The Ruling on Combining and Shortening Prayers for One Who Travels for More Than Four Days
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Question:
I went out with my sponsor to the countryside, and we are staying in a farm. We have remained there for a month now and are still there. What is the ruling on shortening and combining the prayers?
Answer:
If a person goes out to a farm or for a leisure trip, the ruling depends on the details. If he intends to stay in that place for more than four days and resolves to do so, the majority of scholars hold that he must complete the prayer, and it is more cautious for him to complete the four rak'ahs. However, if he has no specific intention and does not know how long he will stay—whether two days, three, or four—and has no certainty, then it is better for him to pray in shortened form, two rak'ahs for Zuhr, two for 'Asr, and two for 'Isha'. There is no harm in combining prayers if he has no certainty about whether he will stay two days, three, four, or more, or if he is waiting for people to come to him, or searching for a lost item—meaning he has traveled a distance that permits shortening—or looking for his opponent to settle a dispute, provided he has no certainty about a specific number of days. In such cases, he shortens the prayer.
As for if he resolves to stay for more than four days, he must complete the four rak'ahs according to the majority of scholars. This is because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) resolved to stay for four days in Makkah while shortening the prayer, which indicates that the four days do not prevent shortening. The default rule thereafter is to complete the prayer.
Question: Does he combine if shortening is permitted for him?
Answer: If shortening is permitted for him, combining is also permitted for him, but leaving off combining is better. For those who are residents, leaving off combining is better; it is better to perform every prayer in its proper time.
Question: What if four or five days have passed?
Answer: If he has not resolved to stay for a specific known duration, he shortens the prayer even if a year has passed, provided he has not specified how long he will stay. For example, if he is waiting for a lost item to go and search for it, or a runaway slave, or an opponent to pursue, or something similar.
I went out with my sponsor to the countryside, and we are staying in a farm. We have remained there for a month now and are still there. What is the ruling on shortening and combining the prayers?
Answer:
If a person goes out to a farm or for a leisure trip, the ruling depends on the details. If he intends to stay in that place for more than four days and resolves to do so, the majority of scholars hold that he must complete the prayer, and it is more cautious for him to complete the four rak'ahs. However, if he has no specific intention and does not know how long he will stay—whether two days, three, or four—and has no certainty, then it is better for him to pray in shortened form, two rak'ahs for Zuhr, two for 'Asr, and two for 'Isha'. There is no harm in combining prayers if he has no certainty about whether he will stay two days, three, four, or more, or if he is waiting for people to come to him, or searching for a lost item—meaning he has traveled a distance that permits shortening—or looking for his opponent to settle a dispute, provided he has no certainty about a specific number of days. In such cases, he shortens the prayer.
As for if he resolves to stay for more than four days, he must complete the four rak'ahs according to the majority of scholars. This is because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) resolved to stay for four days in Makkah while shortening the prayer, which indicates that the four days do not prevent shortening. The default rule thereafter is to complete the prayer.
Question: Does he combine if shortening is permitted for him?
Answer: If shortening is permitted for him, combining is also permitted for him, but leaving off combining is better. For those who are residents, leaving off combining is better; it is better to perform every prayer in its proper time.
Question: What if four or five days have passed?
Answer: If he has not resolved to stay for a specific known duration, he shortens the prayer even if a year has passed, provided he has not specified how long he will stay. For example, if he is waiting for a lost item to go and search for it, or a runaway slave, or an opponent to pursue, or something similar.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.