The criterion for the distance of shortening prayer during travel is custom
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Regarding shortening the prayer while traveling, is the criterion custom or distance?
Say: The travel that is considered, not the shortening.
Is the criterion for travel custom or distance?As for the opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): He holds that the criterion is custom, so whatever people call travel is travel,And travel: that is, the journey for which one packs one’s bags, carries food and drink, and sees the traveler off and bids him farewell.
And as for the majority of scholars, they say: That it is measured by distance.
Based on this, I will give you an example of 'Unayzah and Buraydah: The distance between them is less than the distance defined by those who define the distance; because those who defined the distance set it at (81 km), and the distance from Buraydah does not reach (81) to 'Unayzah, so according to the opinion of those who hold that the travel in which one shortens is that which reaches the distance, they say: One who travels from 'Unayzah to Buraydah does not shorten, whereas those who hold that travel is what people consider travel say: One who goes from 'Unayzah to Buraydah to perform his government work in the late morning and returns to his family to have lunch, this is not considered travel, but if he goes to his relatives there and intends to stay with them for two or three days, it is considered travel. This is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam, and there is no doubt that the choice of Shaykh al-Islam is the correct one in terms of reasoning;Because Allah said: [Al-Nisa: 101], and Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he traveled a distance of three miles or parasangs, would pray two rak'ahs), and this is less than the distance defined by those who define it, so the statement of Shaykh al-Islam in terms of reasoning is the correct one; but it is not regulated in reality,Meaning: people remain in confusion.
As for if you specified, I say: One who travels (81 km) and (300 m) is a traveler, so people have no doubt, so in terms of definition it is more regulated for people, but in terms of reasoning, there is no doubt that what is called travel is travel, and what is not called travel is not travel, so it returns to custom.
The questioner: Is one who travels for four days considered a traveler?The Shaykh: Yes, that is correct.
The questioner: Does he shorten the prayer?The Shaykh: Meaning: he traveled, for example, to a town at the distance for shortening.
The questioner: He traveled the distance for shortening and intends to stay for a month.
The Shaykh: There is nothing wrong with that; if he travels the distance for shortening and stays in the town, he is a traveler, even if he stays for four years, as long as he does not intend permanent residence, he is a traveler; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in Tabuk for twenty days shortening the prayer, and stayed in Makkah for nineteen days shortening the prayer, and did not specify a certain duration for his Ummah, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would travel to the border posts, which are the borders of the Islamic lands, and a person would stay there for a year or two as a judge and shorten the prayer, and Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was trapped by snow in Azerbaijan for six months while shortening the prayer.
Say: The travel that is considered, not the shortening.
Is the criterion for travel custom or distance?As for the opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): He holds that the criterion is custom, so whatever people call travel is travel,And travel: that is, the journey for which one packs one’s bags, carries food and drink, and sees the traveler off and bids him farewell.
And as for the majority of scholars, they say: That it is measured by distance.
Based on this, I will give you an example of 'Unayzah and Buraydah: The distance between them is less than the distance defined by those who define the distance; because those who defined the distance set it at (81 km), and the distance from Buraydah does not reach (81) to 'Unayzah, so according to the opinion of those who hold that the travel in which one shortens is that which reaches the distance, they say: One who travels from 'Unayzah to Buraydah does not shorten, whereas those who hold that travel is what people consider travel say: One who goes from 'Unayzah to Buraydah to perform his government work in the late morning and returns to his family to have lunch, this is not considered travel, but if he goes to his relatives there and intends to stay with them for two or three days, it is considered travel. This is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam, and there is no doubt that the choice of Shaykh al-Islam is the correct one in terms of reasoning;Because Allah said:
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer
وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلاةِAs for if you specified, I say: One who travels (81 km) and (300 m) is a traveler, so people have no doubt, so in terms of definition it is more regulated for people, but in terms of reasoning, there is no doubt that what is called travel is travel, and what is not called travel is not travel, so it returns to custom.
The questioner: Is one who travels for four days considered a traveler?The Shaykh: Yes, that is correct.
The questioner: Does he shorten the prayer?The Shaykh: Meaning: he traveled, for example, to a town at the distance for shortening.
The questioner: He traveled the distance for shortening and intends to stay for a month.
The Shaykh: There is nothing wrong with that; if he travels the distance for shortening and stays in the town, he is a traveler, even if he stays for four years, as long as he does not intend permanent residence, he is a traveler; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in Tabuk for twenty days shortening the prayer, and stayed in Makkah for nineteen days shortening the prayer, and did not specify a certain duration for his Ummah, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would travel to the border posts, which are the borders of the Islamic lands, and a person would stay there for a year or two as a judge and shorten the prayer, and Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was trapped by snow in Azerbaijan for six months while shortening the prayer.