Salah during journey | Prayer while travelling | Salatul Qasr

There is an Arabic proverb "السفر سقر" (Travel is hell) meaning travel is the other name of trouble. A traveler has to face various difficulties during the journey. Hence Allah the Gracious, the Merciful has given many concessions to the wayfarer during his journey like the convenience of shortening or combining of Salah, postponing the obligatory Sawm of Ramadan to later months and concession in Salātul Jumu'ah etc.

Salatul Qasr

The meaning of the Arabic word Qasr is to reduce or to shorten. During a journey, a wayfarer has to offer only two Raka'āt of obligatory Salah instead of four in Zohr,  Asr and Isha. This reduced Salah is called Salatul Qasr.

It should be clear that the wayfarer does Qasr while he is traveling and also while he has temporarily halted during his journey. If he intends to halt for a prolonged period, he should not do Qasr.

Anas R reported: "We traveled with Prophet (ﷺ) from Madinah to Makkah on the occasion of Hajjatul Wada. All along the journey, Prophet (ﷺ) used to offer only two Raka'āt of Salah and continued to do so till we returned to Madinah". Upon being asked if they had stayed in Makkah for some days, Anas R said, "Yes, we had halted for ten days in Makkah." [Bukhari, Muslim]

During the journey there is concession in Sunnah and Nawafil also and offering them or not is left to one's discretion. It is preferable to offer Sunnah of Fajr and also Salātul Witr because Prophet (ﷺ) always did so.

Starting of Qasr

The wayfarer should start Qasr as soon as he begins journey. Anas R said, "Prophet (ﷺ) offered four Raka'āt of Zohr in Madinah and offered two Raka'āt of Asr upon reaching Zul Hulaifa (which is 5 kilometers from Madinah)." [Bukhari, Muslim]

Distance of Qasr

Minimum distance of travel when Qasr is valid has not been fixed in Qur'ān or Hadeeth. What is proved from the life of Prophet (ﷺ) is that he observed Qasr in every journey. In none of his journeys did he say that a person traveling less than this should not observe Qasr.

Imam Malik R says: According to his knowledge Abdullah Ibn Abbas R used to observe Qasr in his journey between Makkah and Ta'if, Makkah and Asfan, and between Makkah and Jeddah. Imam Malik further says: This journey is of four bareed. "Four bareed" is a distance equal to about eighty kms. Based upon this, Islāmic Jurists agree that minimum distance of eighty kilometers journey is validation for Qasr.

If the wayfarer is offering Salah in congregation led by a local Imam, then he will have to offer complete Salah, whereas if Imam is a wayfarer then Imam will do Qasr and the local followers will complete the remaining Raka'āt.

Imran Ibn Haseen R says: I have accompanied Prophet (ﷺ) in wars. I was with him during the conquest of Makkah also. He (ﷺ) stayed in Makkah for eighteen nights and all along he used to offer two Raka'āt only and he used to say: O people of the city! You offer four Raka'āt. I am a wayfarer. [Abu Dāwood]

Combining Salah

Offering Salah of two times in combination is called "جمع بین الصلو تین". Allah has given wayfarers this concession. It should be remembered that only Zohr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha can be combined together. Asr and Maghrib cannot be combined. There is no provision to combine Fajr.

Offering combined salah at Zohar and at Maghrib time is called "Jama'e Taqdeem" (advanced combination). Offering combined Salah at Asr and at Isha time is called "Jama'e Takheer" (delayed combination). Both types of combinations are valid.

Ma'āz Ibn Jabal R says: During the war of Tabook, when Prophet (ﷺ) used to begin his journey after mid-day, he used to combine Asr with Zohr and offer Asr at the time of Zohr. But if he began his journey before mid-day then he used to postpone Zohr mid-day till the time of Asr and at the time of Asr he would dismount and offer Zohr and Asr together. Whenever he began his journey before Maghrib then he would delay Maghrib till the time of Isha and then at the time of Isha he would offer Maghrib and Isha together. When he had to begin his journey after Maghrib then he would offer Maghrib and Isha together at Maghrib time and start the journey. [Tirmizi, Abu Dawood]

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Allah and his messenger knows best