To be eligible to shorten a four-rak῾ah prayer during travel, certain conditions must be met. These conditions are generally agreed upon, although there are some disagreements in their details. Here are the conditions:

1. Intention of Travel:
   This means that a person must have the intention of traveling away from their home and place of residence, intending a real journey, not just wandering aimlessly without intending to move from one place to another.
2. Duration of Travel:
   Jurists have different opinions regarding the duration of travel that turns it into a state of residence. Here are their views:
   1. The Majority View (Mālikīs, Shāfi῾īs, and some Ḥanbalīs):
      If a person intends to stay in a place other than their hometown for four days or more, they are not permitted to shorten their prayers. They disagreed on whether the days of arrival and departure count as part of these four days. Imām ᾽Aḥmad included both the day of arrival and the day of departure in these four days, stating that if a person stays more than twenty prayers (five days), they should prayer the prayers fully without shortening. Mālik and Al-Shāfi῾ī, however, did not count the days of arrival and departure within the duration.

They based their opinion on the regular practice of the people of Medina and that the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) allowed the immigrant performing ῾Umrah to stay in Mecca for three days after completing the rituals. This indicated that this is the duration to be considered in travel, and staying beyond it was considered residence in a land of disbelief, which was not allowed at that time.

They also referenced the practice of ῾Umar with the Jews of Hejaz when he expelled them but allowed them to engage in trade provided that they did not stay for more than three days, suggesting that staying beyond three days constitutes residence.

2. The Ḥanafī View:
   According to the Ḥanafīs, if a traveler intends to stay in the city they have traveled to for fifteen days or more, they are considered a resident and should not shorten their prayers. However, if they do not intend to stay, they may shorten their prayers no matter how long their journey is. Thus, the period for shortening prayers in this view is when the travel is less than fifteen days.

The Ḥanafīs based their opinion on reports from ῾Umar and Ibn ῾Abbās who said, “If you arrive in a town as a traveler with the intention to stay fifteen days, perform your prayers fully [without shortening], even if you do not know when you will leave.” They also analogized this duration to the period of a woman’s menstrual purity duration, as travel involve a waiting time. Therefore, the duration of travel duration is estimated according to women’s menstrual purity duration, because both have obligatory waiting times.

2. The View that the Duration is Nineteen Days:
   According to this opinion, if the duration exceeds nineteen days, one should perform the prayers in full. This is a view held by some Shāfi῾īs and ᾽Isḥāq ibn Rāḥwayh, and Al-Tirmidhī described it as the strongest opinion. It is based on the action of the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him). Ibn ῾Abbās reported: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed for nineteen days and shortened the prayers. If we travel for nineteen days, we shorten the prayers; if we stay longer, we pray them in full.”
3. Ibn Taymiyyah’s View and Some Jurists:
   This view holds that travel is not determined by its duration but by its nature. As long as a person has left their home and is regarded as a traveler by the community, they remain a traveler with the rulings of travel, even if they stay in another town for a month or more.

This view draws from the general wording related to travel in exemptions, such as:

2. “So whoever among you is ill or on a journey.” [Al-Baqarah 2:184]
3. “And if you are ill or on a journey.” [An-Nisā᾽ 4:43].

It is clear that this reasoning is weak, as if travel had a general meaning, then illness would also have a general meaning, allowing fasting to be broken for any form of illness, even minor headaches or slight pain, which no one claims. Instead, illness must be significant to allow breaking the fast, and the same applies to travel.

They argue that Allāh did not differentiate between types of travel, and that all the evidence for setting a specific duration is speculative, with no clear text except through deduction.

This summarizes the rulings regarding the duration of travel. It should also be noted that the intention to stay for a specified duration according to each school prevents the shortening of prayers from the start of the travel. Thus, there is no permission for shortening at the beginning of the duration, whether it is four days, fifteen days, or nineteen days.
Therefore:

• If someone travels intending to stay for fifteen days or more according to the Ḥanafī school, they are not permitted to shorten their prayers, even on the first day.
• If someone goes on a journey exceeding the duration for shortening prayers according to their school of Islamic law, they should not shorten their prayers at the end of the duration if there remains enough time for shortening, as they are considered a resident until the last moment.
• If someone travels for a period longer than the allowed shortening duration according to their school and then changes their travel plan so that the period is shortened to less than the allowed duration, if this change occurs before starting the travel, they may shorten the prayers. If it happens after the travel has started, they should not shorten the prayers because, with the intention, they are considered a resident.
• If someone starts a journey for less than the allowed shortening period according to their school and then their schedule changes to a period shorter than the allowed duration, they continue to shorten the prayers. If the change is to a period longer than the allowed shortening duration according to their school, they are considered a resident by the new intention and should not shorten the prayers.
• If someone starts a journey following a specific school and then wishes to follow another school’s opinion, they may do so but must adhere to the other school’s rules in the remaining aspects of the prayer.

For example, if someone wants to follow the Ḥanafī school in shortening prayers after initially following the majority, they cannot combine prayers because the Ḥanafī school does not allow combining prayers during travel, except for a “virtual combining.”

3. The Distance Considered for Shortening the Prayer

Scholars have differed on determining the distance that qualifies as travel, which alters rulings such as shortening and combining prayers, breaking the fast for a traveler, and the dropping of the Friday prayer obligation. Below are the details of their opinions:

1. The Majority View (Mālikīs, Shāfi῾īs, Ḥanbalīs, and the view of Abū Yūsuf from the Ḥanafīs):
   They believe the distance for shortening prayers is four “Burd,” which is approximately 88 kilometers (about 54 miles) according to modern measurements. Some say it is around 84 kilometers, which is roughly 48 miles.

Their evidence includes:

1. Ibn ῾Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: “O people of Mecca, do not shorten the prayer for a distance less than four Burd, which is from Mecca to Tā᾽if and ῾Usfān.” [Al-Shawkānī in Nayl al-᾽Awṭār].
2. ῾Aṭā᾽ reported that Ibn ῾Abbās was asked: “Should I shorten the prayer to ῾Arafah?” He replied, “No, but to ῾Usfān, Jeddah, and Tā᾽if.” Mālik added: “Between Mecca, Tā᾽if, Jeddah, and ῾Usfān is four Burd.” [Al-Muwaṭṭa᾽].
3. ῾Atā᾽ ibn Abī Rabāḥ narrated that Ibn ῾Umar and Ibn ῾Abbās would pray two rak῾ahs and break their fast for distances of four Burd or more. [Reported by Al-Bukhārī with a hanging chain of narrators].
4. Sālim and Nāfi῾ narrated that Ibn ῾Umar would shorten the prayer on a full day’s journey. Mālik said: “That is four Burd.” [Al-Muwaṭṭa᾽ and Al-Muṣannaf].
5. The Ḥanafī View:
   According to the Ḥanafīs, the distance for shortening the prayer is the distance a traveler walking at an average pace would cover in three days.

They based their view on the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) statement: “A traveler wipes [over his leather socks] for three days and nights.” [Reported by Ibn Mājah and Al-Dāraquṭnī]. This implies that anyone considered a traveler can shorten prayers. Since the three days’ journey is unanimously agreed upon, and there is no clear agreement for a shorter distance. Adherence to the consensus for worship is a must. Imām Shāfī said this view is safer.

It is worth noting that the distance here would be about a third longer than that calculated by the majority, who estimate the journey at two moderate days of travel.

3. The View of the Ẓāhirīs, a Ḥanbalī Opinion, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Al-Shawkānī:
   This view holds that there is no specific distance for shortening prayers; rather, anyone who embarks on a journey, no matter how short or long, may shorten their prayers.

They base this on the general wording of the verse:

3. “And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you if you shorten the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt you.” [An-Niṣā᾽ 4:101], which refers to travel in general. “Traveling” applies to both short and long distances.

They also cite a narration from Al-Bukhārī and Muslim where Ibn ῾Umar (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: “I accompanied the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he never prayed more than two rak῾ahs during travel, and neither did Abū Bakr, ῾Umar, or ῾Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with them).” They considered the word “travel” general.

Additionally, Ibn ῾Umar reportedly said: “If I traveled even a mile, I would shorten the prayer.”

However, it is important to consider:

• The distance is measured from outside the town’s limits, not from one’s house. The limits of a town could either be the end of its outskirts or a commonly recognized exit point, like an airport, port, or train station.
• The distance does not need to be in a straight line. For example, if one must travel around mountains or forests, increasing the distance, it is still considered.
• The mode of travel does not matter. The same rukhṣah (or ῾azīmah according to the Ḥanafīs) applies whether one is walking, riding a camel, traveling by ship, plane, or car; the permissibility is based on the reason, not the wisdom behind it.
• Shortening the prayer only applies after the journey has begun, not before setting out, even if one has the intention. However, one does not need to wait until they reach their destination to begin shortening; they may do so during the journey even if the distance covered is less than the minimum required, as long as the intention and state of travel are in place.
• Those who follow the Ẓāhirī view should also begin shortening only after leaving the town, based on the aforementioned criteria.
• If someone plans a journey that meets the distance for shortening prayers according to their school’s ruling, then decides to return early and cut the trip short, their travel is considered ended, and they must perform the prayers fully if they did not cover the minimum distance.
• If someone sets out on a short journey, then the trip unexpectedly extends to cover the distance for shortening prayers, they may begin shortening their prayers even if they did not originally intend to travel that far because the reason is related to travel and its required distance.
• If a person missed a prayer while traveling and did not make it up until they were no longer traveling, they should pray the missed prayer in the shortened form. Likewise, if a person missed a prayer while at home and later made it up while traveling, they should pray it in full.
• If someone is traveling and it is time for a prayer that can be shortened, but they reach their home before the end of the prayer’s extended time, they may still shorten the prayer according to the Ḥanafī school. However, according to the majority, they must pray it in full.

4. The Travel Must Be Permissible

Scholars also differed on this condition:

1. The Majority View (Mālikīs, Shāfi῾īs, Ḥanbalīs):
   They require that travel be permissible to qualify for the rukhṣah “concessions” (this includes journeys for acts worship like Ḥajj, journeys for visiting family which is recommended, and journeys for tourism which is originally permissible).

They base this on the verse:

1. “But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin.” [Al-Mā᾽idah: 3], which makes the concession conditional upon necessity and not intending sin. If the person’s intention is sinful, they are not entitled to the mercy or concessions of the Sharī῾ah.

To grant concessions for obligatory acts during sinful journeys would help and ease the sinner, which contradicts the purposes of the Sharī῾ah.

2. The Ḥanafī View, a Mālikī Opinion, the Ẓāhirīs, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Al-Shawkānī:
   This view holds that it is not required for travel to be permissible in order to shorten the prayer.

They rely on the general meaning of the verse:

2. “And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you if you shorten the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt you.” [An-Niṣā᾽ 4:101], which does not specify whether the travel is for an act of obedience or otherwise.

They also cite a ḥadīth from Muslim in which Ibn ῾Abbās said: “Allāh obligated prayer through the tongue of your Prophet: in times of residence, four rak῾ahs; during travel, two rak῾ahs; and during fear, one rak῾ah.” This ḥadīth applies to all types of travel.

Additionally, we argue that just as the Friday prayer, which is two rak῾ahs, is the same for a pious or sinful person, either should the shortening of prayer. Furthermore, if a sinful person is allowed to use the concession of Tayammum (dry ablution) while traveling, then they should also be allowed to shorten prayers for the same reason.

Thus:

• If someone travels for Ḥajj, to visit family, to visit the Prophet’s mosque (peace be upon him), or to visit Al-Azhar Mosque, etc. they may shorten their prayers according to all four schools of Islamic law.
• If someone travels for gambling, for example, to Las Vegas or elsewhere, there is a difference of opinion between the majority and the Ḥanafīs and those who agree with them.
• If someone travels for leisure, such as to watch sports events like the World Cup or the Olympics, the ruling is related to the aforementioned disagreement:
  • If the sport is permissible, like watching football or basketball, all schools agree that shortening the prayer is allowed.
  • If the sport is prohibited, like watching women’s swimming or gymnastics, where there is immodesty, or boxing, where faces are struck and tortured, the aforementioned disagreement between the Ḥanafīs and the majority applied.

It is worth noting that some diligent jurists have argued that only acts of obedience, such as Ḥajj or Jihād, justify shortening the prayer, excluding even permissible journeys from this concession. However, this view is not held by any of the four major schools.

Fatwā issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr