بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Question:
What is the distance by which a traveller may shorten his prayers? Is combining them permissible rather than shortening them?
Answer:
The distance in which it is permitted to shorten the prayers has been specified by some scholars as around 83 kilometers. Other scholars specified it to be whatever is customarily considered traveling, even if (the distance) did not reach 80 kilometers. And whatever the people consider not to be traveling, then it is not traveling even if it reached 100 kilometers.
The latter (opinion) is the opinion of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah and that is because Allāh did not define a specific distance by which shortening the prayers is allowed nor did the Prophet (ﷺ) specify an exact distance.
Anas ibn Mālik narrated:
“When the Prophet (ﷺ) went out for 3 miles or Farsakhs (a measure of distance) then he used to shorten the prayer and pray two Rak’ah.” (Sahīh Muslim 691)
The opinion of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah is closer to what is correct.
There is also no sin, whenever there is a difference in what is customarily considered traveling, if the person acts according to the statement of the specific, defined distance because some of the scholars of ijtihād (sincerely striving towards a correct verdict) have said it. So there is no problem, In shā Allāh. As long as the issue is left undefined, then acting in accordance to what is customarily considered travel is the correct opinion.
As for (the question), “Is combining (the prayers) permissible when shortening is allowed?” Then we say, “Combining (the prayers) is not associated with shortening. Rather, combining is associated with a need.” So whenever the person needs to combine whether he is traveling or not, then let him combine. For this, the people combine because of rain, which due to it; it would be a difficulty to return to the mosques. Also, the people combine if there is harsh, cold wind during the days of winter, which due to it, it would be a difficulty to go out to the mosques. He combines if he fears losing his wealth/property or (fears) any harm to it, or whatever is similar to that – the person combines (his prayers). It is reported in Sahīh Muslim from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās that he said:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) combined between Dhuhr and ‘Asr, and between Maghrib and Ishā not due to any fear nor rain.” (Sahīh Muslim 705)
They asked, “Why did he do this?” He said that he did so in order not to cause any hardship upon his Ummah. Meaning, he did not want to place any hardship that would make one leave the congregation.
This is the condition – whenever the person finds a hardship which would lead him to leave off the congregation, then it is permissible for him to combine. If there is no hardship upon him, then he doesn’t combine. However, difficulty is expected when traveling which would lead to leaving the congregation. If this is so, then it is permissible for the traveler to combine whether he was in the middle of his journey or has stopped to reside (at his destination). If he is in the middle of his journey, then combining is preferable and if he has stopped traveling (reached his destination) then not combining is preferable.
The exception to this is when a person is residing (reached a destination) in a land where the congregation is established, then it is obligatory to attend the congregation. In that case, he would neither combine nor shorten (his prayers). However, if he missed the congregation, then he shortens and does not combine, unless he needs to combine (for some reason such as difficulty).
(Fatawā arkān al-Islām of Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn, Question #312)
Question:
What are the concessions granted when travelling?
Answer:
There are four concessions granted during travelling:
1) The prayers consisting of 4 Rak’ah are shortened to 2 Rak’ah.
2) Breaking the fast during Ramadān, making the same number of days up at a later date.
3) Wiping over the socks for 3 days and nights, starting from the first time the person wipes over them.
4) The recommendation for the Sunnah prayers of Dhuhr, Maghrib, and Ishā is lifted. As for the Sunnah prayer of Fajr and the rest of the optional prayers, performing those remains legislated and preferred.
So the traveler prays the night prayer, the Sunnah prayer of Fajr, the two Rak’ahs of Duhā, the Sunnah prayer after making Wudū, the two Rak’ah of entering the mosque, and the two Rak’ah of arriving from a journey – for indeed, from the Sunnah is that when a person arrives [at ones hometown] from a journey, before he enters his house, he first begins with the masjid, entering it and praying two Rak’ahs in it. (Sahīh Bukhārī 4418 and Sahīh Muslim 2769)
Likewise, the remainder of the optional prayers remain legislated with regards to the traveler except for what I have previously said, and they are: the Sunnah prayers of Dhuhr, Maghrib, and Ishā because the Prophet (ﷺ) did not to pray these three sunnah prayers (while traveling).
(Fatawā arkān al-Islām of Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn, Question #315)
fawaaids.com 