What is the stronger position regarding the duration for which a traveler shortens his prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Regarding shortening the prayer while traveling, some scholars stated: If he knows the duration of his travel, he shortens for twenty-one obligatory prayers, excluding the days of travel. And some scholars said: If he does not know the duration, he shortens until he returns to his town. Is this statement correct?
The Shaykh : The issue has twenty-one opinions among the scholars, do you understand?
But the stronger position is: As long as he has not resolved to stay permanently without a time limit, he shortens, even if he remains for four days. Even if he knows he will stay for four days, or five, or ten, or four months, or four years. There is no evidence for distinguishing between knowing the duration and not knowing it. Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) shortened the prayer in Tabuk for twenty days, and he knew for certain that four days would not suffice for him. And he stayed for nineteen days in Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, shortening the prayer. It is well known that it is not possible for him to stay in this town that he had conquered and send [messengers] to the surrounding areas to demolish the idols that four days would suffice. Then he never said in all of history: "O people! Whoever resolves to stay more than four days, let him not shorten." He did not say this. Rather, he arrived in the Farewell Pilgrimage—his last journey he made—on the fourth day and continued to shorten the prayer until he returned to al-Madinah, while he knew that the people would come before the fourth day. Do all the pilgrims not come except from the fourth day onward? A question for you: Do all the pilgrims come from the fourth day and after?
No, some of the pilgrims come at the beginning of the pilgrimage, some come in Dhul-Qa'dah, and some come in Shawwal.[Al-Baqarah 2:197] When does it begin?
From Shawwal. Did he say to his Ummah, while knowing that some of them come before the fourth day, did he say: "Whoever among you arrives before the fourth day, he must complete the prayer"?
This is a matter that is not trivial, it is prayer.
So when he did not say this, we know that this hadith which those who estimate [the limit] at four days use as evidence is not evidence for it, because he says: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knows that some arrived before that and some will arrive after this. He knows this and that, (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not say to the Ummah: "O people! Whoever among you arrives before the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah, he must complete the prayer."
So the important point is that we say: Shortening is tied to travel. As long as you are a traveler, shortening is established for you. Wiping over the socks and leather socks for three days is established for you. And breaking the fast in Ramadan is established for you. But we say: Breaking the fast in Ramadan, you may break it, but it is not befitting for the second Ramadan to come until you have performed the obligation upon you, so that the months do not accumulate upon you. And you know that if four months, for example, accumulate, it becomes difficult for you to make them up. So if his breaking the fast is a cause for not making it up, let him make it up.
The questioner : Is shortening a dispensation?
The Shaykh : Shortening is a confirmed recommended practice, and some scholars say it is obligatory. However, if he is in a town and the people are praying and completing the prayer, he must pray with the people and complete the prayer, except for an excuse.
Regarding shortening the prayer while traveling, some scholars stated: If he knows the duration of his travel, he shortens for twenty-one obligatory prayers, excluding the days of travel. And some scholars said: If he does not know the duration, he shortens until he returns to his town. Is this statement correct?
The Shaykh : The issue has twenty-one opinions among the scholars, do you understand?
But the stronger position is: As long as he has not resolved to stay permanently without a time limit, he shortens, even if he remains for four days. Even if he knows he will stay for four days, or five, or ten, or four months, or four years. There is no evidence for distinguishing between knowing the duration and not knowing it. Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) shortened the prayer in Tabuk for twenty days, and he knew for certain that four days would not suffice for him. And he stayed for nineteen days in Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, shortening the prayer. It is well known that it is not possible for him to stay in this town that he had conquered and send [messengers] to the surrounding areas to demolish the idols that four days would suffice. Then he never said in all of history: "O people! Whoever resolves to stay more than four days, let him not shorten." He did not say this. Rather, he arrived in the Farewell Pilgrimage—his last journey he made—on the fourth day and continued to shorten the prayer until he returned to al-Madinah, while he knew that the people would come before the fourth day. Do all the pilgrims not come except from the fourth day onward? A question for you: Do all the pilgrims come from the fourth day and after?
No, some of the pilgrims come at the beginning of the pilgrimage, some come in Dhul-Qa'dah, and some come in Shawwal.
Hajj is [during] well-known months
الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَعْلُومَاتٌFrom Shawwal. Did he say to his Ummah, while knowing that some of them come before the fourth day, did he say: "Whoever among you arrives before the fourth day, he must complete the prayer"?
This is a matter that is not trivial, it is prayer.
So when he did not say this, we know that this hadith which those who estimate [the limit] at four days use as evidence is not evidence for it, because he says: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knows that some arrived before that and some will arrive after this. He knows this and that, (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not say to the Ummah: "O people! Whoever among you arrives before the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah, he must complete the prayer."
So the important point is that we say: Shortening is tied to travel. As long as you are a traveler, shortening is established for you. Wiping over the socks and leather socks for three days is established for you. And breaking the fast in Ramadan is established for you. But we say: Breaking the fast in Ramadan, you may break it, but it is not befitting for the second Ramadan to come until you have performed the obligation upon you, so that the months do not accumulate upon you. And you know that if four months, for example, accumulate, it becomes difficult for you to make them up. So if his breaking the fast is a cause for not making it up, let him make it up.
The questioner : Is shortening a dispensation?
The Shaykh : Shortening is a confirmed recommended practice, and some scholars say it is obligatory. However, if he is in a town and the people are praying and completing the prayer, he must pray with the people and complete the prayer, except for an excuse.