Home » Shafi'i Fiqh » Qibla.com » Travel Dispensations and Permissible Recreational Travel

Travel Dispensations and Permissible Recreational Travel

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher

Reliance of the Traveller, section f15.3, states that purely recreational trips whose purpose is not disobedience are permissible but that travel dispensations cannot be taken when engaged in such travel. Can travel dispensations be taken for the following two types of trips? Is the answer different based on what dispensation it is (the two in particular that concern me are shortening/combining prayers and missing Friday prayer)?

1) The trip will be taken for a purpose other than recreation but the chosen method of travel is for recreational purposes. Specifically, I will be moving across the country for work purposes. If not for the secondary recreational motive, I would have flown to my destination. Instead, I decided to drive to my destination and stop along the way at various national parks. Can I take travel dispensations on such a trip, provided the other conditions for being a traveller are met?

2) A trip is taken where the destination chosen is purely recreational, but the purpose has other motivations as well. In particular, I will be going to a recreational destination with my family and thus be engaged in the recommended act of spending time with my family while on the trip. Can I take travel dispensations on such a trip, provided the other conditions for being a traveller are met?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Travel dispensations such as shortening or joining prayers may only be taken if one has a legally valid reason (gharad sahih) for traveling. Scholars explain that mere sightseeing (ru’yat al-bilad) is not a legally valid reason that allows one to shorten prayers. The scenario that this condition is referring to–as explained by Ibn Hajar in the Tuhfa–is when the sole reason for one’s travel is idle curiosity to see various places, with no other accompanying reason. When such a trip is accompanied by a legally valid reason, such as business, visiting family, or even recreation (tanazzuh), then one may shorten one’s prayers during the trip. Ibn Hajar explains that recreation is a legally valid reason to undertake a journey because it gives one relief from the pressures of life.

Based on this, both of the travel scenarios you describe permit you to take travel dispensations such as joining and shortening prayers while traveling

And Allah Most High knows best.

Hamza.

( قال ابن حجر في التحفة : (وَلَوْ كَانَ لِمَقْصِدِهِ ) بِكَسْرِ الصَّادِ كَمَا بِخَطِّهِ ( طَرِيقَانِ ) طَرِيقٌ ( طَوِيلٌ ) أَيْ مَرْحَلَتَانِ ( وَ ) طَرِيقٌ ( قَصِيرٌ ) أَيْ دُونَهُمَا ( فَسَلَكَ الطَّوِيلَ لِغَرَضٍ كَسُهُولَةٍ أَوْ أَمْنٍ ) أَوْ زِيَادَةٍ , وَإِنْ قَصَدَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ اسْتِبَاحَةَ الْقَصْرِ وَكَذَا لِمُجَرَّدِ تَنَزُّهٍ عَلَى الْأَوْجَهِ ; لِأَنَّهُ غَرَضٌ مَقْصُودٌ إذْ هُوَ إزَالَةُ الْكُدُورَةِ النَّفْسِيَّةِ بِرُؤْيَةِ مُسْتَحْسَنٍ يَشْغَلُهَا بِهِ عَنْهَا وَمِنْ ثَمَّ لَوْ سَافَرَ لِأَجْلِهِ قَصَرَ أَيْضًا بِخِلَافِ مُجَرَّدِ رُؤْيَةِ الْبِلَادِ ابْتِدَاءً أَوْ عِنْدَ الْعُدُولِ لِأَنَّهُ غَرَضٌ فَاسِدٌ , وَلُزُومُ التَّنَزُّهِ لَا نَظَرَ إلَيْهِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُطَّرِدٍ ( قَصَرَ )

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.