Combining prayer during travel for one month

30-7-1999 | IslamWeb

Question:

How should I pray when I am intending to travel for one month? Should I combine the prayers during the period of travelling?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

Whoever intends to travel for a journey, whether it is permissible, or desirable, or obligatory, and its distance is two days walking distance, which is 83 km or more, he may shorten the prayer of four Rak'ahs (i.e. Thuhr, 'Asr and 'Isha) to two Rak'ahs.

However, when a traveller reaches his destination and intends to stay for four days or more, he should stop combining and shortening the prayer, but if he is not considered in people's customs to be stable, then he may shorten and combine the prayer.

Nonetheless, if he is in a town where there is congregational prayer, he should perform the prayer with the Muslims in the mosque. Allaah Says (what means): {…and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience]} [Quran 2:43].

However, if a person travels for studies or work for a period which is considered in people's customs as a long period, and he is usually stable, he should not shorten the prayer in order to be on the safe side.

Finally, whoever travels to a place and intends on his arrival to stay there for one month should not shorten the prayer or combine them.

Allaah Knows best.