What is the ruling on shortening or combining prayers, performing voluntary prayers, and fasting for one who studies in a place other than his hometown for a period of four months?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. My question is: We are students in some universities, and when we travel from our city to the university, we sometimes stay for four months or three months. What is the ruling on shortening the prayer, or combining it in this case, and leaving the regular voluntary prayers?
The Shaykh : First, we say: People are divided into three categories: a resident, a permanent resident, and a temporary resident, either by time or by work.
As for the resident, it is apparent that he does not have the ruling of a traveler, because he is a resident.
Likewise, the one who resides permanently, such as ambassadors and others, the original ruling for them is that they are permanent residents, and that this country is their country. This is also like the first category, meaning that he does not avail himself of the dispensations of travel.
The third is the one who resides for a limited time or work. By time: such as a month or two months, or a day or two days. Or by work: such as treatment, or learning that is not limited by years. His ruling is the ruling of a traveler; in fact, he is a traveler in reality, because when his time limited by time or his work that limited his travel ends, he returns to his hometown.
Based on this, those who study abroad, outside their hometown, are travelers, because they do not intend permanent residence at all. If he were given his degree today, he would travel, but he is tied to this temporary, defined work.
Therefore, you will find that in some countries the duration of study is four years, in some five, in some six; it varies. So, his ruling is the ruling of travelers. How long is wiping over leather socks? Three days. The four-rak'ah prayer is two rak'ahs. Fasting Ramadan is not obligatory for him, but we say: It is not befitting for him to postpone it until the second Ramadan, because if he postpones fasting Ramadan in this year, for example, and the second year comes and he postpones it to the third year, the days will accumulate on him, and he may be unable to make them up, and he may leave them. Therefore, we see that fasting, although it is permissible for him to break his fast because he is a traveler, he should not postpone it to the second year, lest it accumulate on him and he be unable to make it up.
As for the regular voluntary prayers, you and others, the well-known view among you is that the traveler does not perform voluntary prayers. This is the well-known view among many people, or most people.
The Shaykh : First, we say: People are divided into three categories: a resident, a permanent resident, and a temporary resident, either by time or by work.
As for the resident, it is apparent that he does not have the ruling of a traveler, because he is a resident.
Likewise, the one who resides permanently, such as ambassadors and others, the original ruling for them is that they are permanent residents, and that this country is their country. This is also like the first category, meaning that he does not avail himself of the dispensations of travel.
The third is the one who resides for a limited time or work. By time: such as a month or two months, or a day or two days. Or by work: such as treatment, or learning that is not limited by years. His ruling is the ruling of a traveler; in fact, he is a traveler in reality, because when his time limited by time or his work that limited his travel ends, he returns to his hometown.
Based on this, those who study abroad, outside their hometown, are travelers, because they do not intend permanent residence at all. If he were given his degree today, he would travel, but he is tied to this temporary, defined work.
Therefore, you will find that in some countries the duration of study is four years, in some five, in some six; it varies. So, his ruling is the ruling of travelers. How long is wiping over leather socks? Three days. The four-rak'ah prayer is two rak'ahs. Fasting Ramadan is not obligatory for him, but we say: It is not befitting for him to postpone it until the second Ramadan, because if he postpones fasting Ramadan in this year, for example, and the second year comes and he postpones it to the third year, the days will accumulate on him, and he may be unable to make them up, and he may leave them. Therefore, we see that fasting, although it is permissible for him to break his fast because he is a traveler, he should not postpone it to the second year, lest it accumulate on him and he be unable to make it up.
As for the regular voluntary prayers, you and others, the well-known view among you is that the traveler does not perform voluntary prayers. This is the well-known view among many people, or most people.