Does a traveler who intends to stay for a specific, long period shorten the prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Now, the ruling revolves around the presence or absence of the cause.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So how can we tell a person who intends to stay, for example, for ten years, to shorten the prayer, and cite as evidence the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed for twenty days, even though he did not say, "If you stay more than twenty days, shorten the prayer"? Since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say this, leave what you want to do for what you do not want to do.
The Shaykh : So, as the brother said, when a person’s heart is at ease with this opinion, there is no blame on him for following it.
The questioner : But how can every person who spends thirty years in any place, while the cause still exists—I say the cause has ceased—have no hardship, no fatigue, and no hardship?
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : And a justification is coming. What else? We tell him:
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, the cause, the hardship is not a condition. If a person travels, all the dispensations of travel are permissible for him, even if he is in safety and in the most comfortable state.
The questioner : Perhaps in a journey they specify the journey.
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, my brother, it is not a condition, it is not a condition. Allah did not make a condition except[An-Nisa 4:101] and praise be to Allah, Allah abrogated it.
The questioner : Look, are we more knowledgeable than Ibn Abbas and Ahmad?
The Shaykh : In any case, we are not more knowledgeable than him, but we follow, meaning at least we imitate a learned, virtuous man known for his knowledge, namely Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So how can we tell a person who intends to stay, for example, for ten years, to shorten the prayer, and cite as evidence the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed for twenty days, even though he did not say, "If you stay more than twenty days, shorten the prayer"? Since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say this, leave what you want to do for what you do not want to do.
The Shaykh : So, as the brother said, when a person’s heart is at ease with this opinion, there is no blame on him for following it.
The questioner : But how can every person who spends thirty years in any place, while the cause still exists—I say the cause has ceased—have no hardship, no fatigue, and no hardship?
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : And a justification is coming. What else? We tell him:
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, the cause, the hardship is not a condition. If a person travels, all the dispensations of travel are permissible for him, even if he is in safety and in the most comfortable state.
The questioner : Perhaps in a journey they specify the journey.
The Shaykh : It is not a condition, my brother, it is not a condition, it is not a condition. Allah did not make a condition except
[especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you
إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواThe questioner : Look, are we more knowledgeable than Ibn Abbas and Ahmad?
The Shaykh : In any case, we are not more knowledgeable than him, but we follow, meaning at least we imitate a learned, virtuous man known for his knowledge, namely Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 3994هل لمسافر أراد أن يقيم فترة طويلة محددة أن يقصر؟📔 الشرح الممتع على زاد المستقنع - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.