✿ Sourced from: Aḥkām wa Masā’il: Ṣalāh Section, Volume 1, Page 232
❖ Question
For how many days can a traveler offer Qasr prayer — is it 3 days or 18 days?
And if a married woman visits her parents’ home, can she offer Qasr prayer (two rak‘ahs) there?
✦ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, Ammā ba‘d!
❖ Duration of Qasr Prayer
➊ If a traveler intends to stay at a location for more than four days, then:
◈ From the moment he arrives, he must perform full prayers — Qasr is no longer valid.
➤ This is because there is no established Sunnah showing the Prophet ﷺ ever performed Qasr with an intention to stay beyond four days.
✿ Clarification on 10 or 19-Day Durations in Narrations
➤ Some narrations mention durations of 10 or 19 days, but these refer to scenarios of uncertainty or continuous delay — not fixed intentions.
✔ For example:
“I might leave today, or maybe tomorrow…” — this kind of indecisiveness (tardud) means no specific intention to stay, so no fixed time limit applies, and Qasr continues.
❖ Ruling for Women Performing Qasr at Parents’ Home
✔ If a woman is a traveler and fulfills the Shar‘i conditions for Qasr, then:
◈ She may offer Qasr (2 rak‘ahs) at her parents’ house, just as she would anywhere else.
✿ Example Case:
➤ A married woman lives with her husband in a city located at Shar‘i travel distance from her parents’ home.
➤ If she visits her parents for four days or fewer, then:
✔ She should perform Qasr prayer,
✔ And in fact, Qasr is preferable for her.
✔ Summary of Rulings
➊ Qasr is valid only if the intended stay is four days or less.
➋ If the stay exceeds four days, full prayers must be offered.
➌ Narrations of 10 or 19 days apply to uncertain or changing intentions, not firm plans.
➍ A travelling woman may perform Qasr at her parents’ home if her stay is within the permissible duration.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
