Is there a specific duration for shortening the prayer while traveling?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Yes. Honorable Shaykh Muhammad is with us. A woman is on the line asking about shortening and combining the prayer for a traveler. Does it have a specific duration, even if water is available? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no specific duration for shortening the prayer while traveling. Rather, as long as a person is a traveler who has left his town with the intention of returning to it, he shortens the prayer, even if his stay is prolonged. For example, if a woman goes to Makkah for 'Umrah at the beginning of Ramadan and stays until the end of Ramadan, she may shorten the prayer. As for combining, one should not combine as long as he is staying, unless there is a pressing need. However, if he does combine, there is no blame on him, because travel is one of the reasons for combining. This ruling is not specific to women; it is also established for men. However, if a man is in a town, he is required to attend the congregational prayer. If he attends the congregational prayer, he may not shorten if he prays with the imam or catches any part of the prayer with him. This is because if a traveler prays behind someone who completes the prayer, he is required to complete it, whether he catches the prayer from the beginning, catches one rak'ah, or catches less than a rak'ah. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sahih al-Bukhari 635 where 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked about a man who prays two rak'ahs while the imam prays four, and he said, "That is the Sunnah."
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. If we ask, Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), when does the period for shortening and combining begin, and when does it end?
The Shaykh : Yes, the period for shortening and combining begins when a person leaves his town, even by the length of one arm. As long as he has gone beyond the limits of the town, he begins shortening and combining. Shortening and combining end when he enters the town returning from his journey. So, as long as he has not entered the town, he may avail himself of the dispensation of shortening and combining.
The questioner : So the beginning is leaving his town, and the end is entering his town. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. We have a call on the line now.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no specific duration for shortening the prayer while traveling. Rather, as long as a person is a traveler who has left his town with the intention of returning to it, he shortens the prayer, even if his stay is prolonged. For example, if a woman goes to Makkah for 'Umrah at the beginning of Ramadan and stays until the end of Ramadan, she may shorten the prayer. As for combining, one should not combine as long as he is staying, unless there is a pressing need. However, if he does combine, there is no blame on him, because travel is one of the reasons for combining. This ruling is not specific to women; it is also established for men. However, if a man is in a town, he is required to attend the congregational prayer. If he attends the congregational prayer, he may not shorten if he prays with the imam or catches any part of the prayer with him. This is because if a traveler prays behind someone who completes the prayer, he is required to complete it, whether he catches the prayer from the beginning, catches one rak'ah, or catches less than a rak'ah. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
and pray whatever you get (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed
ما أدركتم فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتمواThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good. If we ask, Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), when does the period for shortening and combining begin, and when does it end?
The Shaykh : Yes, the period for shortening and combining begins when a person leaves his town, even by the length of one arm. As long as he has gone beyond the limits of the town, he begins shortening and combining. Shortening and combining end when he enters the town returning from his journey. So, as long as he has not entered the town, he may avail himself of the dispensation of shortening and combining.
The questioner : So the beginning is leaving his town, and the end is entering his town. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. We have a call on the line now.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 603- هل لقصر الصلاة مدة محددة في السفر/سؤال على الهاتف 📞 /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.