Is there a dispensation for shortening the prayer for a traveler whose journey is a sin?
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The Shaykh : Here comes an issue that has no connection to this, but it can be attached to it, which is: The scholars differed regarding a traveler whose journey is a sin; does he have the known dispensation for the traveler or not?
There are two opinions in this issue, but it is not like that story which I think you have not forgotten, just as you forgot the issue of "except in it is a warning."
Do you remember the story? Let them hear it, my brothers, I think they have not heard it. Do you remember it?
The questioner : Did you forget it?
The Shaykh : They claim that one of the muftis had a journey come up, so they would leave the place of issuing fatwas, so he ordered his father to succeed him in his place, and his father was an ignorant, unlettered man. He said to him, "O my father, how is this when I have no knowledge?" He said, "I will teach you a method to rely on until I return to you."
Whenever a questioner comes to you asking a question, say to him, "There are two opinions in this issue." A man came and said, "O my master,The Shaykh : I became angry and I lashed out at my wife and said to her, 'You are divorced three times.' Is she forbidden to me or not?" He said to him, "O my son, there are two opinions in this issue; some say she is divorced, and some say she is not divorced."
O my master,The Shaykh : For example, I heard the adhan for Jumu'ah and I was in the middle of buying and selling, so I bought. Is this sale valid or not? You say, "There are two opinions in this issue," and so on.
The father was reassured by his son and by the legal stratagem, as they say, that he presented to him. The mufti went on his way, and the father began to sit in his son's place, and the people began to flock to him as usual. Each one asks a question, and he says to him, "O my son, there are two opinions in this issue; some say it is permissible and some say it is not, some say it is obligatory and some say it is a sunnah, such as the ghusl for Jumu'ah and the greeting of the mosque, and so on."
So one of the smart ones who attended the fatwa session realized thatThe Shaykh : he has no knowledge. If he had knowledge, he would say, "There are two opinions in this issue, but the correct one is such-and-such." But he never said anything except, "There are two opinions in this issue, there are two opinions in this issue."
So this smart man whispered in the ear of a neighbor of his and said to him, "Go in and ask for meThe Shaykh : Say to him, 'O my master, is there any doubt in Allah?' He said to him, 'O my master,The Shaykh : Is there any doubt in Allah?' He said, "There are two opinions in this issue."
This is a Syrian joke, of course; it is not our concern whether it is true, but it applies to some people now. Now you find people who claim to lead the Ummah, and in general assemblies and gatherings, this is their way. They speak about an issue that comes up or is directed to them, saying, "In the Hanafi madhhab it is like this, and in the Shafi'i madhhab it is like this." "O my master, where is the truth?" "Everyone seeks from the Messenger of Allah, and whoever follows a scholar meets Allah in safety." Ah, so the point is: The scholars differed in the issue of the traveler, if his journey is a forbidden journey, does he have these dispensations? There are two opinions in this issue. But we say.
The questioner : We hold the stronger position.
The Shaykh : That there is no difference, as long as this traveler's journey is a journey of sin. But we have two journeys, and glory be to Allah, we have a short journey and a long journey that encompasses our entire lives.
So just as in this long journey, everyone among us is a sinner, but there is a difference in the degree of sin, does the one who disobeys Allah the Exalted and Majestic in his long journey not have those rulings legislated for the short journey? Who says this? So this person who wants to travel a short journey, as long as he wants to pray, he is not a sinner in his prayer, but he left his country to Europe for entertainment and to look at beautiful women, and entering bars and cinemas, and so on. There is no doubt that this is a sin, but despite that, he obeys Allah; he prays and he fasts.
So if he prays, can he pray two rak'ahs while he is a traveler? Can he combine prayers while he is a traveler? They say that saying: No, this is a journey of sin. What is the evidence? There is no evidence here except opinion and ijtihad. We say, if it were good, they would have preceded us to it. If this distinction was desired by the Wise Lawgiver, who said in the Noble Qur'an:[An-Nisa 4:101] Then the question came from one of the Companions: "O Messenger of Allah, why do we shorten when we are safe?" He said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1199Sahih (Al-Albani)
So if a person went out disobeying Allah in his journey, but he entered in obedience to Allah in his prayer, why does he not accept the dispensation of his Lord? So the correct view is that there is no difference between a journey of obedience and a journey of sin in the permissibility of enjoying the dispensations that were made for travel.
There are two opinions in this issue, but it is not like that story which I think you have not forgotten, just as you forgot the issue of "except in it is a warning."
Do you remember the story? Let them hear it, my brothers, I think they have not heard it. Do you remember it?
The questioner : Did you forget it?
The Shaykh : They claim that one of the muftis had a journey come up, so they would leave the place of issuing fatwas, so he ordered his father to succeed him in his place, and his father was an ignorant, unlettered man. He said to him, "O my father, how is this when I have no knowledge?" He said, "I will teach you a method to rely on until I return to you."
Whenever a questioner comes to you asking a question, say to him, "There are two opinions in this issue." A man came and said, "O my master,The Shaykh : I became angry and I lashed out at my wife and said to her, 'You are divorced three times.' Is she forbidden to me or not?" He said to him, "O my son, there are two opinions in this issue; some say she is divorced, and some say she is not divorced."
O my master,The Shaykh : For example, I heard the adhan for Jumu'ah and I was in the middle of buying and selling, so I bought. Is this sale valid or not? You say, "There are two opinions in this issue," and so on.
The father was reassured by his son and by the legal stratagem, as they say, that he presented to him. The mufti went on his way, and the father began to sit in his son's place, and the people began to flock to him as usual. Each one asks a question, and he says to him, "O my son, there are two opinions in this issue; some say it is permissible and some say it is not, some say it is obligatory and some say it is a sunnah, such as the ghusl for Jumu'ah and the greeting of the mosque, and so on."
So one of the smart ones who attended the fatwa session realized thatThe Shaykh : he has no knowledge. If he had knowledge, he would say, "There are two opinions in this issue, but the correct one is such-and-such." But he never said anything except, "There are two opinions in this issue, there are two opinions in this issue."
So this smart man whispered in the ear of a neighbor of his and said to him, "Go in and ask for meThe Shaykh : Say to him, 'O my master, is there any doubt in Allah?' He said to him, 'O my master,The Shaykh : Is there any doubt in Allah?' He said, "There are two opinions in this issue."
This is a Syrian joke, of course; it is not our concern whether it is true, but it applies to some people now. Now you find people who claim to lead the Ummah, and in general assemblies and gatherings, this is their way. They speak about an issue that comes up or is directed to them, saying, "In the Hanafi madhhab it is like this, and in the Shafi'i madhhab it is like this." "O my master, where is the truth?" "Everyone seeks from the Messenger of Allah, and whoever follows a scholar meets Allah in safety." Ah, so the point is: The scholars differed in the issue of the traveler, if his journey is a forbidden journey, does he have these dispensations? There are two opinions in this issue. But we say.
The questioner : We hold the stronger position.
The Shaykh : That there is no difference, as long as this traveler's journey is a journey of sin. But we have two journeys, and glory be to Allah, we have a short journey and a long journey that encompasses our entire lives.
So just as in this long journey, everyone among us is a sinner, but there is a difference in the degree of sin, does the one who disobeys Allah the Exalted and Majestic in his long journey not have those rulings legislated for the short journey? Who says this? So this person who wants to travel a short journey, as long as he wants to pray, he is not a sinner in his prayer, but he left his country to Europe for entertainment and to look at beautiful women, and entering bars and cinemas, and so on. There is no doubt that this is a sin, but despite that, he obeys Allah; he prays and he fasts.
So if he prays, can he pray two rak'ahs while he is a traveler? Can he combine prayers while he is a traveler? They say that saying: No, this is a journey of sin. What is the evidence? There is no evidence here except opinion and ijtihad. We say, if it were good, they would have preceded us to it. If this distinction was desired by the Wise Lawgiver, who said in the Noble Qur'an:
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt
وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواIt is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept his charity.
صدقة تصدق الله بها عليكم فاقبلوا صدقتهSo if a person went out disobeying Allah in his journey, but he entered in obedience to Allah in his prayer, why does he not accept the dispensation of his Lord? So the correct view is that there is no difference between a journey of obedience and a journey of sin in the permissibility of enjoying the dispensations that were made for travel.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.