Combining and Shortening Prayers for One Who Has Resolved to Travel, and the Point at Which Shortening Begins
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He says: I bear witness to Allah that I love you for the sake of Allah, with a love that none knows but Allah. Honorable Shaykh, I intended to travel, and before I moved, the time for the midday prayer entered. Is it valid for me to combine it with the afternoon prayer in my hometown and then depart? Please advise us, and may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
As for love for the sake of Allah, it has been mentioned that it is among the best of qualities. We say: May Allah love you, the One whose friends you love.
As for a person’s resolution to travel, does he pray at home? No. If he resolves to travel, he does not shorten the prayer until he leaves the town. If he resolves to travel, even after the call to prayer, once he exits and leaves the town, he may shorten. For example, if he leaves Riyadh, he shortens at the airport; the airport is outside the town, so there is no harm. But as long as he is in the town or inside the town, no. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he intended to travel and left Madinah, shortened at Dhul-Hulayfah after leaving Madinah. And during the Farewell Pilgrimage, he prayed the midday prayer in Madinah as four units, then walked to Makkah and prayed the afternoon prayer at Dhul-Hulayfah as two units. So the traveler does not shorten until he leaves the town. Yes.
The questioner:
Meaning, he shortens at the airport.
The Shaykh:
The airport, if it is outside the town, like Jeddah Airport or Riyadh Airport, if it is outside the town, yes.
The questioner:
He shortens and combines.
The Shaykh:
He has the right to combine and shorten. Yes.
He says: I bear witness to Allah that I love you for the sake of Allah, with a love that none knows but Allah. Honorable Shaykh, I intended to travel, and before I moved, the time for the midday prayer entered. Is it valid for me to combine it with the afternoon prayer in my hometown and then depart? Please advise us, and may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
As for love for the sake of Allah, it has been mentioned that it is among the best of qualities. We say: May Allah love you, the One whose friends you love.
As for a person’s resolution to travel, does he pray at home? No. If he resolves to travel, he does not shorten the prayer until he leaves the town. If he resolves to travel, even after the call to prayer, once he exits and leaves the town, he may shorten. For example, if he leaves Riyadh, he shortens at the airport; the airport is outside the town, so there is no harm. But as long as he is in the town or inside the town, no. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he intended to travel and left Madinah, shortened at Dhul-Hulayfah after leaving Madinah. And during the Farewell Pilgrimage, he prayed the midday prayer in Madinah as four units, then walked to Makkah and prayed the afternoon prayer at Dhul-Hulayfah as two units. So the traveler does not shorten until he leaves the town. Yes.
The questioner:
Meaning, he shortens at the airport.
The Shaykh:
The airport, if it is outside the town, like Jeddah Airport or Riyadh Airport, if it is outside the town, yes.
The questioner:
He shortens and combines.
The Shaykh:
He has the right to combine and shorten. Yes.
Source
وجوب التفقه في الدين — islamhouse.com (1:08:05)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.