Does the traveler pray the voluntary prayers and the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib)?
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Question : To proceed: Honorable Shaykh, the questioner asks: Is it obligatory for one who intends to stay in Makkah, specifically to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) for the last ten days of Ramadan, and who is a traveler, to perform the rawatib (regular voluntary prayers) if he prays with the people of the town or with an imam who completes the prayer?
Answer : First, the phrase "is it obligatory for him to perform the rawatib" is incorrect. Because "is it obligatory" implies obligation, and the rawatib are not obligatory. Even if a person is in his own town, he is not required to perform the rawatib; the rawatib are a recommended practice (sunnah). But ask: If a traveler intends to stay for more than four days, does the ruling of travel cease for him or not? We say: No, it does not cease. A person remains a traveler as long as he has left his town and intends to return to it. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) shortened the prayer during the year of the Conquest of Makkah, and how long did he stay? Nineteen days. And he shortened the prayer during the Expedition of Tabuk, and he stayed for twenty days. He did not specify for his Ummah (Muslim community), neither by his saying nor by his doing, a duration after which the ruling of travel ceases for a person. Accordingly, one who comes from his town to Makkah in order to perform i'tikaf for the last ten days in the Sacred Mosque, and since i'tikaf is permissible in every mosque, even in the mosques of his own town, he may avail himself of the dispensations (rukhsah) of travel. And the traveler may perform whatever voluntary prayers he wishes.
Except for the three rawatib, which are the rawatib of the midday prayer (Zuhr), the rawatib of the sunset prayer (Maghrib), and the rawatib of the night prayer ('Isha'), for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not pray them during his travels. But if he wishes to perform a voluntary prayer that is absolutely voluntary, not restricted to being a rawatib, there is no harm. Yes.
Answer : First, the phrase "is it obligatory for him to perform the rawatib" is incorrect. Because "is it obligatory" implies obligation, and the rawatib are not obligatory. Even if a person is in his own town, he is not required to perform the rawatib; the rawatib are a recommended practice (sunnah). But ask: If a traveler intends to stay for more than four days, does the ruling of travel cease for him or not? We say: No, it does not cease. A person remains a traveler as long as he has left his town and intends to return to it. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) shortened the prayer during the year of the Conquest of Makkah, and how long did he stay? Nineteen days. And he shortened the prayer during the Expedition of Tabuk, and he stayed for twenty days. He did not specify for his Ummah (Muslim community), neither by his saying nor by his doing, a duration after which the ruling of travel ceases for a person. Accordingly, one who comes from his town to Makkah in order to perform i'tikaf for the last ten days in the Sacred Mosque, and since i'tikaf is permissible in every mosque, even in the mosques of his own town, he may avail himself of the dispensations (rukhsah) of travel. And the traveler may perform whatever voluntary prayers he wishes.
Except for the three rawatib, which are the rawatib of the midday prayer (Zuhr), the rawatib of the sunset prayer (Maghrib), and the rawatib of the night prayer ('Isha'), for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not pray them during his travels. But if he wishes to perform a voluntary prayer that is absolutely voluntary, not restricted to being a rawatib, there is no harm. Yes.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[1 من 51] هل يصلي المسافر النوافل والسنن الرواتب؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com (0:09)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.