If a person reaches the time of prayer while traveling and returning to his town, and he has not prayed that prayer until he arrives in the town, does he pray it shortened?
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The questioner : He says: If a person reaches the time of prayer while traveling and returning to his town, and he has not prayed that prayer until he arrives in the town, does he pray it shortened or complete? May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : He prays it complete. That is, if a person is heading toward his town and the time enters and he arrives in the town, does he pray it complete or shortened? We say: Pray it complete. Likewise, the reverse is that he prays it shortened. That is, if the mu'adhdhin calls the adhan and you are in your town, then you travel before you pray, do you pray it as four rak'ahs or as two rak'ahs? The stronger position is that you pray it as two rak'ahs, because the consideration is the performance of the prayer. It is said: Just as a person who returns from his travel before praying, and the time has entered for him, prays four rak'ahs, so too, if he leaves his town as a traveler and does not pray, how many does he pray? Two rak'ahs. Yes.
The Shaykh : He prays it complete. That is, if a person is heading toward his town and the time enters and he arrives in the town, does he pray it complete or shortened? We say: Pray it complete. Likewise, the reverse is that he prays it shortened. That is, if the mu'adhdhin calls the adhan and you are in your town, then you travel before you pray, do you pray it as four rak'ahs or as two rak'ahs? The stronger position is that you pray it as two rak'ahs, because the consideration is the performance of the prayer. It is said: Just as a person who returns from his travel before praying, and the time has entered for him, prays four rak'ahs, so too, if he leaves his town as a traveler and does not pray, how many does he pray? Two rak'ahs. Yes.