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Questions on Traveler’s Prayer

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Albalagh.net

Questions on Traveler’s Prayer

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai


Q.) I’ve got a few questions regarding traveler’s prayer:

1.) What do we mean by watan-e-asli?

2.) What is the distance and time for a traveler in Shariah? I understand that its more than 48 miles (approximately 77 kilometers) and less than a 15 days stay. Am I right?

3.) If a man lives in a city and his son and daughter in law live in another city which is more than 48 miles (the Shariah distance for becoming a traveler). Now the son along with his wife and sons goes to visit his parents for less than 15 days. I understand that for the son it will be watan-e-asli and he’ll be offering full prayers of a muqeem. Am I right? and what will be the order for his wife and children? Will they be in the category of musafir and offer qasar prayer or they will be muqeem and offer full prayer?

4.) A lady is married and living with her husband at a place which is more than 48 miles (or the Shariah distance for becoming a traveler). Now when she visits her parents, will she be traveler or muqeem?

5.) On motorway we frequently come across a problem that the driver stops the coach at one place only. It mostly is the time of Asr according to the Shafii school. Can we offer Zuhr and Asr both prayers at that time because most probably once the coach started off, time for Zuhr was about to start or had just started and once it will stop after the end of journey, the time for Asr will be almost over? [Junaid Najmi]


A.) 1. Watan-e-Asli (domicile) is that town where a person was born or got married and lives there.

2. A person becomes a Musafir (traveler) for provisions of Islamc law, if he travels for 88 kms or more and has intention to stay for less than 15 days at that place.

3. A person can have two Watan-e-Aslis simultaneously, but he must have dependants in both towns and in both places, should have his own house to live in and should hold each of the two places as his permanent residence, living in each of them alternatively. In your case, your parent’s town will not be your Watan-e-Asliy. You and your wife will have to make Qasr.

4. When a lady gets married, her Watan changes to her husband’s. If she visits her parents 48 miles away from her husband’s town, she will be a Musafir.

5. Joining between 2 Salats at a time is not allowed in the Hanafi Madhab. You should offer your Zuhr salat and may be offer Asr at the end of the journey. If you are sure you will miss Asr, you could offer Asr after Zuhr, but make Qadha of Asr later.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

This answer was collected from Albalagh.net, which is an Islamic site with Q&A and articles authored by many world renowned scholars from the Muslim world. Many of Mufti Taqi Uthmani’s fatawa in English are found exclusively on this site.

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