A question regarding the distance for shortening the prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
We are a group who go out to the open countryside for recreation and to collect truffles (fughar). Sometimes we go out for recreation only. The recreation spot is close to the town, such that the distance from the town to the spot is (80) kilometers, and sometimes we are only (10) kilometers from the town and return at the end of the day. Is it permissible for us to combine and shorten the prayers, or is it permissible for us to shorten only without combining, or is neither permissible and we must pray every prayer at its proper time? Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If a Muslim travels a distance of approximately 80 kilometers or more, for recreation, hunting, or any other permissible reason, shortening the prayer is prescribed for him. He prays the four-rak'ah prayers as two rak'ahs. It is also permissible for him to combine the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, according to what he finds most convenient. If he is staying and resting, it is better for him to leave off combining, and he should pray every prayer at its proper time, shortened. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the midday prayer as two rak'ahs, the afternoon prayer as two rak'ahs, and the night prayer as two rak'ahs in all his travels, and he would combine them only when he was on the move.
As for when he was staying and settled, it was most likely that he did not combine, and he would pray every prayer at its proper time. This is what he did during the Farewell Pilgrimage, when he was staying in al-Abtah and in Mina, praying every prayer at its proper time without combining. This was his final practice (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also established that he combined while staying during the Expedition of Tabuk, which was in the ninth year of the Hijrah. And success is from Allah.
We are a group who go out to the open countryside for recreation and to collect truffles (fughar). Sometimes we go out for recreation only. The recreation spot is close to the town, such that the distance from the town to the spot is (80) kilometers, and sometimes we are only (10) kilometers from the town and return at the end of the day. Is it permissible for us to combine and shorten the prayers, or is it permissible for us to shorten only without combining, or is neither permissible and we must pray every prayer at its proper time? Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If a Muslim travels a distance of approximately 80 kilometers or more, for recreation, hunting, or any other permissible reason, shortening the prayer is prescribed for him. He prays the four-rak'ah prayers as two rak'ahs. It is also permissible for him to combine the midday and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, either by bringing them forward or delaying them, according to what he finds most convenient. If he is staying and resting, it is better for him to leave off combining, and he should pray every prayer at its proper time, shortened. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the midday prayer as two rak'ahs, the afternoon prayer as two rak'ahs, and the night prayer as two rak'ahs in all his travels, and he would combine them only when he was on the move.
As for when he was staying and settled, it was most likely that he did not combine, and he would pray every prayer at its proper time. This is what he did during the Farewell Pilgrimage, when he was staying in al-Abtah and in Mina, praying every prayer at its proper time without combining. This was his final practice (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also established that he combined while staying during the Expedition of Tabuk, which was in the ninth year of the Hijrah. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.