The Journey of Pleasure: Is It Permissible to Avail Oneself of the Legal Dispensations for Travel?
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 18356 )
Q 1: It is common among us—may Allah bless you and benefit the Muslims with you— for the young men to go out for recreation and leisure into the desert, and this is during the weekly break. They go out a distance of more than fifty kilometers, or slightly less, outside the city, and this entire distance is over rough desert sand. So the questions, O honorable Shaykh, are: First: Is the prayer shortened in this case, and are they permitted to combine prayers? And does their going out exempt them from the obligation of attending Friday prayer, for perhaps these people have missed one or two consecutive Fridays for this reason?
A 1: If the distance they intend to travel is less than eighty kilometers, then it is not permissible for them to shorten the prayer; because that is not considered a journey in which the legal dispensations are permitted. As for attending Friday prayer, it is not obligatory for them; because they have moved away from the town, unless they are near a town where Friday prayer is held and they can hear the call to prayer, in which case they are obligated to attend it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q 1: It is common among us—may Allah bless you and benefit the Muslims with you— for the young men to go out for recreation and leisure into the desert, and this is during the weekly break. They go out a distance of more than fifty kilometers, or slightly less, outside the city, and this entire distance is over rough desert sand. So the questions, O honorable Shaykh, are: First: Is the prayer shortened in this case, and are they permitted to combine prayers? And does their going out exempt them from the obligation of attending Friday prayer, for perhaps these people have missed one or two consecutive Fridays for this reason?
A 1: If the distance they intend to travel is less than eighty kilometers, then it is not permissible for them to shorten the prayer; because that is not considered a journey in which the legal dispensations are permitted. As for attending Friday prayer, it is not obligatory for them; because they have moved away from the town, unless they are near a town where Friday prayer is held and they can hear the call to prayer, in which case they are obligated to attend it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.