Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Say a Hanafi is travelling home and plans to enter the boundaries of his hometown at 11:00 p.m. that night, and `Isha starts at 10:00. If he prays 2 raka`tayn of `Isha on the journey at 10:10, is this sufficient? Is it better to delay the prayer until reaching home? In that case, does he pray 2 or 4?
Walaikum assalam,
It would be valid for him to pray 2 rakats while still a traveller, as this is all he was accountable for while travelling. Sayyida A`isha (Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that, “The ritual prayers used to be 2 rakats. Then, [after the Mi`raj] this remain the case for travellers, and they were increased for residents.”
It is best to pray at the beginning of the time, unless there is a Shariah consideration in delaying (such as the recommendation of delaying Fajr and Asr in our madhhabs, because of the strong proofs to do so).
At home, one becomes a resident, so one would pray 4 rakats.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.