Ruling on performing the Friday prayer for the traveler
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Fatwa number ( 967 )
Q: What is the ruling on performing the Friday prayer in the military camps that are stationed in certain locations, where they are under command and awaiting orders at all times, even though the camps are built with structures and tents and are almost like permanent villages? They may move from their locations and be replaced by others. They used to perform the Friday prayer in those camps, but then some students of knowledge disagreed with them, some of whom denied the validity of their performing the Friday prayer, while others permitted it. They became confused about whose opinion to follow?
A: There are rulings for residency and rulings for travel. The Friday prayer is one of the issues to which the ruling of residency applies, so it is prayed as two rak'ahs. The ruling for travel is that it is prayed as Zuhr. Considering that the Grand Mufti, Shaykh \ Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), issued a general fatwa regarding soldiers stationed at the borders, asking whether it is permissible for them to shorten and combine prayers or not, the Committee has reviewed it and decided to limit the answer to this question to that fatwa, as the answer to this question falls within its general scope. The text of the fatwa is as follows: "The original ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, and the original ruling for the traveler is to shorten it. The residency that befalls the traveler is of two types:
The first type: Residency that befalls the traveler without the intention of staying for a specific number of days; rather, it is a residency dependent on his need, and he does not know when it will end, so when it ends, he travels. In such a case, it is permissible for him to take the dispensation of shortening the prayer and other travel dispensations for the duration of his stay, whether long or short. This is based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed in Makkah for nineteen days during the Year of the Conquest, shortening the prayer, and he stayed in Tabuk for twenty days, shortening the prayer. The scholars mentioned these two instances of his (peace and blessings be upon him) residency without the intention of staying. Similarly, what is reported from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that he stayed in Azerbaijan for six months, confined by snow, shortening the prayer. The second type: The traveler intends to stay for a specific number of days, during which he does not travel. This is divided into two sections: The first section: His stay is four days or less. In this case, evidence indicates that it is permissible for him to take the travel dispensations, such as shortening, based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to shorten the prayer during his stay in Makkah during the Farewell Pilgrimage, from his entry into it on the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah until he left for Mina on the eighth day. There is no doubt that he intended to stay for this period. The second section: His stay is more than four days. In this case,
the scholars differed regarding its ruling. Some of them permitted him to shorten and take other travel dispensations, citing the aforementioned shortening of the prayer by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah during the Year of the Conquest and in Tabuk , because he used to shorten during his stay, which exceeded four days. Others prohibited it, citing the aforementioned principle that the original ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, but shortening is permissible for one who intends to stay for four days or less, based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding that in the Farewell Pilgrimage. What exceeds four days, if one intends to stay, has no valid evidence free from contradiction. When there is doubt, the argument falls away. Therefore, we return to the original ruling, which is completing the prayer. Thus, what we see in this issue is to adopt the safer course, which is that those you mentioned are not permitted to take the travel dispensations, because they have intended to stay for a full year." And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: What is the ruling on performing the Friday prayer in the military camps that are stationed in certain locations, where they are under command and awaiting orders at all times, even though the camps are built with structures and tents and are almost like permanent villages? They may move from their locations and be replaced by others. They used to perform the Friday prayer in those camps, but then some students of knowledge disagreed with them, some of whom denied the validity of their performing the Friday prayer, while others permitted it. They became confused about whose opinion to follow?
A: There are rulings for residency and rulings for travel. The Friday prayer is one of the issues to which the ruling of residency applies, so it is prayed as two rak'ahs. The ruling for travel is that it is prayed as Zuhr. Considering that the Grand Mufti, Shaykh \ Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), issued a general fatwa regarding soldiers stationed at the borders, asking whether it is permissible for them to shorten and combine prayers or not, the Committee has reviewed it and decided to limit the answer to this question to that fatwa, as the answer to this question falls within its general scope. The text of the fatwa is as follows: "The original ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, and the original ruling for the traveler is to shorten it. The residency that befalls the traveler is of two types:
The first type: Residency that befalls the traveler without the intention of staying for a specific number of days; rather, it is a residency dependent on his need, and he does not know when it will end, so when it ends, he travels. In such a case, it is permissible for him to take the dispensation of shortening the prayer and other travel dispensations for the duration of his stay, whether long or short. This is based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed in Makkah for nineteen days during the Year of the Conquest, shortening the prayer, and he stayed in Tabuk for twenty days, shortening the prayer. The scholars mentioned these two instances of his (peace and blessings be upon him) residency without the intention of staying. Similarly, what is reported from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that he stayed in Azerbaijan for six months, confined by snow, shortening the prayer. The second type: The traveler intends to stay for a specific number of days, during which he does not travel. This is divided into two sections: The first section: His stay is four days or less. In this case, evidence indicates that it is permissible for him to take the travel dispensations, such as shortening, based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to shorten the prayer during his stay in Makkah during the Farewell Pilgrimage, from his entry into it on the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah until he left for Mina on the eighth day. There is no doubt that he intended to stay for this period. The second section: His stay is more than four days. In this case,
the scholars differed regarding its ruling. Some of them permitted him to shorten and take other travel dispensations, citing the aforementioned shortening of the prayer by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah during the Year of the Conquest and in Tabuk , because he used to shorten during his stay, which exceeded four days. Others prohibited it, citing the aforementioned principle that the original ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, but shortening is permissible for one who intends to stay for four days or less, based on what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding that in the Farewell Pilgrimage. What exceeds four days, if one intends to stay, has no valid evidence free from contradiction. When there is doubt, the argument falls away. Therefore, we return to the original ruling, which is completing the prayer. Thus, what we see in this issue is to adopt the safer course, which is that those you mentioned are not permitted to take the travel dispensations, because they have intended to stay for a full year." 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.