Shortening and Combining Prayers for One Who Stays Abroad for a Long Time for Treatment
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: A relative of mine traveled to America to treat his son, and I called him after several months and he told me that he is still shortening and combining his prayers, so I informed him that it is not permissible to combine except while traveling. Is what I said correct?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if he knows that the treatment requires a long stay, then it is not permissible for him to combine. But if he does not know whether he will stay one day, two days, or ten days for treatment, and he does not know what is determined for him, then it is permissible for him to shorten. But if he knows that he is not a traveler except after a period exceeding four days, then he is required to complete the prayers, because the state of travel has ended for him. There is nothing greater than this regarding students abroad who do not pray with the congregation, do not fast Ramadan, and do not take the dispensation until their studies end. This is wrong. This is a great and clear error. Yes.
The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh:
They do not fast Ramadan, do not complete the prayers, and, glory be to Allah, for years they do not pray a complete prayer and do not fast Ramadan. Yes, if they die in this state, and they are not praying, not completing the prayers, and not fasting Ramadan, if they die, they are in danger. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: A relative of mine traveled to America to treat his son, and I called him after several months and he told me that he is still shortening and combining his prayers, so I informed him that it is not permissible to combine except while traveling. Is what I said correct?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if he knows that the treatment requires a long stay, then it is not permissible for him to combine. But if he does not know whether he will stay one day, two days, or ten days for treatment, and he does not know what is determined for him, then it is permissible for him to shorten. But if he knows that he is not a traveler except after a period exceeding four days, then he is required to complete the prayers, because the state of travel has ended for him. There is nothing greater than this regarding students abroad who do not pray with the congregation, do not fast Ramadan, and do not take the dispensation until their studies end. This is wrong. This is a great and clear error. Yes.
The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh:
They do not fast Ramadan, do not complete the prayers, and, glory be to Allah, for years they do not pray a complete prayer and do not fast Ramadan. Yes, if they die in this state, and they are not praying, not completing the prayers, and not fasting Ramadan, if they die, they are in danger. Yes.
Source
المنتقى من أخبار سيد المرسلين 15-04-1435هـ — af.org.sa (1:07:08)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.