Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualaikum wa-Rehmathullahi wa-barakatuhu

I just finished reading an article on Qasr namaz. The part of the question asked was about the distance one has to travel away from his/her dwelling to be able to qasr namaaz and the answer was 89 Kms approximately. And it was also added that the condition to offer Qasr namaaz is that the traveller has to be in a state of journey. Now...my question is as follows.

Me and my brother`s family live in Melbourne, Australia. Recently a couple who were known to my brother, who actually live in Sydney visited Melbourne for some official work and they happened to stay in our house during their stay in Melbourne(that was a 2 days stay). Let me tell u that Melbourne is 900Kms approximately from Sydney. And these couple during their stay offered Qasr namaaz and also, b`coz the male out the couple found it difficult to offer the Jum`ah prayer, skipped it (Allah knows best) as he was telling me a day before that it is not very important for him as he is on a journey and he will make it qasr. Now.....my thinking is, he was away from his place of residence but he was living in our house with his wife and sleeping well and eating at our house but he was offering qasr which I think is not considered to be a state of journey.

Kindly throw light on this critical issue by taking opinions of various eminent scholars.

My other question is also related to Qasr namaaz.

Even I have been through the verse you quoted from Surah Maidah to give an evidence about the qasr namaaz in the Holy Quran. If u see the latter half of the same verse, Allah subhana wa t`ala mentioned ".....if u fear that u may be killed....". I don`t even dare to say that I am anyway near to interpret the verses of Quran but what I thought after reciting this particular verse was.....the concept of Qasr namaaz was introduced in a period when the muslims were alwayz going out with a fear of being killed by non-muslims and in next few verses of the above quoted verse Allah says that a party of the group watch for any danger and a party among them perform prayer and then the people who finished their prayer watch for the other party untill they finsih their prayer. I am sorry for making it so confusing but I am sure u will go through the verses I am refering to. So, the doubt in my mind is.......I think Qasr namaz should not be practised by the believers unless they r in a battlefield or on a journey where they fear of being killed by the non-muslims. Kindly clarify.

Jazak Allah!

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Answer:

Qasr shorten prayers

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Now.....my thinking is, he was away from his place of residence but he was living in our house with his wife and sleeping well and eating at our house but he was offering qasr which I think is not considered to be a state of journey.

Kindly throw light on this critical issue by taking opinions of various eminent scholars.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and his noble companions was that whenever they would travel away from Madinah, they would shorten the prayers. The eminent scholars of all the four major schools of thought in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that as long as one is traveling way from his resident city, one is eligible to offer shortened or ‘qasr’ prayers.

The scholars do differ in their opinion regarding the minimum distance or how many days travel away from one city of residence would make one eligible to offer shortened prayers; but all the scholars and jurists are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that as long as one is traveling away from one’s resident city, they are eligible to offer shortened prayers.

Your Question: I think Qasr namaz should not be practised by the believers unless they r in a battlefield or on a journey where they fear of being killed by the non-muslims. Kindly clarify.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 101-102:

101 When ye travel through the earth there is no blame on you if ye shorten your prayers for fear the unbelievers may attack you: for the unbelievers are unto you open enemies.

102 When thou (O Prophet (saws)) art with them and standest to lead them in prayer let one party of them stand up (in prayer) with thee, taking their arms with them: when they finish their prostrations let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which hath not yet prayed and let them pray with thee taking all precautions and bearing arms: the unbelievers wish if ye were negligent of your arms and your baggage to assault you in a single rush but there is no blame on you if ye put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because ye are ill; but take (every) precaution for yourselves. For the unbelievers Allah hath prepared a humiliating punishment.

Beloved brother in Islam, it is indeed accurate that the leniency and concession to shorten one’s prayer when traveling was initially revealed for wartimes; but the Messenger of Allah (saws), under the direct guidance of Allah Subhanah, later made, applied, and implemented the guidance to shorten one’s prayer as a general command for all travel.

Beloved brother in Islam, rest assured that no human being in creation who was ever blessed to walk on this earth understood and implemented the guidance of the Glorious Quran better than the noble self of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws); and there is sufficient evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah that whenever the Messenger of Allah (saws) and his noble companions traveled away from their resident city of Madinah, they would shorten their prayers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.593 Narrated by Ikrima

Ibn 'Abbas said, "We stayed for 19 days with the Prophet (saws) on a journey during which we used to offer shortened prayers." Ibn 'Abbas added, "We offer the Qasr prayer (i.e. shortened prayer) If we stay up to 19 days as travelers, but if we stay longer, we offer complete prayers."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1231 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) stayed at Tabuk twenty days; he (saws) shortened the prayer (during his stay).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.195 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

I offered four Rakat of Zuhr prayer with the Prophet (saws) at Medina, and two Rakat at Dhul-Hulaifa. (i.e. shortened the 'Asr prayer).

Al-Muwatta Hadith 9.11

Yahya related from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar, shortened the prayer when he left for hajj or umra at Dhu'l Hulayfa.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan