If a man goes out for a picnic for a distance of 70 kilometers, does he shorten the prayer or complete it, and what is the ruling on shortening for one who is not a traveler?
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The questioner : He said: "I went out one day with some of my companions for a picnic to the desert, and the place we went to was about seventy kilometers from the city where we live. When the time for a four-rak'ah prayer came, we differed regarding the permissibility of shortening the prayer at this distance for two reasons. First, we were not travelers but had gone out for a picnic. Second, the distance between us and the city is less than the distance for shortening. However, some of us said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to shorten the prayer for a distance of three farsakh, which is approximately the distance we covered, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) shortened it after him. So what is your opinion on this regarding the permissibility of shortening for one who has covered his distance even if he is not a traveler, and regarding specifying the distance in kilometers and comparing it to farsakh? May Allah reward you with good."
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
The questioner : O Allah, send prayers...
The Shaykh : The answer to this question is that the scholars differed regarding the permissibility of shortening: whether it is determined by a duration, by a distance, or is not determined and is referred to to custom.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Most of the scholars hold that it is determined by a distance, and its amount is eighty kilometers and three hundred and a few dozen meters. So if one covers this distance, even in half a day, it is permissible for him to shorten the prayer and break the fast in Ramadan. And other scholars hold that it is not determined by a distance, meaning the travel that permits shortening and breaking the fast, but rather it is referred to to custom. So whatever people call travel is travel, and that is by the person being prepared for the outing, equipped for the journey, bidding farewell when he travels, and being welcomed when he arrives. And this view is the apparent evidence, because Allah the Exalted says:[An-Nisa 4:101] And Allah the Exalted did not specify a distance for this type of travel, but He made it general. So whenever a person is traveling on the earth, leaving his homeland, it is permissible for him to shorten. And it is established in the authentic hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two rak'ahs when he went out three miles or farsakh. And this is much less than what the questioner mentioned, where he stated that they were about seventy kilometers from the town.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the important point is that this view is the stronger position, because there is no evidence indicating the specification of the distance. So whenever people call this traveling on the earth and travel, the rulings of travel are established for it. The short distance may be considered travel due to the length of the stay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the long distance may not be considered travel due to the shortness of the stay. So these people who went out for this picnic, if they are going to stay for two or three days or more, that means they are equipped for travel, prepared for this journey, so it is permissible for them to shorten, even if they went out for a picnic, because the verse and the texts are general. But if they are going out in the morning and returning in the evening, the apparent view is that this is not travel, and it is not permissible for them to shorten. And it should be known that it is necessary for us to adopt an important rule, which is that if we doubt the existence of the conditions for permissibility, the original state is non-existence. So if we doubt whether this is travel or not travel, the original state is that it is not travel, so shortening and breaking the fast are not made permissible by it, because the original state is the obligation of completing the prayer. So we do not deviate from this original state except by the presence of something certain that permits us to shorten.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, and based on this rule, if we doubt whether this is travel or not travel, the precaution is not to shorten the prayer.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
The questioner : O Allah, send prayers...
The Shaykh : The answer to this question is that the scholars differed regarding the permissibility of shortening: whether it is determined by a duration, by a distance, or is not determined and is referred to to custom.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Most of the scholars hold that it is determined by a distance, and its amount is eighty kilometers and three hundred and a few dozen meters. So if one covers this distance, even in half a day, it is permissible for him to shorten the prayer and break the fast in Ramadan. And other scholars hold that it is not determined by a distance, meaning the travel that permits shortening and breaking the fast, but rather it is referred to to custom. So whatever people call travel is travel, and that is by the person being prepared for the outing, equipped for the journey, bidding farewell when he travels, and being welcomed when he arrives. And this view is the apparent evidence, because Allah the Exalted says:
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer
وإذا ضربتم في الأرض فليس عليكم جناح أن تقصروا من الصلاةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the important point is that this view is the stronger position, because there is no evidence indicating the specification of the distance. So whenever people call this traveling on the earth and travel, the rulings of travel are established for it. The short distance may be considered travel due to the length of the stay.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the long distance may not be considered travel due to the shortness of the stay. So these people who went out for this picnic, if they are going to stay for two or three days or more, that means they are equipped for travel, prepared for this journey, so it is permissible for them to shorten, even if they went out for a picnic, because the verse and the texts are general. But if they are going out in the morning and returning in the evening, the apparent view is that this is not travel, and it is not permissible for them to shorten. And it should be known that it is necessary for us to adopt an important rule, which is that if we doubt the existence of the conditions for permissibility, the original state is non-existence. So if we doubt whether this is travel or not travel, the original state is that it is not travel, so shortening and breaking the fast are not made permissible by it, because the original state is the obligation of completing the prayer. So we do not deviate from this original state except by the presence of something certain that permits us to shorten.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, and based on this rule, if we doubt whether this is travel or not travel, the precaution is not to shorten the prayer.