✦ Hadith:
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
"Prayer was initially prescribed as two rakʿahs both in residence and in travel. Then the prayer for travel remained the same, but the prayer for residence was increased."
[Muttafaqun ʿalayh – Bukhārī: 350 | Muslim: 685]
Another narration attributed to ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) states:
"The Prophet ﷺ used to shorten the prayer during travel and sometimes complete it; he also used to fast and break his fast while traveling."
Reported by Dārquṭnī, who considered its chain sound. However, Imām Aḥmad classified it as munkar (deniable).
[Dārquṭnī: 2/189 | Al-Talkhīṣ: 2/44]
✦ Key Points:
➊ Initially, both travel and resident prayers were two rakʿahs. Later, the resident prayer was increased to four rakʿahs, while the travel prayer remained two.
➋ Islam considers human difficulty, and since travel is a form of hardship, travel prayer stayed shortened.
➌ Shortening prayer during travel (qaṣr) is a concession, not an obligation. A traveler may pray full four rakʿahs, though it's better to accept the divine concession.
➍ Fasting during travel is also optional. A traveler may fast or break the fast, but prayer must never be skipped. However, adjusting the timing (advancing or delaying) is allowed.
➎ A fast broken during travel — if obligatory — must be made up later. Voluntary fasts do not require makeup, but obligatory ones do, or the person is sinful.
