Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
If a husband takes his wife on a surprise trip without telling her where they are going, may the wife shorten her prayers even though she doesn’t know the mystery location? What if the couple stop to pray and the wife sees her husband shortening prayers. She still doesn’t know exactly where they are going, but may she shorten her prayers?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
assalamu `alaykum Sidi
Scholars mention that one may only shorten and join one’s prayers if one knows one’s destination. If a husband takes his wife on a surprise trip and doesn’t tell her where they are going, it’s not permissible for her to shorten or join her prayers until she has traversed 81 k.m. because she has no other way of determining whether the trip is long enough for her to shorten her prayers.
If, however, the wife sees her husband shorten his prayer during the journey, and she knows that her husband is aware that he may only shorten his prayer if his journey is at least 81 k.m. long, then she may assume that they are going on a trip that allows them to shorten their prayers, and she may also shorten and join her prayers, even though she doesn’t know exactly where they are going. [1]
And Allah Most High knows best.
Hamza.
[1] Shaykh Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Kurdi quotes the Tuhfa and Nihaya as saying, “[a follower’s] seeing the person being followed shorten their prayer upon commencing the journey is just like [the follower’s] knowing their destination, provided the person being followed knows the conditions of shortening prayers.” (al-Hawashi al-Madaniyya, 2.48)