Ruling on shortening the prayer for one who stays in a place for more than four days
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Question:
A message was received for the program from a listener (M. A. S.) who says in his message: I am a university student studying at a university that is one hundred and fifty kilometers from my city, and I return to my city every week or two weeks. During my studies, I live in the university city. Do I consider myself a traveler, and should I shorten the prayer, and focus only on the two rak'ahs of Fajr and the Witr, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to focus on them during travel? Please inform me about this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
No, it is obligatory for you to pray the prayer of a resident; because you are a resident at the university, so you must pray the prayer of a resident, which is four rak'ahs, and you are not a traveler. You must fast Ramadan with the people; because a traveler is one who stays for a limited period, four days or less. If the stay is more than that, the majority of scholars hold that it is obligatory for him to complete the prayer, and it is obligatory for him to fast, and he does not have the ruling of a traveler. This is a good opinion, and it is a precaution for the religion, and a distance from leniency, and taking dispensations for which there is no clear evidence.
So we advise you to pray four rak'ahs with the people, and to maintain the congregation, and to fast Ramadan with the people, and not to consider yourself a traveler; because you are staying for a long period for the sake of study. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. This is if he is in the university city. But what if he is visiting his family?
The Shaykh : And likewise, visiting his family, as long as his intention is to stay with his family when he finishes his studies, and he only stayed for the sake of study, then his family's country is his country, and his homeland. But if he intends to move to the university's country, and leave his homeland, then if he comes to his family for a visit, he may shorten the prayer, if the duration is four days or less, and he does not pray alone... if he has a congregation with him.
But if he is alone, he prays with the people; because the congregation is specified, so he prays four rak'ahs with the people. But if he misses it with the congregation, he prays two rak'ahs. This is if the stay is limited to four days or less, if he does not have the intention to stay with his family when he finishes the university. But if he stayed there for the sake of study, otherwise his intention and resolve is to return to his homeland, and remain in his homeland, then he is still a native in his family's homeland. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good...
The Shaykh : And among the evidence for that is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) moved from Makkah to al-Madinah as a permanent resident of al-Madinah. When he returned to Makkah, he prayed two rak'ahs; because he was a traveler who had moved from Makkah, and considered it not his homeland, and considered al-Madinah to be the homeland. So when he returned to Makkah for the Farewell Pilgrimage, he did not complete the prayer, but shortened it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A message was received for the program from a listener (M. A. S.) who says in his message: I am a university student studying at a university that is one hundred and fifty kilometers from my city, and I return to my city every week or two weeks. During my studies, I live in the university city. Do I consider myself a traveler, and should I shorten the prayer, and focus only on the two rak'ahs of Fajr and the Witr, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to focus on them during travel? Please inform me about this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
No, it is obligatory for you to pray the prayer of a resident; because you are a resident at the university, so you must pray the prayer of a resident, which is four rak'ahs, and you are not a traveler. You must fast Ramadan with the people; because a traveler is one who stays for a limited period, four days or less. If the stay is more than that, the majority of scholars hold that it is obligatory for him to complete the prayer, and it is obligatory for him to fast, and he does not have the ruling of a traveler. This is a good opinion, and it is a precaution for the religion, and a distance from leniency, and taking dispensations for which there is no clear evidence.
So we advise you to pray four rak'ahs with the people, and to maintain the congregation, and to fast Ramadan with the people, and not to consider yourself a traveler; because you are staying for a long period for the sake of study. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. This is if he is in the university city. But what if he is visiting his family?
The Shaykh : And likewise, visiting his family, as long as his intention is to stay with his family when he finishes his studies, and he only stayed for the sake of study, then his family's country is his country, and his homeland. But if he intends to move to the university's country, and leave his homeland, then if he comes to his family for a visit, he may shorten the prayer, if the duration is four days or less, and he does not pray alone... if he has a congregation with him.
But if he is alone, he prays with the people; because the congregation is specified, so he prays four rak'ahs with the people. But if he misses it with the congregation, he prays two rak'ahs. This is if the stay is limited to four days or less, if he does not have the intention to stay with his family when he finishes the university. But if he stayed there for the sake of study, otherwise his intention and resolve is to return to his homeland, and remain in his homeland, then he is still a native in his family's homeland. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good...
The Shaykh : And among the evidence for that is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) moved from Makkah to al-Madinah as a permanent resident of al-Madinah. When he returned to Makkah, he prayed two rak'ahs; because he was a traveler who had moved from Makkah, and considered it not his homeland, and considered al-Madinah to be the homeland. So when he returned to Makkah for the Farewell Pilgrimage, he did not complete the prayer, but shortened it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.