Does the traveler shorten his prayer if his return trip is to the airport?
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The questioner : This issue was raised a moment ago, the traveler at the airport, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : At the airport, does the traveler shorten his prayer or not?
The Shaykh : Yes, he shortens it.
The questioner : Which airport?
The Shaykh : Not any airport, but the Qassim airport is now separate from Buraydah and Unayzah.
The questioner : In some cities, the airport is inside the city.
The Shaykh : But for example, if the airport is inside the city, there is no shortening, no combining of prayers, and no breaking of the fast in Ramadan. The old Riyadh airport was in the middle of the city, and I think the Dhahran airport is in the middle of the city.
The questioner : In some airports, it is inside the city.
The Shaykh : This is any...
The questioner : Inside the town.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : But we fear that he will miss the two prayers.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : A person wants to travel, for example, from Tabuk to Abha, and the prayer time is, for example, Maghrib.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He will miss the Maghrib prayer because he does not arrive until ten o'clock.
The Shaykh : Fine, ten o'clock.
The questioner : Twelve o'clock.
The Shaykh : The point is, if he fears that he will not arrive until after midnight, he should combine the Isha prayer, even if he is in the city.
The questioner : Before Maghrib, before the Maghrib prayer, and the plane takes off.
The Shaykh : I mean, it takes off before Maghrib?
The questioner : Yes, and it stops in Jeddah, and they force them to stay inside the plane, so it does not become there until twelve o'clock.
The Shaykh : Do they pray at Jeddah airport, is that not possible?
The questioner : They do not pray, they do not get off.
The Shaykh : He should pray in the same plane if possible, but if he arrives in Abha before midnight, there is no problem, and it appears that he will arrive. If he is traveling from Tabuk, for example, before the sun sets, what is the distance between Tabuk and Jeddah?
The questioner : No, O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Wait, what is the distance, what is the distance?
The questioner : Approximately one hour.
The Shaykh : And he traveled how long before Maghrib? Say: a quarter of an hour.
The questioner : Maghrib is on the plane.
The Shaykh : But did he take off from the ground before the sun set?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, if it is one hour, it means he will arrive in Jeddah before the time of Isha enters, so he will stay in Jeddah, probably, for an hour and a quarter, right? That is two hours and a quarter from Jeddah to Abha?
The questioner : An hour and a half or so.
The Shaykh : One hour, let it be one hour, three hours and a quarter, will it be enough for him to arrive in Abha before half the night?
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. There is a hadith from Anas that when he wanted to travel... he had a sutrah or something like that.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Fine, he got off inside...
The Shaykh : This is his opinion (may Allah be pleased with him), but it is contrary to the Sunnah. The correct view is that it is not permissible.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : At the airport, does the traveler shorten his prayer or not?
The Shaykh : Yes, he shortens it.
The questioner : Which airport?
The Shaykh : Not any airport, but the Qassim airport is now separate from Buraydah and Unayzah.
The questioner : In some cities, the airport is inside the city.
The Shaykh : But for example, if the airport is inside the city, there is no shortening, no combining of prayers, and no breaking of the fast in Ramadan. The old Riyadh airport was in the middle of the city, and I think the Dhahran airport is in the middle of the city.
The questioner : In some airports, it is inside the city.
The Shaykh : This is any...
The questioner : Inside the town.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : But we fear that he will miss the two prayers.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : A person wants to travel, for example, from Tabuk to Abha, and the prayer time is, for example, Maghrib.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He will miss the Maghrib prayer because he does not arrive until ten o'clock.
The Shaykh : Fine, ten o'clock.
The questioner : Twelve o'clock.
The Shaykh : The point is, if he fears that he will not arrive until after midnight, he should combine the Isha prayer, even if he is in the city.
The questioner : Before Maghrib, before the Maghrib prayer, and the plane takes off.
The Shaykh : I mean, it takes off before Maghrib?
The questioner : Yes, and it stops in Jeddah, and they force them to stay inside the plane, so it does not become there until twelve o'clock.
The Shaykh : Do they pray at Jeddah airport, is that not possible?
The questioner : They do not pray, they do not get off.
The Shaykh : He should pray in the same plane if possible, but if he arrives in Abha before midnight, there is no problem, and it appears that he will arrive. If he is traveling from Tabuk, for example, before the sun sets, what is the distance between Tabuk and Jeddah?
The questioner : No, O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Wait, what is the distance, what is the distance?
The questioner : Approximately one hour.
The Shaykh : And he traveled how long before Maghrib? Say: a quarter of an hour.
The questioner : Maghrib is on the plane.
The Shaykh : But did he take off from the ground before the sun set?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, if it is one hour, it means he will arrive in Jeddah before the time of Isha enters, so he will stay in Jeddah, probably, for an hour and a quarter, right? That is two hours and a quarter from Jeddah to Abha?
The questioner : An hour and a half or so.
The Shaykh : One hour, let it be one hour, three hours and a quarter, will it be enough for him to arrive in Abha before half the night?
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. There is a hadith from Anas that when he wanted to travel... he had a sutrah or something like that.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Fine, he got off inside...
The Shaykh : This is his opinion (may Allah be pleased with him), but it is contrary to the Sunnah. The correct view is that it is not permissible.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.