What is the ruling on performing prayer in the workplace, and some questions about the prayer of the traveler?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The question is: the 'Asr adhan was called, so I prayed with them, but with the intention of 'Isha. Should I pray 'Asr?
The Shaykh : Yes, of course.
The questioner : I mean, I owe nothing?
The Shaykh : No.
Another questioner: It is better and more excellent to pray there.
Another questioner: Professor, the workplace...
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : Now, what is its name? His status was settled there, so is it residence or not?
The questioner : I mean, like...
The Shaykh : We do not necessarily always observe what we see, but rather what we do not perceive. So the owner of the house knows best what is in it. If he considers himself a resident there, then he is a traveler. I mean, a man may travel a distance, and another with him; one is a resident and the other is a traveler. I will give you an example from myself. A few years ago, when I traveled from Damascus to Amman, of course in the path of da'wah, I considered myself a traveler, and I would shorten the prayer and combine the two prayers. Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic decreed that I married one of my daughters there. So when I went there, even for just one night, I considered myself a resident, because I feel that I am in my home. There is no shame in the religion; for example, if a person needs to take a ghusl at night, even though that does not happen to me, I have no objection. My daughter is there, and there is no stranger, unlike the sister and other relatives. My son travels with me, and he stays at the house of his sister, who is my daughter. He is a traveler, and I am a resident, because he is not at ease; he does not sit... with his brother-in-law as I do. And so on. In the issue of combining and shortening, or rather, traveling and the ruling that he is a traveler, or in the status of a traveler, or in the status of a resident, there are observations that one who has not experienced them cannot perceive. A person must know the general principles that make him a traveler or not, then he must exert his judgment in the circumstances surrounding him and rule for himself. The mufti does not... and never issues a fatwa for him; he is the one who will rule whether he is a traveler or not.
The questioner : Our relatives are on an outing with his family, from morning to evening. Do we shorten the prayer or not?
The Shaykh : You rule for yourself. I will also give you an example.
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings...
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings...
The Shaykh : We will complete our discussion...
The Shaykh : Yes, so I leave the city, from Damascus to al-Zabadani, I and my children and my wife in my car, and I stay there for three or four hours and return. The distance is fifty or sixty kilometers. I pray the prayer of a resident. But recently, we went with some of our brothers to Muzayrin.
The questioner : In the direction of Daraa.
The Shaykh : In the direction of Daraa. I found myself to be a traveler, because first, the distance is farther, and second, there is some preparation that we do not usually make when we leave Damascus for al-Zabadani, or... and so on. So the issue is relative; it is not a rigid material issue. This is shortening, and this is not shortening. It is not rare for this to happen in issues of shortening and combining. All right.
Before the topic expands, please, Abu 'Ammar.
The Shaykh : Yes, of course.
The questioner : I mean, I owe nothing?
The Shaykh : No.
Another questioner: It is better and more excellent to pray there.
Another questioner: Professor, the workplace...
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : Now, what is its name? His status was settled there, so is it residence or not?
The questioner : I mean, like...
The Shaykh : We do not necessarily always observe what we see, but rather what we do not perceive. So the owner of the house knows best what is in it. If he considers himself a resident there, then he is a traveler. I mean, a man may travel a distance, and another with him; one is a resident and the other is a traveler. I will give you an example from myself. A few years ago, when I traveled from Damascus to Amman, of course in the path of da'wah, I considered myself a traveler, and I would shorten the prayer and combine the two prayers. Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic decreed that I married one of my daughters there. So when I went there, even for just one night, I considered myself a resident, because I feel that I am in my home. There is no shame in the religion; for example, if a person needs to take a ghusl at night, even though that does not happen to me, I have no objection. My daughter is there, and there is no stranger, unlike the sister and other relatives. My son travels with me, and he stays at the house of his sister, who is my daughter. He is a traveler, and I am a resident, because he is not at ease; he does not sit... with his brother-in-law as I do. And so on. In the issue of combining and shortening, or rather, traveling and the ruling that he is a traveler, or in the status of a traveler, or in the status of a resident, there are observations that one who has not experienced them cannot perceive. A person must know the general principles that make him a traveler or not, then he must exert his judgment in the circumstances surrounding him and rule for himself. The mufti does not... and never issues a fatwa for him; he is the one who will rule whether he is a traveler or not.
The questioner : Our relatives are on an outing with his family, from morning to evening. Do we shorten the prayer or not?
The Shaykh : You rule for yourself. I will also give you an example.
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings...
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings...
The Shaykh : We will complete our discussion...
The Shaykh : Yes, so I leave the city, from Damascus to al-Zabadani, I and my children and my wife in my car, and I stay there for three or four hours and return. The distance is fifty or sixty kilometers. I pray the prayer of a resident. But recently, we went with some of our brothers to Muzayrin.
The questioner : In the direction of Daraa.
The Shaykh : In the direction of Daraa. I found myself to be a traveler, because first, the distance is farther, and second, there is some preparation that we do not usually make when we leave Damascus for al-Zabadani, or... and so on. So the issue is relative; it is not a rigid material issue. This is shortening, and this is not shortening. It is not rare for this to happen in issues of shortening and combining. All right.
Before the topic expands, please, Abu 'Ammar.