Is the criterion for shortening the prayer while traveling the location or the entry of the prayer time?
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Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: Is the criterion for shortening the prayer while traveling the location or the entry of the prayer time? And if a traveler combines and shortens, then arrives at his town before the time for the second obligatory prayer enters, does he suffice with the first one, or does he pray the second one with the congregation? Is the first prayer considered a voluntary prayer in his case, or what does he do?
Answer:
If the travel distance is eighty kilometers or more, and the prayer becomes obligatory for him while he is on the road, he delays the first one and prays it with the second as a combination of delay, because this is easier for him. And if the time for the first prayer enters while he is stopped on the road, drinking coffee, not cooking lunch, eating lunch, and not resting during the journey, and the time for the first prayer—whether it is the midday prayer or the sunset prayer—enters, he combines as a combination of advance. He prays the first prayer whose time has entered, then brings the second one forward with it as a combination of advance, then he mounts for travel, because this is more comfortable for him, whether it is a combination of advance or a combination of delay.
And if he knows that he will arrive at the town at the time of the second prayer, the best is that he delays the second one and prays it when he arrives at the town; this is the best. And if he prays it with the first one as a combination of advance, that is permissible for him, because as long as he is traveling, he may utilize the dispensations of travel. So if he combines and arrives at the town before the entry of the second prayer or during its time, he does not repeat it. He has prayed it as a valid prayer, so he does not repeat it, and a prayer is not prayed twice in one day.
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: Is the criterion for shortening the prayer while traveling the location or the entry of the prayer time? And if a traveler combines and shortens, then arrives at his town before the time for the second obligatory prayer enters, does he suffice with the first one, or does he pray the second one with the congregation? Is the first prayer considered a voluntary prayer in his case, or what does he do?
Answer:
If the travel distance is eighty kilometers or more, and the prayer becomes obligatory for him while he is on the road, he delays the first one and prays it with the second as a combination of delay, because this is easier for him. And if the time for the first prayer enters while he is stopped on the road, drinking coffee, not cooking lunch, eating lunch, and not resting during the journey, and the time for the first prayer—whether it is the midday prayer or the sunset prayer—enters, he combines as a combination of advance. He prays the first prayer whose time has entered, then brings the second one forward with it as a combination of advance, then he mounts for travel, because this is more comfortable for him, whether it is a combination of advance or a combination of delay.
And if he knows that he will arrive at the town at the time of the second prayer, the best is that he delays the second one and prays it when he arrives at the town; this is the best. And if he prays it with the first one as a combination of advance, that is permissible for him, because as long as he is traveling, he may utilize the dispensations of travel. So if he combines and arrives at the town before the entry of the second prayer or during its time, he does not repeat it. He has prayed it as a valid prayer, so he does not repeat it, and a prayer is not prayed twice in one day.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل العبرة في القصر في السفر بالمكان أم بدخول وقت الصلاة؟ لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.