Short Answer

You can, and should, shorten all four unit prayers (Zuhr, Asr, and Isha) to two units when you travel. You can, but it is optional, to combine Zuhr and Asr prayer by praying them at one time rather than two separate times. The same can be done for Maghrib and Isha prayer. It is better not to combine when you are at a resting location (like a hotel or camp site). The distance for travel must be at least about 50 miles, but if you commute that distance daily then you are not a traveler. You can begin shortening your prayers once you have left your city and you intend to travel to a distant place. You can keep shortening prayers if you plan to stay less than fifteen days in one location.

Reason for Asking the Question

Many Muslims have heard that prayers are made easier when traveling, so they want to know the details about how to do that.

What the Qur’an and Sunnah Say

Qur’an 4:101

Prophet: “People of Makkah, do not shorten your prayers for a distance less than four birad from Makkah to ‘Asfaan.” (Reported by ad-Daaraqutni, 3:139; it is weak)

What the Scholars Said

The Hanafi school on combining: Combining Zuhr/Asr and Maghrib/Isha prayers when traveling means to pray Zuhr at the absolute end of its time and then pray Asr right afterwards at the beginning of its time. The same for Maghrib/Isha prayers. All four unit prayers should be shortened to two.

The Maliki school on combining: It is better not to combine Zuhr/Asr and Maghrib/Isha prayers when you are resting at a location during a journey (such as residing at a hotel, being at a camp site, etc). You should do it when you are actually on the move during travel.

The Shafi’i school on combining: Combining Zuhr/Asr when traveling can be done for a traveler in either Zuhr or Asr time, and it will not be considered early or late for those two prayers. The same is the case with Maghrib/Isha.

The Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali school on minimum distance: The minimum distance for a journey is about 50 miles. (This used to be about two days of travel and Ibn Abbas estimated this distance to be from `Usfan to Makkah, at-Taif to Makkah, or from Jeddah to Makkah)

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah on minimum distance: He says that there is no minimum distance but a journey should be judged according to custom/culture. So some people travel less than 50 miles but should be considered travelers and others may travel over 100 miles but are still not travelers. “The evidence supports those who regard shortening prayers and not fasting as being applicable to all types of travel and do not single out one kind of travelling to the exclusion of another. This view is the correct one.” (Al-Fatawa 24:106)

Version 0.5 | [Shaykh] Mustafa Umar | 12-10-2024