What is the maximum limit for shortening the prayer?
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The questioner : A moment ago, a brother asked you a question about shortening the prayer.
The questioner : What is the maximum limit for shortening the prayer? I mean, is it permissible, for example, if I know that it is permissible for six months if I am not a resident, meaning if I am a traveler?
The Shaykh : As long as you are truly a traveler, there is no limit to which it ends. So, once you finish being a traveler, you have returned to the state of residence and the rulings of residence apply. If you remain a traveler, it may not be six months; it could be a year. But you have in your mind that the six months is a sound narration from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he went out on a military expedition with his companions to Azerbaijan, which is now in the borders of Iran. Then very heavy rains fell, and they continued to shorten the prayer for six months. But imagine if the snow had remained as it was, blocking the roads for another month; would the six months become seven, and so on? The point is, if the traveler is still subject to the ruling of travel in the Shari'ah, then the rulings of the traveler apply to him, whether the duration is long or short. This does not happen except by intending to reside, meaning, as they say, "establishing residence," meaning he settles there. It is not that he is forced to reside, as happened to the Companions. No, and among the reasons is that his work ends today, and tomorrow his trade ends and his benefit is dissolved, and so on. So, he continues to shorten the prayer no matter how long the duration, in short, for a specific, named period.
The Shaykh: ...what we mentioned in the previous hadith, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1199Sahih (Al-Albani) Please, go ahead.
The questioner : What is the maximum limit for shortening the prayer? I mean, is it permissible, for example, if I know that it is permissible for six months if I am not a resident, meaning if I am a traveler?
The Shaykh : As long as you are truly a traveler, there is no limit to which it ends. So, once you finish being a traveler, you have returned to the state of residence and the rulings of residence apply. If you remain a traveler, it may not be six months; it could be a year. But you have in your mind that the six months is a sound narration from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he went out on a military expedition with his companions to Azerbaijan, which is now in the borders of Iran. Then very heavy rains fell, and they continued to shorten the prayer for six months. But imagine if the snow had remained as it was, blocking the roads for another month; would the six months become seven, and so on? The point is, if the traveler is still subject to the ruling of travel in the Shari'ah, then the rulings of the traveler apply to him, whether the duration is long or short. This does not happen except by intending to reside, meaning, as they say, "establishing residence," meaning he settles there. It is not that he is forced to reside, as happened to the Companions. No, and among the reasons is that his work ends today, and tomorrow his trade ends and his benefit is dissolved, and so on. So, he continues to shorten the prayer no matter how long the duration, in short, for a specific, named period.
The Shaykh: ...what we mentioned in the previous hadith, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept his charity.
صدقة تصدق الله بها عليكم فأقبلوا صدقته
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.