The Book of Prayer – Travellers

The prayer was prescribed as two rak’ahs, two rak’ahs both in journey and at the place of residence. The prayer while travelling remained as it was (originally prescribed), but an addition was made in the prayer (observed) at the place of residence.

‘A’isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said Allah prescribed the prayer as two rak’ahs, then it was completed (to four rak’ahs) at the place of residence, but was retained in the same position in journey as it was first made obligatory.

The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak’abs, the prayer in travelling remained the same, but the prayer at the place of residence was completed. (Zuhri said he asked ‘Urwa why ‘A’isha said prayer in the complete form during journey, and he replied that she interpreted the matter herself as ‘Uthman did.)

I told ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that Allah had said:” You may shorten the prayer only if you fear that those who are unbelievers may afflict you” (Qur’an, iv. 101), whereas the people are now safe. He replied: I wondered about it in the same way as you wonder about it, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it and he said: It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity.

I said to ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, and the rest of the hadlth is the same.

Allah has prescribed the prayer through the word of your Prophet (ﷺ) as four rak’ahs when resident, two when travelling, and one when danger is present.

Allah has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Apostle (ﷺ) as two rak’ahs for the traveller, four for the resident, and one in danger.

I asked Ibn ‘Abbas: How should I say prayer when I am in Mecca, and when I do not pray along with the Imam? He said: Two rak’ahs (of prayer) is the Sunnah of Abu’l-Qasim (ﷺ).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Qatada with the same chain of transmitters.

I accompanied Ibn ‘Umar on the road to Mecca and he led us in two rak’ahs at the noon prayer, then he went forward and we too went along with him to a place where he alighted, and he sat and we sat along with him, and he cast a glance to the side where he said prayer and he saw people standing and asked: What are they doing? I said: They are engaged in glorifying Allah, offering Sunnah prayer. He said: If I had done so I would have perfected my prayer; O my nephew! I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and he made no addittion to two rak’ahs, till Allah called him. I accompanied Abu Bakr and he made no addition to two rak’ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied ‘Umar and he made no addition to two rak’ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied ‘Uthman and he made no addition to two rak’ahs, till Allah caused him to die, and Allah has said:” There is a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah” (al-Qur’an, xxxiii. 21).

I fell ill and lbn ‘Umar came to inquire after my health, and I asked him about the glorification of Allah (i. e. prayer) while travelling. Thereupon he said: I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey but I did not see him glorifying Him, and were I to glorify (Him). I would have completed the prayer. Allah, the Exalted, has said:” Verily there is a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said four rak’ahs in the noon prayer while at Medina, but he offered two rak’ahs in the afternoon prayer at Dhu’l-Hulaifa.

I observed four rak’ahs in the noon prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Medina, and said two rak’ahs in the afternoon prayer at Dhu’l-Hulaifa.

I asked Anas b. Malik about shortening of prayer. He said: When the Messenger of’ Allah (ﷺ) had covered a distance of three miles or three farsakh (Shu’ba, one of the narrators, had some doubt about it) he observed two rak’ahs.

I went along with Shurahbil b. al-Simt to a village which was situated at a distance of seventeen or eighteen miles, and he said only two rak’ahs of prayer. I said to him (about it) and he said: I saw ‘Umar observing two rak’ahs at Dhu’l-Hulaifa and I (too) said to him (about it) and he said: I am doing the same as I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing.

This hadith has been transmitted by Shu’ba with the same chain of narrators and it is narrated from Simt, and the name of Shurahbil has not been mentioned, and he said that he had gone to a place called Dumin, situated at a distance of eighteen miles from Hims.

We went out from Medina to Mecca with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he prayed two rak’ahs at each time of prayer till we returned to Medina. I said: For how long did he stay in Mecca? He said: (For) ten (days).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Anas by another chain of transmitters.

I heard Anas b. Malik say: We went out for Pilgrimage from Medina. The rest is the same.

A hadith like this has been transmitted by Anas, but no mention has been made of Pilgrimage.

Salim b. ‘Abdullah (b. ‘Umar) reported on the authority of his father that Allah’s Messenger (way peace be upon him) observed the prayer of a traveller, i. e. two rak’ahs in Mina, and other places; so did Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman too observed two rak’abs at the beginning of his caliphate, but he then completed four.

A hadith like this has been reported by Zuhri, with the same chain of transmitters, and in it mention was made of Mina only, but not of other places.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said two rak’ahs at Mina, and Abu Bakr after him, and ‘Umar after Abu Bakr, and ‘Uthman at the beginning of his caliphate; then ‘Uthman observed four rak’ahs, and when Ibn ‘Umar prayed with the Imam, he said four rak’ahs, but when he observed prayer alone, he said two rak’ahs.