Does merely going out to the open land permit shortening the prayer? Because merely traveling on the earth is going out and departing.
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The questioner : O Shaykh, some people, when they go out to the open land, shorten the prayer and say: The Companions differed, and he understood from his saying: [An-Nisa 4:101] He said: Its definition in the language is going out, so whenever I go out, I will shorten the prayer, and whoever wants to prevent me, let him bring evidence.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is no doubt that the original ruling is that traveling on the earth permits shortening the prayer, and it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he specified it by a certain distance or a certain time. However, it is established that the Messenger used to go out to Quba, which is outside the city, and yet he did not shorten the prayer.
And based on this, the reference is to what people commonly understand. If they say: This is a journey, then it is a journey. So now, one distinguishes between a short distance with a short time, a long distance with a short time, and a short time with a short distance.
So the conditions are four: either the distance is short and the time is short, or the distance is long and the time is long, or the distance is long and the time is short, or the distance is short and the time is long.
If the distance is short and the time is short, it is not a journey. For example, if a person goes out to walk in the outskirts of the town and wants to return at the end of the day, he is not a traveler. It is not called a journey, neither in the language nor in the Shari'ah. Our evidence for this is that the Messenger used to go out to Quba, which is separate from the city, and in the time of the Messenger there was a distance between them, and he also used to go out to al-'Uwala in the city, and he did not take the dispensation of travel.
As for if he goes out to a short distance but wants to stay there for a long period, then he is a traveler.
And if he travels to a far country and wants to return on the same day, as if he travels from al-Qasim to Riyadh and wants to return, then he is a traveler, and that is because of the length of the distance. So if it is a long distance or a long time, or a long distance and time, then he is a traveler. And if it is a short distance with a short time, then he is not a traveler. Yes.
The questioner : The fourth condition.
The Shaykh : This fourth condition, a short distance with a short time, is not a journey.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It becomes a journey. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. So, this session ends here. We ask Allah to return us and you to a better return, and until the next meeting, if Allah wills.
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer
وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلاةِThe Shaykh : Yes, it is no doubt that the original ruling is that traveling on the earth permits shortening the prayer, and it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he specified it by a certain distance or a certain time. However, it is established that the Messenger used to go out to Quba, which is outside the city, and yet he did not shorten the prayer.
And based on this, the reference is to what people commonly understand. If they say: This is a journey, then it is a journey. So now, one distinguishes between a short distance with a short time, a long distance with a short time, and a short time with a short distance.
So the conditions are four: either the distance is short and the time is short, or the distance is long and the time is long, or the distance is long and the time is short, or the distance is short and the time is long.
If the distance is short and the time is short, it is not a journey. For example, if a person goes out to walk in the outskirts of the town and wants to return at the end of the day, he is not a traveler. It is not called a journey, neither in the language nor in the Shari'ah. Our evidence for this is that the Messenger used to go out to Quba, which is separate from the city, and in the time of the Messenger there was a distance between them, and he also used to go out to al-'Uwala in the city, and he did not take the dispensation of travel.
As for if he goes out to a short distance but wants to stay there for a long period, then he is a traveler.
And if he travels to a far country and wants to return on the same day, as if he travels from al-Qasim to Riyadh and wants to return, then he is a traveler, and that is because of the length of the distance. So if it is a long distance or a long time, or a long distance and time, then he is a traveler. And if it is a short distance with a short time, then he is not a traveler. Yes.
The questioner : The fourth condition.
The Shaykh : This fourth condition, a short distance with a short time, is not a journey.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It becomes a journey. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes. So, this session ends here. We ask Allah to return us and you to a better return, and until the next meeting, if Allah wills.