Qasr Prayer: Validity for 12 Miles & 4-Day Stay Explained with 2 Proofs

Question

➊ If a person sets out from home intending to travel 12 miles, may he shorten the prayer?
➋ If there is an intention to stay in a place for more than four days, should the prayer be shortened or completed?

Hadith reference:

عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْهُنَائِيِّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ قَصْرِ الصَّلَاةِ، فَقَالَ: «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا خَرَجَ مَسِيرَةَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَمْيَالٍ، أَوْ ثَلَاثَةِ فَرَاسِخَ – شُعْبَةُ الشَّاكُّ – صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ».

Explanation:

Yahya ibn Yazid al-Hunai narrates that he asked Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) about shortening the prayer, and he said that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out for a distance of three miles or three farsakh (nine miles), he would pray two rak’ahs (i.e., the shortened prayer). The narrator Shu’bah is in doubt about “three miles” or “three farsakh”.

Determining the distance:

◈ By resolving Shu’bah’s doubt, nine miles (approximately eleven ordinary miles) is given preference.
◈ From this it follows that for a person who covers a minimum of 11 miles (approximately 20 to 22 kilometres), it is permissible to shorten the prayer.

If there is an intention to stay for more than four days:

Fatwa:
If a person intends to stay for four days or more, he will still shorten the prayer.

However, in light of the narration in Sahih al-Bukhari:

“عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: «أَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ يَقْصُرُ، فَنَحْنُ إِذَا سَافَرْنَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ قَصَرْنَا، وَإِنْ زِدْنَا أَتْمَمْنَا».

Explanation:

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed in one place for nineteen days and continued to shorten the prayer during that time. On this basis, the Companions also shortened the prayer during a stay of up to nineteen days, and if the stay was twenty days or more, they would complete the prayer.

Conclusion:

◈ Shortening the prayer with the intention of staying up to nineteen days is established from the Sunnah.
◈ If the intention is to stay twenty days or more, the full prayer should be offered.

Is there an explicit proof regarding a stay of three or four days?

According to this reference, there is no explicit proof regarding shortening or completing the prayer for a stay of three or four days.

Summary:

◈ Shortening is not tied to an intention of 12 miles; rather, if the journey is at least 11 miles (20-22 kilometres), shortening is permissible.
◈ Even with an intention to stay more than four days, the prayer will be shortened; however, if the stay is twenty days or more, the complete prayer is obligatory.

ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب