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سنن دارمي
Darimi
من كتاب الصللاةFrom the Book of Prayer
باب قَصْرِ الصَّلاَةِ في السَّفَرِ:Chapter: Shortening the prayer while traveling
Hadith 1548
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الزُّهْرِيَّ يَذْكُرُ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: "إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ أَوَّلَ مَا فُرِضَتْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَأُقِرَّتْ صَلَاةُ السَّفَرِ، وَأُتِمَّتْ صَلَاةُ الْحَضَرِ" . فَقُلْتُ: مَا لَهَا كَانَتْ تُتِمُّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي السَّفَرِ ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّهَا تَأَوَّلَتْ كَمَا تَأَوَّلَ عُثْمَانُ.
Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the prayer was first made obligatory, it was two rak‘ahs, which remained the same during travel, and was increased during residence (i.e., when not traveling). (Imam Zuhri said to Urwah): Then why did Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) perform the full prayer during travel? He said: She held the same opinion as that of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).
Brief Explanation
(Explanation of Hadiths 1545 to 1548)
When Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Uthman radi Allahu anhu performed the full prayer in Mina, he said that he did so because there were many Muslims gathered there, and he feared that people might come to think that the prayer consists of only two rak‘ahs.
Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha also performed the full prayer during Hajj and did not shorten it (qasr), even though she was a traveler, because she considered qasr to be a concession (rukhsah), and in her view, performing the full prayer (itmam) was better.
From all the hadiths in this chapter, the permissibility of shortening the prayer (qasr) during travel is established, while Imam Malik and Shafi‘i rahimahum Allah have also considered performing the full prayer (itmam) permissible, but have stated that qasr is superior.
Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and many companions have considered qasr to be obligatory (wajib).
The author of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, has said: For the devotees of the Sunnah of the Prophet, it is necessary to adhere to qasr during travel, even though it is not obligatory; still, the demand of following the Sunnah is that one should perform qasr during travel and not perform the full prayer, and any interpretation to the contrary is not appropriate.
As has been mentioned in the first hadith, this is a charity (sadaqah) from Allah Ta‘ala, and it is better to accept it.
When is the shortening of prayer (qasr) permissible?
There is also a difference of opinion regarding this.
The correct view is that for any departure upon which the term “travel” applies—that is, a person makes preparations and intends to stay in another place for a few days—and the distance of this travel, according to Shaykh al-Hadith Ubaidullah Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, is agreed upon as 48 Hashimi miles, and Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-‘Uthaymin rahimahullah has considered 83 kilometers in current measurements as the distance for qasr. That is, if a person travels this distance, then qasr is permissible for him.
Regarding the number of days, the correct view is that if a person intends to stay in another city at the aforementioned distance, he should perform the full prayer. However, if he intends to stay for three or four days or less, then he should perform qasr. But if he intended to stay for three or four days but his work was not completed and he had to stay longer, then as long as he remains in that state, performing qasr is permissible.
Also, after setting out on a journey, if one leaves the populated area and the time for prayer comes, then qasr is also permissible, as is known from the hadiths of Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, while going to Makkah al-Mukarramah, performed two rak‘ahs of the ‘Asr prayer at Dhu’l-Hulayfah, and this place is approximately seven kilometers from Madinah.
When Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Uthman radi Allahu anhu performed the full prayer in Mina, he said that he did so because there were many Muslims gathered there, and he feared that people might come to think that the prayer consists of only two rak‘ahs.
Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha also performed the full prayer during Hajj and did not shorten it (qasr), even though she was a traveler, because she considered qasr to be a concession (rukhsah), and in her view, performing the full prayer (itmam) was better.
From all the hadiths in this chapter, the permissibility of shortening the prayer (qasr) during travel is established, while Imam Malik and Shafi‘i rahimahum Allah have also considered performing the full prayer (itmam) permissible, but have stated that qasr is superior.
Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and many companions have considered qasr to be obligatory (wajib).
The author of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, has said: For the devotees of the Sunnah of the Prophet, it is necessary to adhere to qasr during travel, even though it is not obligatory; still, the demand of following the Sunnah is that one should perform qasr during travel and not perform the full prayer, and any interpretation to the contrary is not appropriate.
As has been mentioned in the first hadith, this is a charity (sadaqah) from Allah Ta‘ala, and it is better to accept it.
When is the shortening of prayer (qasr) permissible?
There is also a difference of opinion regarding this.
The correct view is that for any departure upon which the term “travel” applies—that is, a person makes preparations and intends to stay in another place for a few days—and the distance of this travel, according to Shaykh al-Hadith Ubaidullah Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, is agreed upon as 48 Hashimi miles, and Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-‘Uthaymin rahimahullah has considered 83 kilometers in current measurements as the distance for qasr. That is, if a person travels this distance, then qasr is permissible for him.
Regarding the number of days, the correct view is that if a person intends to stay in another city at the aforementioned distance, he should perform the full prayer. However, if he intends to stay for three or four days or less, then he should perform qasr. But if he intended to stay for three or four days but his work was not completed and he had to stay longer, then as long as he remains in that state, performing qasr is permissible.
Also, after setting out on a journey, if one leaves the populated area and the time for prayer comes, then qasr is also permissible, as is known from the hadiths of Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, while going to Makkah al-Mukarramah, performed two rak‘ahs of the ‘Asr prayer at Dhu’l-Hulayfah, and this place is approximately seven kilometers from Madinah.
