What is the criterion for the limit of travel that permits shortening the prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The left side.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : We want the criterion for travel, meaning is it based on custom, or four days and above, or eighty kilometers? We want the criterion for this issue.
The Shaykh : The limit of travel that permits shortening the prayer is a matter of disagreement. Some said that it is limited by distance, so whoever intends this distance is a traveler if he leaves his town.
And some said: It is tied to custom. The second is the correct position chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). The hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) indicates this, where he said:Bulugh al-Maram 2:343 The doubt is from Shu'bah. This indicates that it is not measured by the distance of two days, because three farsakh or three miles is much less. So the reference in this is to custom.
But if you do not know the custom, and it is difficult for a person to say: Is this travel by custom or not, what is the original ruling?
The original ruling is to complete the prayer. Whenever you doubt the justification for shortening, you must complete the prayer, for the sake of clearing your conscience. This is a skillful conclusion. You must complete the prayer, because also the session has ended as the adhan for the midday prayer was called. So until the next session, if Allah wills. May Allah accept from us and from you.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : We want the criterion for travel, meaning is it based on custom, or four days and above, or eighty kilometers? We want the criterion for this issue.
The Shaykh : The limit of travel that permits shortening the prayer is a matter of disagreement. Some said that it is limited by distance, so whoever intends this distance is a traveler if he leaves his town.
And some said: It is tied to custom. The second is the correct position chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). The hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) indicates this, where he said:
When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out on a journey of three miles or three Farasikh, he (ﷺ) used to pray two Rak'at.
كان النّبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم إذا خرج ثلاثة أميال أو فراسخ صلّى ركعتينBut if you do not know the custom, and it is difficult for a person to say: Is this travel by custom or not, what is the original ruling?
The original ruling is to complete the prayer. Whenever you doubt the justification for shortening, you must complete the prayer, for the sake of clearing your conscience. This is a skillful conclusion. You must complete the prayer, because also the session has ended as the adhan for the midday prayer was called. So until the next session, if Allah wills. May Allah accept from us and from you.