بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

“In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”

• A musaafir (traveller) is a person who intends to travel for 78 km (48.5 miles) or more. A person who travels less than this distance will not be classed as a musaafir (traveller).

• When a person is a musaafir (traveller), they will do qasr (shorten) their salaah. This will be done in the following:

1. 4 Fardh of Dhur (shorten to 2 Fardh).

2. 4 Fardh of Asr (shorten to 2 Fardh).

3. 4 Fardh of Esha (shorten to 2 Fardh).

• One will start to perform qasr (shortened) salaah once they leave their hometown. If the airport / station is in theirhometown, they will not do qasr till they have left their hometown.

• If a person forgets to do qasr & remembers in their 4th rakaah, they should perform sajdah-e-sahw otherwise their salaah will be improper & will have to be repeated.

• If a salaah becomes qadha (missed) whilst traveling, when making up for it, one will only perform qasr & not full.

• In a plane, salaah should be performed in a standing position and facing the qiblah. The flight crew can assist you if you request them politely, they are usually quite accommodating. If, however, a situation arises where you are not permitted to pray on the plane or the plane is too small such as that there is no room to pray in a standing position, then you will have to perform your salah in your seat (by making gestures for rukh & sajdah) and will also have to repeat it when you can.

• If the qibla changes whilst praying on a plane or boat then in your salaah turn towards qibla, otherwise salaah will not be done.

• If one feels dizzy whilst praying salaah on a ship / Train then they may sit & pray.

• If one intends to stay at a place (after travelling) for less than 15 days, then they will be classed as a musaafir (traveller). If they intend to stay for more than 15 days they will be classed as a Muqeem (resident).

•If a person travels to a place with the intention of staying for 3-4 days & for some reason they have to extend their stay for a further few days (with the intention of staying for less than 15 days) & again for some reason they have to extend their stay (with the intention of staying for less than 15 days), they will continue to pray qasr (shortened) salaah, regardless of how many days they end up staying, providing their intention was less than 15 days.

• If whilst traveling one will be making multiple stops where one will be staying for less than 15 days at each destination, then qasr will be made for salaah at each destination.

• It is prohibited for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel a distance of three nights (78KM / 48.5 miles) unless with a mehram” (Sahih Muslim)

This rule is so greatly stressed that if a woman intends to perform Hajj, she must be accompanied by her mehram.If she does not have a mehram, then even Hajj will not be compulsory on her.

The wisdom behind this command is the safety of a woman, usually whilst travelling one may face many dangers, for e.g robbery, rape etc. 

• After a woman marries, her new place of residence becomes the home of her husband where she dwells. Therefore if she travels to her mother’s home which is further than 48 miles and she is staying for up to 15 days or less, she will be classed as musafir (traveller).

However, if her mother’s home is less than 48 miles from her town or she is staying there for over 15 days, then she will still be considered a muqeem (resident). In that case, she will perform her salaah in full & not qasr.

• A woman will take the intention of her husband into account whilst traveling. In other words if her husband intends to stay for 15 days or less, then she will be classed as a musaafir (traveller) & if he intends to stay for more than 15 days then she will be classed as a Muqeem (resident).

• Whether one is in comfort on a journey or not, it is Waajib to perform Qasr Salah. Performing four rakaats instead of Qasr Salaah as a Musafir is a sin and contrary to the Sunnah.

• It is not necessary for a Musaafir (traveller) to perform the Sunnat-e-Muakkadah (emphasised Sunnats) before and after the Fardh Salaats. It is advisable that if he has time, he should perform them. The ground etc, will testify for us on the day of judgement, wouldn’t we want that many different types of places testify for us on the day of judgement.

~Written by Umm Aa’ishah -Graduate of Ar-Rahman Madrassah (Bolton)