If a traveler intends to stay for a specific period for a study course, does he shorten the prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : You were kind enough to say that if he is going to return, meaning, but if he returns, for example, like a traveler who goes for a course for six or seven months, is he entitled to shorten the prayer, and he does not know that he will return after six months, or does he have to stay in the foreign country for six months or a year?
The Shaykh : No, this is a decision to stay for this period—as you are imagining now—so he completes the prayer and does not shorten it. He has resolved to stay; he has settled down; he is a resident. Perhaps you have heard me say
The questioner : Excuse me, if I could complete the question again
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Suppose they call them tours. As long as they are called tours, meaning he goes on a tour of six months, three months, or two weeks or so, like those who go on tours, is this considered a known period where he does not shorten the prayer, or is it an unknown period where he shortens the prayer?
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you, the question is not complete. This is a different question. Do not rush us, hehe. The first question was clear, and the answer was clear too. Now this is a second question, and the answer is second and different from the first. This is a traveler now; he is moving from place to place. So he continues to shorten the prayer until he returns to his country. The ruling differs completely.
The questioner : ... meaning, if he is traveling from one country to another and intends to stay there for three days, for example, or a week, is he considered a resident or a traveler?
The Shaykh : He is not intending to settle down. The first question was about a course, as you heard him saying, so he intended to settle down. This one is not intending to settle down; he is intending to move around. Three days here and five days there, less or more, etc. This situation differs completely from the first situation, so he is a traveler.
The Shaykh : No, this is a decision to stay for this period—as you are imagining now—so he completes the prayer and does not shorten it. He has resolved to stay; he has settled down; he is a resident. Perhaps you have heard me say
The questioner : Excuse me, if I could complete the question again
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Suppose they call them tours. As long as they are called tours, meaning he goes on a tour of six months, three months, or two weeks or so, like those who go on tours, is this considered a known period where he does not shorten the prayer, or is it an unknown period where he shortens the prayer?
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you, the question is not complete. This is a different question. Do not rush us, hehe. The first question was clear, and the answer was clear too. Now this is a second question, and the answer is second and different from the first. This is a traveler now; he is moving from place to place. So he continues to shorten the prayer until he returns to his country. The ruling differs completely.
The questioner : ... meaning, if he is traveling from one country to another and intends to stay there for three days, for example, or a week, is he considered a resident or a traveler?
The Shaykh : He is not intending to settle down. The first question was about a course, as you heard him saying, so he intended to settle down. This one is not intending to settle down; he is intending to move around. Three days here and five days there, less or more, etc. This situation differs completely from the first situation, so he is a traveler.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.