Ruling on combining and shortening prayers for a traveler for an unspecified duration
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Q523: The questioner says: We are traveling for work, and the circumstances of the work have often necessitated combining and shortening the prayers. It has been a month and a half since we have been in this state, and we do not know how long we will remain on this assignment. Also, we have not been able to perform the Friday prayer throughout this period, knowing that the number required to establish the prayer is not met. Is it permissible for us to combine and shorten in this case? We ask for your guidance.
A523: If the completion of this assignment you mentioned is outside your town at a distance of eighty kilometers or more, and you do not know when it will end, and you have not intended to stay for more than four days, then there is no harm in shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs. As for combining the two prayers, you should not do so, because you are not in a state of travel, but rather in a state of settlement. Therefore, combining is not appropriate except for one who is in the midst of travel. As for the traveler who has stopped, he should pray each prayer in its time, shortened, without combining. This is the Sunnah. As for the Friday prayer, it is not obligatory upon you in the situation we mentioned. If you do not know when your assignment will end, and you have not intended to stay for more
than four days, then the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon you, because you are travelers. However, if the prayer is established near your place of work in the town, it is better that you pray with the Muslims and do not isolate yourselves, so that you may obtain the reward. If you intend to stay for more than four days, or you know that the assignment will not end before four days, then it is obligatory upon you in this case to complete the prayer with four rak'ahs, and it is not permissible for you to combine, because the default ruling for staying is to complete the prayer, and you are residents.
A523: If the completion of this assignment you mentioned is outside your town at a distance of eighty kilometers or more, and you do not know when it will end, and you have not intended to stay for more than four days, then there is no harm in shortening the four-rak'ah prayer to two rak'ahs. As for combining the two prayers, you should not do so, because you are not in a state of travel, but rather in a state of settlement. Therefore, combining is not appropriate except for one who is in the midst of travel. As for the traveler who has stopped, he should pray each prayer in its time, shortened, without combining. This is the Sunnah. As for the Friday prayer, it is not obligatory upon you in the situation we mentioned. If you do not know when your assignment will end, and you have not intended to stay for more
than four days, then the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon you, because you are travelers. However, if the prayer is established near your place of work in the town, it is better that you pray with the Muslims and do not isolate yourselves, so that you may obtain the reward. If you intend to stay for more than four days, or you know that the assignment will not end before four days, then it is obligatory upon you in this case to complete the prayer with four rak'ahs, and it is not permissible for you to combine, because the default ruling for staying is to complete the prayer, and you are residents.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.