Prayer TimesIn the Holy Qur'an it is stated:
“There is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may harm you while you travel through the land.” (Surah An-Nisa, 101).
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated one of his journeys as follows:
“We set out from Madinah to Makkah with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Until we returned to Madinah, he performed the prayers as two rak‘ahs. I asked, ‘How long did you stay in Makkah?’ He replied, ‘We stayed there for ten days.’” (Bukhari, Muslim).
A person who has set out on a journey is considered a traveller in Shariah from the moment he leaves his hometown until he returns. Also, if someone travels to a distant place and intends to stay there for up to 15 days, he is still considered a traveller. In Shariah, a “distant place” is defined as a journey of at least three days on foot at a moderate pace, which is approximately 90 kilometers across flat land (Hashiyat Ibn Abidin, 2/133). The distance may vary if traveling by water or through mountains. Even if one travels this distance by train or plane, he is still regarded as a traveller at the destination.
If a traveller intends to stay in one place for 15 days or more, he is considered a resident from the moment of that intention. However, if he leaves before completing 15 days, he remains a traveller. If he did not initially intend to stay for 15 days but ends up staying that long due to unfinished business or waiting for news, he continues to be regarded as a traveller.
If a person has homes in two cities, he is not considered a traveller when staying in either city. However, if the cities are far apart, he is considered a traveller while traveling between them, until he reaches his home in the other city.
There are three main rulings for a traveller:
It is wajib (obligatory) to shorten the fard (obligatory) prayers of Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha to two rak‘ahs;
He may wipe over his socks (masah) for up to three days;
If his journey coincides with Ramadan, he may postpone fasting and make it up later.
The traveller does not shorten the four rak‘ah sunnah prayers, the three rak‘ah Maghrib prayer, or the Witr prayer; these are performed in full.
If a traveller leads the prayer as imam in a four rak‘ah prayer, he performs only two rak‘ahs and ends the prayer with salam. The local residents praying behind him complete the remaining two rak‘ahs on their own. If the imam is a local resident, the travellers must perform the full four rak‘ahs with him.
If a four rak‘ah prayer became qada (missed) before the journey, the traveller must perform it in full while traveling. If the prayer was missed during the journey, he performs it as two rak‘ahs upon returning home.
Hasan AMANKUL,
“Munara” newspaper, No. 21, 2021
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.