Fiqh

15- SHORTENING PRAYERS WHILE TRAVELLING

SHORTENING PRAYERS WHILE TRAVELLING

It is permissible to shorten the current prescribed prayers of noon (zuhr), midafternoon (`asr), and nightfall (`isha) to two rak`as each, when one:

(a) is travelling for a reason that is not disobedience to Allah (as there is no dispensation to shorten prayers on such a trip);

(b) on a journey of at least 48 Hashemite miles (approximately 81 km./50 mi.) one way. One may also shorten the above prayers when one both misses them and makes them up on the trip, though one must pray the full number if one misses them while not travelling and makes them up on the trip, or misses them on the trip and makes them up while not travelling.

This distance (n: 81 ka/50 mi. one way) holds for travel by water as well as by land. If such a distance is traversed in an instant (preternaturally, because of a miracle (karama, def: w30)), one may still shorten the prayer. (The brevity of the time taken to travel the distance is of no consequence.)

When there are two routes to a destination and one of them is less than the distance that permits shortening prayers but one chooses the longer way for a legitimate purpose such as safety, convenience, or recreation (provided that recreation is merely the reason for taking that route, not the reason for the trip itself, which must have some other legitimate purpose such as trade, for an outing is not a legitimate purpose) then one may shorten prayers. But if the only reason for choosing the longer way is to take the dispensation, then doing so is not valid and one must pray the full number.(Purely recreational trips whose purpose is not disobedience are permissible, but there are no travel dispensations in them, though if undertaken in order to gain religious knowledge, to visit a fellow Muslim, or visit the grave of a righteous or learned Muslim, these and similar purposes are legitimate and permit the dispensations.)

The journey’s destination must be known. If a wife travelling with her husband or a soldier with his leader does not know the destination, they may not shorten their prayers (as long as they have not yet travelled the distance that permits shortening. When they have travelled it, then they may). If they know the destination and the journey meets the conditions, then they may shorten their prayers (from the beginning of the journey).

Someone whose journey constitutes an act of disobedience, such as a woman travelling against her husband’s wishes, may not shorten their prayer but must pray the full number. (The same applies to someone who undertakes a legitimate trip and then changes the purpose of it to disobedience.) (Though shortening prayers is permissible for someone who commits an act of disobedience while on a legitimate trip, as when someone travels for trade, but then sins by drinking wine, for example.)

THE BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY

one’s city has walls, one may begin shortening prayers as soon as one has passed them, whether or not there are other buildings outside them. If there are no walls, one may shorten one’s prayers after passing beyond the last buildings, excluding farms, orchards, and cemeteries. (When the buildings of a city extend to the next city, one’s journey begins at the former’s city limits, or at what people commonly acknowledge to be the edge of town.) A desert dweller may begin shortening prayers when he passes beyond his people’s tents. (A person living in a valley begins shortening prayers when he has traversed the distance of the valley’s width. Someone living on a hill begins when he comes down from it. A person living in a gorge begins when he climbs up out of it.)

THE END OF THE JOURNEY

When the trip ends one must pray the full number of rak`as for each prayer. A trip ends when one reaches one’s hometown. It also ends:

(1) by the mere intention to stay in a place at least 4 full days, not counting the day one arrives or the day one departs;

(2) or by staying that long without the intention, so that after one has stayed 4 full days, not counting the days of arrival and departure, one prays the full number of rak`as, unless one is staying in a place in order to fulfill a purpose that one expects to accomplish and intends to leave as soon as one does. As long as this is the case, one may shorten one’s prayers for up to 18 days. If longer than this, one prays the full number. This holds for both jihad and other purposes.

When one reaches one’s destination and intends to stay there for a significant amount of time (4 days), one must pray the full number of rak`as, but if not (as when not intending to stay at all, or intending 3 days or less), then one may continue shortening prayers for either 4 days (if one learns that one cannot accomplish one’s purpose during them), or 18, if one can expect one’s purpose to be accomplished at any moment.

THE CONDITIONS FOR SHORTENING THE PRAYER

The conditions for shortening the prayer while travelling are:

(a) (O: that the trip be legitimate;

(b) that it be at least 81 km./50 mi. one way;

(d) that the prayer take place from start to finish while one the trip (if one’s vehicle arrives before the prayer is finished; one prays the full number);

(e) that the intention to shorten the prayer coincide with the opening Allahu Akbar (it not being valid if made after this);

(f) that no portion of the prayer be performed while following an imam who is praying the full number of rak’as;

(g) (that one be aware of the permissibility of shortening prayers for travel;

(h) and that the intention be free of things which nullify it (such as vacillation or doubts (dis:

below))).

One must pray the full number of rak`as if:

(1) (non-(d) above) the intention to stay at the place for 4 days occurs during the prayer;

(2) (non-(h)) one is uncertain whether one’s intention was to shorten, but one soon recalls that one did intend it;

(3) (non-(h)) one vacillates in the intention between shortening the prayer or not doing so;

(4) or (non-(f)) one does not know whether one’s imam is shortening or not, though if one does not know the imam’s intention, it is valid to intend that if the imam shortens the prayer, one will shorten, and if he prays the full number, one will pray the full number, and then to do this.

JOINING TWO PRAYERS DURING A JOURNEY

It is permissible to join the noon prayer (zuhr) and midafternoon prayer (`asr) during the time of either of them (or the Friday prayer (jumu`a) and midafternoon prayer in the time of the Friday prayer), and permissible to similarly join the sunset prayer (maghrib) and nightfall prayer (`isha) during the time of either, provided one joins them during a journey in which prayer may be shortened (a,b,c,d).

If one stops travelling (to rest, for example) during the time of the first of the two prayers, then this is the best time to join them, but if one is travelling steadily during the first time, the time of the second is better.

The conditions for joining two prescribed prayers on a trip in the time of the first of them are:

(a) that the trip continues (until one finish both prayers);

(b) that the first of the two be prayed first;

(c) that the intention to join the two prayers occur before finishing the first, either coinciding with the opening Allahu Akbar, or occurring during the prayer;

(d) and that one not separates the two prayers by waiting between them, though a short interval (meaning one that could contain two rak`as of the briefest possible) is of no consequence, nor is a brief search for water by someone who has performed dry ablution (tayammum).

If one prays the second of the two prayers before the first (non-(b) above,), then that prayer is invalid (and must be repeated after the first, if one still wants to join them).

One must wait to perform the second of the two prayers until its own time if:

(1) (non-(a) above) one finishes one’s journey before performing the second prayer;

(2) (non-(c)) one neglects to intend joining them during the first prayer;

(3) or (non-(d)) one waits at length between them.

If one has performed both prayers and the journey subsequently ends (whether in the time of

the first prayer or the time of the second), they are and remain valid.

The necessary condition for joining two prayers in the time of the second of them (in addition to (a,b,c,d)) is that one make the intention to do so before the end of the first prayer’s time (by an interval which could contain at least one rak`a). If one neglects this intention, one has sinned, and praying the first prayer during the second prayer’s time is considered making it up.

When joining two prayers in the time of the second, it is recommended (not obligatory):

(1) to pray the first one before the second;

(2) to not pause at length between them;

(3) and that the intention to join them be present during the prayer one performs first.

JOINING PRAYERS BECAUSE OF RAIN

It is permissible for a nontraveller to pray the noon prayer (zuhr) and the midafternoon prayer (asr) at the time of the noon prayer (N: or the Friday prayer (jumu`a) and midafternoon prayer at the time of the Friday prayer), and to similarly pray the sunset prayer (maghrib) and nightfall prayer (`isha) at the time of the sunset prayer if:

(a) it is raining hard enough to wet one’s clothing (and like rain in this is melted snow or hail);

(b) one is praying with a group in a mosque (or other place of prayer);

(d) it is raining when the first prayer begins, when it ends, and when the second prayer begins;

(e) and conditions exist.

If one arrives during the second of two prayers joined because of rain and does not finish one’s own first prayer before the group finishes their second, then one is no longer entitled to join one’s prayers for rain. It is a necessary condition that one pray at least part of the second prayer with them though one may hurry through one’s own first prayer alone to catch up with and join them during their second.)

If the rain stops after one finishes the two prayers or during the second one, both prayers are and remain valid.

It is not permissible to join two prayers in the time of the second of them because of rain.

(In the Shafi`i school, there are no valid reasons other than travel or rain for joining prayers, though others exist in the Hanbali school, as discussed in what follows.)

(`Abd al-Rahman Jaziri:) The hanbalis hold that the above-mentioned joining between the noon prayer (zuhr) and midafternoon prayer (`asr), or between the sunset prayer (maghrib) and nightfall prayer (`isha) is permissible, whether in the time of the first prayer of each of these two pairs, or in the time of the second prayer of each of them, though it is superior not to join them.

It is a necessary condition for the permissibility of joining them that the person praying be:

(1) a traveler on a trip in which shortening prayers is permissible;

(2) a sick person for whom not to join prayers would pose a hardship;

(3) a woman who is nursing an infant, or who has chronic vaginal discharge, since she is permitted to join prayers to obviate the hardship of purification for every single prayer;

(4) someone with an excuse similar to the woman with chronic discharge, such as a person unable to prevent intermittent drops of urine coming from him;

(5) or someone who fears for himself, his property, or his reputation, or who fears harm in earning his living if he does not join prayers; the latter giving leeway to workers for whom it is impossible to leave their work. (al-Fiqh `ala al-madhahib al-arba`a (y66), 1.487)

PRAYING THE SUNNA RAK`AS WHEN ONE JOINS PRAYERS

(When one wants to join the midafternoon prayer (`asr) and noon prayer (zuhr) in the time of the noon prayer, one first prays the sunnas that come before the noon prayer, followed by the noon prayer, the midafternoon prayer, the sunnas that come after the noon prayer, and then the sunnas that come before the midafternoon prayer. Similarly, when one joins the nightfall prayer (`isha) with the sunset prayer (maghrib), one prays the sunnas that come before the sunset prayer, and postpones those that follow the sunset prayer until after one has prayed the nightfall prayer, after which one prays the sunnas that come before and after the nightfall prayer, and then witr. Their order is sunna.)

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John Doe

23/3/2019

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John Doe

23/3/2019

John Doe

23/3/2019

15- SHORTENING PRAYERS WHILE TRAVELLING

SHORTENING PRAYERS WHILE TRAVELLING

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