Some Rulings Related to Travel: Distance, Shortening the Prayer, and Fasting

The second question from Ali Nasser Yemani says: If I work in a large vehicle and am always traveling throughout the year, and the minimum distance between Makkah and Jeddah is approximately seventy-five kilometers, is it permissible for me to fast and not shorten the prayer, and to perform the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib)? What is the minimum distance in kilometers at which the prayer is shortened and the fasting person breaks his fast? And if he comes upon a mosque, does he pray with them?
Answer: The Sunnah in travel is to shorten the prayer and break the fast. If one completes the prayer in full while traveling or fasts while traveling, there is no blame on him. If he completes it, there is no blame on him, and if he fasts while traveling, there is no blame on him. However, the better course is that in travel he breaks his fast and shortens the prayer. He prays the four-rak'ah prayer as two rak'ahs. This is the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions practiced. He would fast while traveling and sometimes break his fast (peace and blessings be upon him) while traveling. Likewise, his Companions would travel, some of them fasting and some breaking their fast. The Sunnah indicates that breaking the fast is better, especially in intense heat. So breaking the fast is better, and shortening is better in all cases. If one travels, he shortens to two rak'ahs. The travel in which the prayer is shortened is what is considered travel by custom. What people consider travel by custom is the travel. It is the kind that requires provisions and supplies, requiring water and requiring food. If a person travels on a road where there are no cafes or anything, and he needs provisions and supplies, this is travel. The majority defined it as the distance of two days, approximately seventy to eighty kilometers. This is travel. If the distance is seventy to eighty kilometers or approximately that, it is considered travel, and it requires provisions and supplies. If it is in a direction where there are no cafes on the road, a person of sense would not travel to it without having water and food with him as a precaution, so that he does not get stuck on the road. As for roads that have cafes and restaurants, people do not need provisions and supplies in them because there is enough for them on the roads, so these are not considered travel. The result is that any distance on a road of eighty to seventy kilometers, like between al-Ta'if and Makkah, and Jeddah and Makkah, all of this is considered travel. Likewise, anything similar to this is considered travel. But it is not befitting for the believer to pray alone; rather, he should pray with people if there is a mosque, he prays with them. If there is a congregation of residents, he prays with them four rak'ahs. He does not pray alone two rak'ahs, because the congregation is obligatory. So if the traveler finds a congregation of residents, he prays with them four rak'ahs and does not pray alone. If he does not find them, he prays alone two rak'ahs. He prays two rak'ahs, because that is the Sunnah. Or if he is with a group of travelers, he prays with them all two rak'ahs. Two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs in the midday, afternoon, and night prayers. As for the sunset prayer, it is always prayed as three rak'ahs and is not shortened. And the dawn prayer remains as it is, two rak'ahs, not shortened. The shortening is only in the midday, afternoon, and night prayers. These three obligatory prayers are the place of shortening. And Allah the Exalted knows best. Yes.