The Ruling on Taking the Dispensations of Travel for a Traveler on a Pleasure Trip
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The listener (A. M. A. S.) from Jeddah, and he also mentioned the P.O. Box (4351): If a person travels for a pleasure trip to a certain place or a specific country, and he prays the prayers alone throughout his stay in that country because it is difficult to find a congregation, is he sinful for leaving the congregation in this case? And is it true that he does not take the dispensations of shortening and combining prayers because he is traveling for a pleasure trip?
Answer:
Traveling for a pleasure trip does not prevent taking the dispensations, according to the correct view. So if he travels to the desert for a pleasure trip for the sake of rest, or to enjoy the herbs and the blessing that comes from the effects of rain, all of this is called a pleasure trip. There is no harm in taking the dispensations of travel if the stay is four days or less; he prays two rak'ahs and combines the two prayers, and there is no harm in that.
As for if the stay is more than four days and he has resolved to stay, the majority of the scholars hold that he completes the prayer, praying four rak'ahs. It is obligatory for him, if he is alone, to pray with the congregation, and he has no right to take the dispensation. Rather, it is obligatory for him to pray with the congregation and pray four rak'ahs with them.
As for if he has another person with him, or if they are a group or more who are praying, there is no harm on them if they shorten and combine, provided the stay is four days or less and they have resolved to stay. But if the stay is more than that and they have resolved to stay, then they pray four rak'ahs and pray with the people in the congregation.
As for a person who does not know about the duration of the stay, and he has no resolution, then he always prays shortened; because he does not know the duration of the stay, so he is in a state of travel. So if he does not know, he walks today, he walks tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, he has nothing that obliges a resolution for a known duration. For example: a person is looking for a man in the town, perhaps he will catch up with him, he has a dispute, he does not know when it will end, he has a need, he does not know when it will end. So this person has the ruling of travel as long as he is in this state, even if the duration is long. So if he prays alone, he prays two rak'ahs. And if he prays with travelers, he prays two rak'ahs. And if he prays with residents, he prays four rak'ahs; because he is in the ruling of travel, except if he prays with the residents, or if the intention changes by him resolving afterwards to stay more than four days; then by the change of intention and the occurrence of this resolution, he prays four rak'ahs. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. If the reality is that his wife and his children are with him?
The Shaykh: Even if his wife and his children are with him, the ruling does not change, according to the ruling... it is suspended by his intention and his resolution; because they are followers.
The presenter : Yes, and regarding the prayer of the congregation, if he prays with them as a congregation, has he fulfilled the obligation?
The Shaykh : That is not an excuse for him. They pray alone, the women pray alone. He must pray with the men, and it is not his excuse to pray with them. Rather, he prays with the men in the mosques of Allah, and prays four rak'ahs with them. But if he misses it and does not catch up with the congregation, he prays two rak'ahs, if he is in the state we mentioned: either he has no known duration, but he does not know when he will depart, or he has a known duration, but it is four days or less.
The presenter : He says it was difficult to find a congregation?
The Shaykh : If he did not find a congregation, there is nothing on him [Al-Taghabun:16]. The important thing is if a congregation is found.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
The listener (A. M. A. S.) from Jeddah, and he also mentioned the P.O. Box (4351): If a person travels for a pleasure trip to a certain place or a specific country, and he prays the prayers alone throughout his stay in that country because it is difficult to find a congregation, is he sinful for leaving the congregation in this case? And is it true that he does not take the dispensations of shortening and combining prayers because he is traveling for a pleasure trip?
Answer:
Traveling for a pleasure trip does not prevent taking the dispensations, according to the correct view. So if he travels to the desert for a pleasure trip for the sake of rest, or to enjoy the herbs and the blessing that comes from the effects of rain, all of this is called a pleasure trip. There is no harm in taking the dispensations of travel if the stay is four days or less; he prays two rak'ahs and combines the two prayers, and there is no harm in that.
As for if the stay is more than four days and he has resolved to stay, the majority of the scholars hold that he completes the prayer, praying four rak'ahs. It is obligatory for him, if he is alone, to pray with the congregation, and he has no right to take the dispensation. Rather, it is obligatory for him to pray with the congregation and pray four rak'ahs with them.
As for if he has another person with him, or if they are a group or more who are praying, there is no harm on them if they shorten and combine, provided the stay is four days or less and they have resolved to stay. But if the stay is more than that and they have resolved to stay, then they pray four rak'ahs and pray with the people in the congregation.
As for a person who does not know about the duration of the stay, and he has no resolution, then he always prays shortened; because he does not know the duration of the stay, so he is in a state of travel. So if he does not know, he walks today, he walks tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, he has nothing that obliges a resolution for a known duration. For example: a person is looking for a man in the town, perhaps he will catch up with him, he has a dispute, he does not know when it will end, he has a need, he does not know when it will end. So this person has the ruling of travel as long as he is in this state, even if the duration is long. So if he prays alone, he prays two rak'ahs. And if he prays with travelers, he prays two rak'ahs. And if he prays with residents, he prays four rak'ahs; because he is in the ruling of travel, except if he prays with the residents, or if the intention changes by him resolving afterwards to stay more than four days; then by the change of intention and the occurrence of this resolution, he prays four rak'ahs. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. If the reality is that his wife and his children are with him?
The Shaykh: Even if his wife and his children are with him, the ruling does not change, according to the ruling... it is suspended by his intention and his resolution; because they are followers.
The presenter : Yes, and regarding the prayer of the congregation, if he prays with them as a congregation, has he fulfilled the obligation?
The Shaykh : That is not an excuse for him. They pray alone, the women pray alone. He must pray with the men, and it is not his excuse to pray with them. Rather, he prays with the men in the mosques of Allah, and prays four rak'ahs with them. But if he misses it and does not catch up with the congregation, he prays two rak'ahs, if he is in the state we mentioned: either he has no known duration, but he does not know when he will depart, or he has a known duration, but it is four days or less.
The presenter : He says it was difficult to find a congregation?
The Shaykh : If he did not find a congregation, there is nothing on him
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْThe presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.