Answered by: Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Question
If a woman travels to a place in the daytime due to which she is able to take a shorter route which is less than masafat qasr but on returning home she takes the longer route which is safer due to night time. Would there be leeway for this?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
If a place has multiple routes to get there, some over the 48-mile limit and some under, then even with the shorter route a person is considered a traveler i.e. can shorten prayers, and in the case of a woman, she would only be able to travel with a mahram in both routes. However in this scenario where there is not much difference between the two distances, if the shorter route is dangerous for her and it is difficult for a mahram to accompany her then she would be permitted, rather advised, to take the safer route as the Sharia prioritizes the protection of oneself.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
اذا كان لموضع طريقان مختلفان, احدهما يقطعه في ثلاثة أيام, والأخر يمكن ان يصل اليه في يوم واحد, فقد قال أبو حنيفة, يقصر لو سلك الطريق الأقرب لانه يعتبر مسافرا, هكذا ذكر الكاساني في البدائع (الموسوعة الفقهية الكويتية, صلاة المسافر, صفحة ٢٧١, الجزء السابع والعش