Ruling on shortening and combining prayers in a journey lasting one week
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The question: This is a message received by the program from our brother listener, Sa'd Musa al-Suwayriq al-Salahi, who resides in al-Hujrah in the land of Zahran. Brother Sa'd says in his message, beginning with: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To His Eminence the Shaykh: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Baz, may Allah preserve you. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. And after that:
I submit these questions to Your Eminence, hoping for information from Allah, then from you, regarding them through the program "Light on the Path," and I hope you will inform me of the correct ruling?
The first question - in Brother Sa'd's message - he says in it: I am an employee in one of the government sectors, and I sometimes get a weekly leave. I travel to the area where my family lives, which is about four hundred kilometers from my workplace. Is it permissible during this leave to combine and shorten prayers, such as Dhuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha'? Knowing that I have seen many people following this practice. Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good?
Answer: It is prescribed for you on the way from your workplace to your family's area; it is prescribed for you to combine the two prayers and to pray two rak'ahs. There is no harm in this, especially shortening. It is recommended for you to shorten while on the way: Dhuhr as two rak'ahs, 'Asr as two rak'ahs, and 'Isha as two rak'ahs. There is no harm in this; this is prescribed.
As for combining, you may combine as long as you are traveling on the road and not stopping. The best for you is to combine Dhuhr with 'Asr, and Maghrib with 'Isha. So, if you travel from your place before the sun passes its zenith, it is prescribed for you to pray Dhuhr with 'Asr as a combination of delay. Likewise, if you travel from your place before the sun sets, it is prescribed for you to pray Maghrib with 'Isha as a combination of delay.
As for if you travel after the sun has passed its zenith or after sunset, then you combine as a combination of advance. You pray 'Asr with Dhuhr as a combination of advance, and 'Isha with Maghrib as a combination of advance, if you leave the town after you set out and depart from the town's inhabitants.
As for in your family's area, if you arrive in your family's area, this is a matter of consideration. If your family's area is your place of residence and your homeland, such that if you left your job you would return to it and consider it your homeland, then do not shorten in it. When you come to your family, you pray four rak'ahs and do not combine.
As for if your family's place is not your homeland, and your homeland, where you intend to settle and reside, is your workplace, then there is no harm in shortening in your family's place and in your family's area if the stay is four days or less.
As for if you intend to stay with your family for more than four days, then you pray four rak'ahs and do not combine. This is what is appropriate, and this is the position of the majority of scholars. And Allah is the One who grants success.
I submit these questions to Your Eminence, hoping for information from Allah, then from you, regarding them through the program "Light on the Path," and I hope you will inform me of the correct ruling?
The first question - in Brother Sa'd's message - he says in it: I am an employee in one of the government sectors, and I sometimes get a weekly leave. I travel to the area where my family lives, which is about four hundred kilometers from my workplace. Is it permissible during this leave to combine and shorten prayers, such as Dhuhr and 'Asr, and Maghrib and 'Isha'? Knowing that I have seen many people following this practice. Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good?
Answer: It is prescribed for you on the way from your workplace to your family's area; it is prescribed for you to combine the two prayers and to pray two rak'ahs. There is no harm in this, especially shortening. It is recommended for you to shorten while on the way: Dhuhr as two rak'ahs, 'Asr as two rak'ahs, and 'Isha as two rak'ahs. There is no harm in this; this is prescribed.
As for combining, you may combine as long as you are traveling on the road and not stopping. The best for you is to combine Dhuhr with 'Asr, and Maghrib with 'Isha. So, if you travel from your place before the sun passes its zenith, it is prescribed for you to pray Dhuhr with 'Asr as a combination of delay. Likewise, if you travel from your place before the sun sets, it is prescribed for you to pray Maghrib with 'Isha as a combination of delay.
As for if you travel after the sun has passed its zenith or after sunset, then you combine as a combination of advance. You pray 'Asr with Dhuhr as a combination of advance, and 'Isha with Maghrib as a combination of advance, if you leave the town after you set out and depart from the town's inhabitants.
As for in your family's area, if you arrive in your family's area, this is a matter of consideration. If your family's area is your place of residence and your homeland, such that if you left your job you would return to it and consider it your homeland, then do not shorten in it. When you come to your family, you pray four rak'ahs and do not combine.
As for if your family's place is not your homeland, and your homeland, where you intend to settle and reside, is your workplace, then there is no harm in shortening in your family's place and in your family's area if the stay is four days or less.
As for if you intend to stay with your family for more than four days, then you pray four rak'ahs and do not combine. This is what is appropriate, and this is the position of the majority of scholars. And Allah is the One who grants success.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.