveller according to Islamic Shariah) and this is the opinion of Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali Ulama.

source http://www.central-mosque.com/fiqh/salahmusafir.htm