The Most Important Rulings of Prayer While Traveling
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Q: What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding the travel that permits shortening the prayer? Is it defined by a specific distance? And what is your view of one who intends to stay in his place of travel for more than four days? Does he have the dispensation to shorten the prayer?
A: The majority of scholars hold that it is defined by the distance of a day and a night for camels and pedestrians traveling at a normal pace, which is approximately 80 kilometers; because this distance is considered travel by custom, unlike what is less than that.
The majority also hold that if one intends to stay for more than four days, it is obligatory for him to complete the prayer and fast in Ramadan.
If the duration is less than that, he may shorten the prayer, combine prayers, and break his fast; because the default ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, and shortening is only prescribed for him when he engages in travel.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed for four days during the Farewell Pilgrimage, shortening the prayer, then he departed to Mina and 'Arafah. This indicates the permissibility of shortening the prayer for one who intends to stay for four days or less. As for his (peace and blessings be upon him) stay of nineteen days in the Year of the Conquest and twenty days in Tabuk, it is understood that he did not intend to reside there, but rather stayed for a reason whose end he did not know. This is how the majority understood his stay in Makkah in the Year of the Conquest and in Tabuk during the Battle of Tabuk, out of caution for the religion and in accordance with the default ruling, which is the obligation of praying four rak'ahs for the resident for the midday, afternoon, and night prayers.
As for one who does not intend to reside, but does not know when he will depart, he may shorten the prayer, combine prayers, and break his fast until he intends to stay for more than four days or returns to his homeland. And success is from Allah.
A: The majority of scholars hold that it is defined by the distance of a day and a night for camels and pedestrians traveling at a normal pace, which is approximately 80 kilometers; because this distance is considered travel by custom, unlike what is less than that.
The majority also hold that if one intends to stay for more than four days, it is obligatory for him to complete the prayer and fast in Ramadan.
If the duration is less than that, he may shorten the prayer, combine prayers, and break his fast; because the default ruling for the resident is to complete the prayer, and shortening is only prescribed for him when he engages in travel.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stayed for four days during the Farewell Pilgrimage, shortening the prayer, then he departed to Mina and 'Arafah. This indicates the permissibility of shortening the prayer for one who intends to stay for four days or less. As for his (peace and blessings be upon him) stay of nineteen days in the Year of the Conquest and twenty days in Tabuk, it is understood that he did not intend to reside there, but rather stayed for a reason whose end he did not know. This is how the majority understood his stay in Makkah in the Year of the Conquest and in Tabuk during the Battle of Tabuk, out of caution for the religion and in accordance with the default ruling, which is the obligation of praying four rak'ahs for the resident for the midday, afternoon, and night prayers.
As for one who does not intend to reside, but does not know when he will depart, he may shorten the prayer, combine prayers, and break his fast until he intends to stay for more than four days or returns to his homeland. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.