NAMAAZ OF A TRAVELLER (QASR NAMAAZ)
'When you travel throughout the land, there is no sin upon you that you offer some prayer by shortening it''
(Surah An-Nisa. verse 101)
''Shortening' means to shorten salaah of four rakaats to two. There is no qasr-shortening for sunnat and nafil prayers, and there is no qasr for Fajr, Magrib and Witr prayers, as is indicated by the preposition 'some' in the words 'some prayers'. We learn that it is not a sin to perform qasr. However, from the hadith we learn that a person who does not make qasr is a sinner'.
(Tafseer Noor Ul Irfaan with English translation of Kanzul Imaan)
Namaaz is such an obligation that has to be performed in all state of affairs including travelling. However, whilst travelling, there are considerations in Namaaz in form of qasr.
Qasr means a reduction in the rakaats of farz Namaaz during travelling. It is obligatory on the traveller to decrease only his farz Namaaz i.e. his Namaaz will be complete if he were to perform only two of the four rakaat farz Namaaz (Zohr, Asr and Isha). There is no qasr for two (Fajr) or three (Magrib) farz, wajib and sunnat Namaaz.
If by mistake, someone were to perform four-rakaat obligatory Namaaz and do qa'dah, he would have accomplished his obligatory Namaaz, and the later two rakaat would be counted as nafil.
But if someone performs four rakaat intentionally, he will have to bear a great load of sins, and must repent for this.
If the traveller performs his Namaaz behind a resident imaam, then he would obviously perform four rakaat.
If a resident performs Namaaz behind an imaam who is a traveller, then, after the imaam has done the salaam, the resident muqtadee should continue to complete his remaining two rakaat, but would not recite Surah Fateha in these two rakaats. Rather, he would stand silently for the duration Surah Fateha would have been recited, and would perform the rest of the Namaaz in the usual manner.
Who is a traveller? Qasr Namaaz has to be performed in the presence of two factors:
' Islamic jurisprudence states that an individual is considered a traveller who leaves his village or city with the intention of travelling continuously a distance of 92.54km (57.5 miles) and more. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Razviyah)
' The traveller has the intention to stay there for less than fifteen days.
(Fatawa Razviyah)
Consequent presence of both factors is necessary for the validity of qasr Namaaz. If the journey is less than 92.54km, then qasr is not indicated.
If the individual starts the journey with the intention of staying at the destination for more than fifteen days, then after reaching the destination, he cannot be considered as a traveller as per Islamic jurisprudence, and at the destination he has to perform full Namaaz. (Fatawa Razviyah)
A traveller travels more than 92.54km and intends to stay there for less than fifteen days for work purposes. Because of inevitable reasons, he is not able to finish work and goes on waiting day by day. Even if the waiting period extends from days to month to years, he still remains a traveller and has to perform qasr Namaaz.
(Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Alamgiri)
Qasr Namaaz is only in the four rakaat obligatory (farz) Namaaz, and it does not apply to sunnat and Witr.
If a Namaaz was missed whilst travelling, it must be performed as a qasr Namaaz even though the person is not a traveller anymore. However, if a Namaaz was missed in a normal state, but is performed whilst being a traveller, then it must be performed fully (not qasr). (Raddul Muhtar)
NUMBER OF RAKAATS FOR TRAVELLERS
|
|
Sunnat |
Farz |
Sunnat |
Nafil |
Witr Waajib |
Nafil |
|
Fajr |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Zohr |
4+ |
2* |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
Asr |
4^ |
2* |
|
|
|
|
|
Magrib |
|
3 |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
Isha |
4^ |
2* |
2+ |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
Juma |
4+ |
2 |
4+ & 2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
+Sunnat e Muakkadah |
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|
^Sunnat e Ghair Muakkadah |
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|
|
* Shortened |
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|
|
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Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Abbas(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that 'through the word of Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ, Allah Ta'ala has made four rakaats Namaaz obligatory for those who are at home and two rakaat for those who are travellers'. (Muslim)
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that 'Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has prescribed two rakaats Namaaz for journey days and it is all-inclusive'.
It is understood to mean that even though the number of rakaats has been reduced to two from four but the rewards are the same. (Ibne Majah)
