A man traveled to a country for four years; is he permitted to shorten the prayer?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
O Shaykh, if a person travels to a city and the duration of his travel is four years, does he shorten the prayers and leave off the recommended practices?
The Shaykh : This is a matter in which the scholars have disagreed: is there a fixed duration after which the ruling of travel ceases, or is a person considered a traveler as long as he is away from his home, no matter how long the duration? The second opinion is the correct one: if a person does not intend to reside permanently in that country, but stays for a specific purpose such as study, treatment, or something else, and intends to return when his work and business are finished, then he is a traveler. However, if he is in a place where the congregation is held, it is obligatory for him to attend the mosque and pray with the people. Likewise, the Friday prayer is obligatory for him, and it is not permissible for him to be late for the congregational prayer or the Friday prayer, because travel is not an excuse that removes the obligation of the congregation or the Friday prayer. Consequently, he will complete the prayer if he follows an imam who completes the prayer.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
O Shaykh, if a person travels to a city and the duration of his travel is four years, does he shorten the prayers and leave off the recommended practices?
The Shaykh : This is a matter in which the scholars have disagreed: is there a fixed duration after which the ruling of travel ceases, or is a person considered a traveler as long as he is away from his home, no matter how long the duration? The second opinion is the correct one: if a person does not intend to reside permanently in that country, but stays for a specific purpose such as study, treatment, or something else, and intends to return when his work and business are finished, then he is a traveler. However, if he is in a place where the congregation is held, it is obligatory for him to attend the mosque and pray with the people. Likewise, the Friday prayer is obligatory for him, and it is not permissible for him to be late for the congregational prayer or the Friday prayer, because travel is not an excuse that removes the obligation of the congregation or the Friday prayer. Consequently, he will complete the prayer if he follows an imam who completes the prayer.