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:

Assalaamu Alaikum Varahma.

Kindly enlighten me from Hadhees, what is the distance for a traveller to perform the Shortened (kasar) prayers.

Jazaaka Allahu Khairan Katheera.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Distance for qasr 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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 101:

When you go on a journey, there is no harm, if you shorten your salaat, (especially) when you fear that the disbelievers might harass you, for the disbelievers are openly bent upon enmity against you.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.110

Topic: The distance one must travel before shortening one's prayer

The conclusion from the Qur'anic verse is that any traveling, be it long or short, which falls within the linguistic definition of the word "travel" would suffice to shorten one's salah.

There are several reports in the authentic and established Sunnah that if the Messenger of Allah (saws) traveled a distance of only three miles, he (saws) would shorten his prayers; while other reports attributed to the Companions of the Prophet (saws) of the stature of Ibn Abbas (r.a.) and Ibn Umar (r.a.) are of the opinion that one is to shorten their prayers if their journey is beyond two or three camel days ride, or approximately 85-90 miles.

Yahya ibn Yazid said: "I asked Anas ibn Malik (r.a.) about shortening the prayer, and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah (saws) would pray two rakat (shortened prayer) if he (saws) had traveled a distance of one ‘farshakh) (or appx three miles)."'

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and al-Baihaqi.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (r.a.) said: "If the Prophet (r.a.) traveled a distance of one ‘farsakh’ (appx three miles), he (saws) would shorten his prayer."

Related by Sa'id ibn Mansur, and by al-Hafiz ibn Hajar.

Because the modes and forms of travel has evolved since the time of the Prophet (saws), the vast majority of the scholars today are of the opinion that one may shorten their prayers anytime one falls within the linguistic definition of the term ‘travel’ or ‘journey’, or where one intends to travel beyond the city or town one normally resides in. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

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