Shortening The Prayer On A Journey

Question:

Is shortening (the prayer) obligatory upon the traveler?

Answer:

What is correct is that it is obligatory due to the hadith of ‘Āisha (may Allāh be pleased with her):

[“فُرِضَتِ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي الْحَضَرِ وَالسَّفَرِ، فَأُقِرَّتْ صَلَاةُ السَّفَرِ، وَزِيدَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْحَضَرِ.”
The prayer was prescribed two units during residency and two units during travel, then the travellers prayer was kept (at two units) and the residents prayer was increased [to four units] (1).

This hadith is a ‘nas’ (2) and if زننnot a ‘nas’ then it is close to a ‘nas’ and indicates towards this ruling.

This is what The Companions of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ were upon, most of them were upon this, particularly The Caliphas: Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, similarly ‘Uthmān shortened at the start of his reign then began to complete thereafter.

Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ is the best example and he is not known to have completed the prayer (four units) on a single one of his journeys.

{لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ}.
{By Allāh there is indeed for you in Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ the best example of all goodness} (Al-Ahzab 33:21)

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1. Al-Bukhāri (3935) Muslim (685) and this is the wording recorded by Muslim.

2. A piece of evidence that carries only one meaning.
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Answered by: Shaykh Abū Bilāl al-Ḥaḍramī (May Allāh preserve him)

Source : https://t.me/abubilalhami/7893

Translated by: Abū Sufyān Samuel ibn Daniel Al-Britāni Al-Ghāni