Tirmidhi

Urdu Footnote:
Note:
(The narrator "Atiyyah Awfi" in this chain is weak.)

Hadith Commentary:
It is understood that during travel, performing only the two obligatory (fard) units (rak‘ahs) of the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers is sufficient; not performing the Sunnah (supererogatory) prayers is itself the Sunnah (practice) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Hadith Commentary:
The second narration in Sahih Muslim is as follows:
"I accompanied Ibn Umar on the road to Makkah. He led us in the noon (zuhr) prayer, shortening it to two rak‘ahs, then he turned and we turned with him until he came to his tent. We sat with him, and as he glanced around, he saw some people standing (in prayer). He said, 'What are these people doing?' I replied, 'They are performing supererogatory prayers (nafl).' He said, 'If I were to perform supererogatory prayers, then why would I not complete the obligatory prayer (i.e., pray it in full)?'"
(Qastallani)

Hafs bin Asim narrates that I was with Abdullah bin Umar (radi Allahu anhu) on a journey to Makkah. He led us in the obligatory noon (zuhr) prayer, shortening it to two rak‘ahs (qasr), and then saw some people performing the sunnah prayers. He said, "If I were to perform the sunnah prayers, then why would I not complete the obligatory prayer in full?"

In the next narration, there is further clarification that the practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (radi Allahu anhum) was all the same: during travel, they would shorten the prayer (qasr) and would not perform any sunnah prayers apart from those two obligatory rak‘ahs.

Many uninformed brothers are seen during travel expressing astonishment at this practice of the Ahl al-Hadith. In fact, some do not even refrain from expressing aversion. Such people should rather regret their own ignorance and realize that in the state of travel, when the obligatory prayer itself is being shortened, then what mention is there of the sunnah prayers at that time?

Hadith Commentary:
It is understood that during travel, one should suffice with the shortened prayer (qasr) only. Sunnah and other optional prayers should not be performed before or after the obligatory prayers. This is the Prophetic example (uswah nabawiyyah). This is clarified by another hadith. The narrator of the hadith says: I was a travel companion of Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) on the road to Makkah. He led us in two rak‘ahs for Zuhr, then turned towards us and saw that some people were performing Sunnah prayers. He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “If it were necessary to perform Sunnah prayers after the shortened prayer, then it would have been better to perform the full prayer instead of shortening it.” (Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 1579(689)) After this, Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) narrated the aforementioned hadith. The meaning of this detailed hadith is that Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) used to perform the shortened prayer (qasr) during travel and would not perform any Sunnah or other optional prayers before or after it. This was also the practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but other voluntary prayers, such as tahajjud or ishraq, would be performed, as will be mentioned in the following section.

Hadith Commentary:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not state a clear ruling regarding the prayer in Mina—whether during those days it should be performed in shortened form (qasr) or in full—because there is a difference of opinion on this matter. Then, if the prayer is to be shortened, is it due to the reason of travel or because of the rites of Hajj?

According to us, the preferred (rajih) opinion is that during the days of Hajj (Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah), the prayer should indeed be performed in shortened form (qasr). Due to the journey of Hajj, this concession is for every pilgrim, even if he is a resident of Makkah Mukarramah. However, after six years of his caliphate, ‘Uthman radi Allahu anhu began to perform the prayer in full due to a specific excuse.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu, during the days of Mina, if he prayed alone, would perform two rak‘ahs; if he prayed behind the Imam, he would perform four rak‘ahs, as is mentioned in Sahih Muslim.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/728, and Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 1592(694))

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The intent of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma is that, due to travel, the obligatory prayer has been shortened for the convenience and ease of the traveler, so why should the observance of the regular Sunnah (sunan rawatib) be deemed necessary? If facilitation and ease were not intended for the traveler, then it would have been better to perform the prayer in full.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: It is understood from the narration of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma that Uthman radi Allahu anhu began to perform four rak‘ahs only in Mina. In all other places, he would perform only two rak‘ahs.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: ➊ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) would not perform the emphasized Sunnah (sunan mu’akkadah) prayers during travel along with the obligatory prayers, except for the Sunnahs of Fajr (morning prayer). Similarly, they would also perform Witr. And they would perform general voluntary prayers (nawafil) while sitting on their mounts. Therefore, according to Imam Malik rahimahullah, Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, and Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, the ruling of the emphasized Sunnah (sunan mu’akkadah) during travel will be like that of voluntary prayers (nawafil). They may be performed as voluntary prayers. Hafiz Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah has narrated from Hasan al-Basri rahimahullah that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to perform voluntary prayers before and after the obligatory prayers during travel. (Zad al-Ma’ad, published by Ihya al-Turath al-Islami: vol., p. 456)

➋ ‘Uthman (radi Allahu ta’ala anhu) would perform shortened prayers (qasr) during travel at all places except Mina. Therefore, Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta’ala anhuma) said that ‘Uthman (radi Allahu ta’ala anhu) did not perform more than two units (rak‘at) of obligatory prayer during travel until the end of his life.

➌ According to the Hanafis, a traveler should not perform the emphasized Sunnah (sunan mu’akkadah) during travel, but should perform them while in residence.

Commentary:
Note:
(The narrator of this hadith, "Muhammad bin Abdur Rahman bin Abi Layla," is weak, and this hadith is contrary to authentic ahadith.)

English Commentary:
1:
This hadith is coming at number 551 in the author's compilation, and it is weak and munkar (denounced).

2:
This is a narration from Sahih Bukhari, and there is a narration from al-Bayhaqi in which he states the reason that completing (the prayer) is not difficult for me. It is as if, during travel, shortening (qasr) is a concession (rukhsah), and completing (the prayer) is permissible. And this is the preferred (rajih) opinion. By choosing the concession, one acts upon the Sunnah and attains the pleasure of Allah.

1452. Commentary:

➊ Later, due to certain reasons based on ijtihad, Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) began performing four rak‘ahs in Mina during Hajj. The hadith scholars have mentioned several reasons for this, the details of which have already been discussed previously. Similarly, it is also narrated regarding Aisha (radi Allahu anha) that she would perform the full prayer during travel. In view of these hadiths, the verifying scholars have adopted the position that a person should avail himself of this concession granted by Allah Ta‘ala. Furthermore, the Prophetic command is also that Allah Ta‘ala likes that His concession be accepted. Therefore, according to us, it is preferable that during travel, the shortened prayer (qasr) be performed. However, if someone does not avail himself of the concession and performs the full prayer, there is also allowance for this; he should not be called an innovator or the like. And Allah knows best.

➋ In all of the above narrations, the two rak‘ahs refer only to those prayers whose original form is four rak‘ahs (i.e., the four-unit prayers). Otherwise, Maghrib is always three rak‘ahs and Fajr is always two rak‘ahs, and this is a matter of consensus.

1458. Commentary: Other than the regular Sunnah prayers (Sunan Rawatib) associated with the obligatory prayers, performing voluntary (nafl) prayers during travel is by no means absolutely prohibited. In fact, it is established from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) that they would perform general voluntary prayers while traveling. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions (radi Allahu anhum) used to perform voluntary prayers (such as Witr, etc.) while riding on their mounts during travel. In this, except at the beginning of the prayer, they did not make any special effort to face the qiblah; rather, they would pray in whatever direction their mount and their faces happened to be. This was done only for voluntary prayers; for obligatory prayers, they would dismount and pray facing the qiblah. This was the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) during travel. There is complete clarification of this in the ahadith of the two Sahihs. See: (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Taqsir, Hadith: 1100-1193, and Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin..., Hadith: 700-702).

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) greatly emphasized the Sunnah prayers of Fajr. He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself would pay special attention and regularity to the Sunnah prayers of Fajr. Umm al-Mu’minin, Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqa, the chaste and pure (radi Allahu anha), states: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would show more regularity, care, and persistence in the Sunnah prayers of Fajr than in any other voluntary prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tahajjud, Hadith: 1129)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said regarding the Sunnah prayers of Fajr: “The two rak‘ahs (Sunnah) of Fajr are better than the world and all that is in it.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 725) Furthermore, these Sunnah prayers were extremely beloved and dear to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

How much did the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) adhere to the Sunnah prayers of Fajr? This can be well understood from the fact that when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), while returning from the Battle of Khaybar, slept during the last part of the night, and neither he nor any of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) woke up before sunrise, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to the Companions (radi Allahu anhum): “Take your mounts and leave this valley, for Satan resides here.” Then he performed ablution (wudu), after which he prayed the two Sunnah rak‘ahs of Fajr, and then performed the obligatory Fajr prayer in congregation. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Masajid, Hadith: 680)

However, regarding those prayers in which shortening (qasr) is performed, i.e., Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, there is no mention of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performing the Sunnah prayers for them. Therefore, when qasr is performed, the Sunnah prayers should not be performed, because qasr is for the purpose of concession. Performing the Sunnah prayers would nullify the concession. When combining Maghrib and Isha, the Sunnah prayers of Maghrib should not be performed. During travel, Tahajjud and other voluntary prayers may also be performed. The generality of the evidences supports this. And Allah knows best.

1459. Commentary: Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) refused to perform the Sunnah prayers, stating that if one were to perform Sunnah prayers, it would have been better to perform the obligatory (fard) four units instead, because obligatory prayers carry more reward than voluntary (nafl) prayers, while the purpose of the Shari‘ah regarding the traveler is to grant concession (takhfif).

458. Commentary:

➊ The objection was that in the Noble Qur’an, the condition of fear is mentioned for shortening the prayer (qasr), whereas these people are shortening the prayer without any fear. Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma gave a principled answer that for us, the teaching of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is fundamental. The meaning of the Noble Qur’an that is valid is also that which he explains, because it is he who brought the Qur’an. He alone knows its correct meaning. He repeatedly shortened the prayer during journeys, even though there was no fear, to the extent that he shortened the prayer during the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘), when his government had already been established.

➋ In addition to this principled answer of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, other answers have also been given, for example: 1. When the verse of shortening was revealed, there was also fear at that time, so due to the context of the incident, fear was mentioned in the verse, otherwise this condition was not intended; only travel was the condition. 2. In the Noble Qur’an, only the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf) is mentioned. The prayer of travel (salat al-safar) is mentioned only in the hadiths. In the Noble Qur’an, there is no mention of the prayer of travel at all. 3. (If you fear... etc.) refers to the prayer of fear, and before this, the prayer of travel is mentioned, as if (if you fear) is not connected to what precedes it but to what follows; both are separate sentences.

➌ By “amranaa” (He commanded us), what is meant is not an obligatory command but a recommended (mustahabb) command, as has been mentioned previously.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
The practice of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Rightly Guided Caliphs radi Allahu anhum ajma'in is that during travel, the Sunnah prayers are not performed before or after the obligatory (fard) prayers.

➋
During travel, it is permissible to perform other voluntary (nafl) prayers.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to perform voluntary prayers while riding his mount.
It is narrated from Jabir radi Allahu anhu that he said:
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray on his mount,
regardless of which direction the mount was facing. (After beginning the prayer, he would face the qiblah only once at the start to make the intention.)
Then, when he intended to perform an obligatory prayer, he would dismount and face the qiblah. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salat, Chapter: Facing the Qiblah Wherever One Is, Hadith: 400)

➌
After the statement and practice of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are known, there remains no need for any other evidence.
However, if for emphasis the practice or statement of other scholars is also mentioned, it is permissible.
For example, Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu narrated the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs radi Allahu anhum ajma'in.

Benefit:
In the aforementioned hadith, the distance for shortening the prayer (qasr) is mentioned in a general way, whereas in the narration of Sahih Muslim there is detail that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), when he traveled three miles or three farsakh, would perform two rak‘ahs of prayer. (Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 691)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states regarding this that the most authentic and explicit narration concerning the distance for qasr is this one. (Fath al-Bari, 2/567)

However, if all the narrations and statements regarding this issue are considered, it becomes clear that the distance mentioned in the aforementioned hadith for shortening the prayer is merely out of precaution. That is, if a person goes outside the city limits for three farsakh, i.e., 22 or 23 kilometers, then he can perform qasr prayer.

Because in this hadith, it is not explicitly stated that if the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) traveled less than three miles or three farsakh, he would not perform qasr, nor has the Shari‘ah specified any particular distance for qasr.

Rather, if in common usage (urf), even a distance of two or three miles is considered a journey, then legally (shar‘an) qasr will also be permissible in that.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, regarding this distance for qasr, states that the correct view about the beginning of qasr prayer is that there is no restriction of any distance for it; rather, qasr begins as soon as one crosses the city limits.

For details, see: (Fath al-Bari 2/567)