سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 101
وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقْصُرُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ كَانُوا۟ لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا ﴿101﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten As-Salât (the prayer) if you fear that the disbelievers may put you in trial (attack you etc.), verily, the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
ضَرَبْتُمْ
ḍarabtum
you travel
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
فَلَيْسَ
falaysa
then not
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
جُنَاحٌ
junāḥun
(is) any blame
أَن
an
that
تَقْصُرُوا۟
taqṣurū
you shorten
مِنَ
mina
[of]
ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ
l-ṣalati
the prayer
إِنْ
in
if
خِفْتُمْ
khif'tum
you fear
أَن
an
that
يَفْتِنَكُمُ
yaftinakumu
(may) harm you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟ ۚ
kafarū
disbelieved
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
the disbelievers
كَانُوا۟
kānū
are
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
عَدُوًّۭا
ʿaduwwan
an enemy
مُّبِينًۭا
mubīnan
open
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
11. 1. In this situation, permission is being given to shorten the prayer (to perform two units) during travel, ان خفتم. "If you fear." This is according to the predominant circumstances. Because at that time, the entire Arab region had become a land of war. There was no direction free from dangers. That is, it is not a condition that there must be fear during travel for the permission to shorten the prayer, just as in other places in the Quran, such restrictions have been mentioned which are incidental, i.e., according to the predominant circumstances (يٰٓاَيُّھَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَاْ كُلُوا الرِّبٰٓوا اَضْعَافًا مُّضٰعَفَةً) 3:130 (وَلَا تُكْرِهُوْا فَتَيٰتِكُمْ عَلَي الْبِغَاۗءِ اِنْ اَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّنًا لِّتَبْتَغُوْا عَرَضَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا) 24:33 "Do not force your slave girls into prostitution if they wish to remain chaste." Since they wished to remain chaste, Allah mentioned it. It does not mean that if they are inclined towards prostitution, then it is permissible for you to have them commit prostitution (وَرَبَاۗىِٕبُكُمُ الّٰتِيْ فِيْ حُجُوْرِكُمْ مِّنْ نِّسَاۗىِٕكُمُ) 4:23. Some of the companions رضوان اللہ علیہم also had this confusion that now there is peace, so we should not shorten the prayer during travel. The Prophet ﷺ said, "This is a charity from Allah to you, so accept His charity." (Musnad Ahmad, Volume 1, p. 25, 36 and Sahih Muslim, Book of Travelers, and other books of hadith)
