Q: If a person is in journey then he would offer qasr salaah. If he goes out firstly for 1 week and then comes home and offersregular salaah and he again goes out with the intention of being in journey for 2 weeks and again comes home to see his parents, then in those two weeks Qasr would be wajib again? What should be the criteria for Qasr salaah and when it should be offered as Qasr?
A: Qasr Salaah is a gift from Allah Ta’aala to this Ummat. The criterion for Qasr Salaah is the distance being travelled and the duration of stay at the temporary venue. One who travels 77.7 km or more and will stay at a place for 14 days or less, qualifies as a Musaafir. If a person is travelling this distance or more, Qasr Salaah will commence as soon as the person leaves the border of his hometown.
When making Qasr, the four Rakaats Fardh of Zohar, Asr and Eshaa will be reduced to two. This will apply when performing Salaah alone or behind an Imam who is also a Musaafir. The Fardh of Fajr and Maghrib will remain the same. If when reaching another place en-route, a resident of the area is the Imam, then the Musaafir follower will perform the full Salaah behind this resident Imam.
The Sunnah Mu’akkadah Salaahs attached to each Salaah also become optional when on journey, but if time and circumstances allow, they should be performed.
The Witr of Eshaa is Waajib, so it must also be performed.
If a Salaah became Qadhaa while travelling, it will later be performed as Qasr, even if one is back home when fulfilling that Qadhaa.
After returning home, full Salaah will be made. When journeying again for the minimum distance or more, Qasr will be made, irrespective of the amount of days one remains at home between two journeys.
Whenever returning to one’s home town, full Salaah will be made.
Moulana Yusuf Laher