The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No.1126- The beginning of eight farsakhs should be calculated from the last location of residence in the city [of departure].

Issue No.1128- A person, who is in search of something and does not know how much he should travel to find it, should offer complete prayer. However, if the return journey to his hometown or his place of abode is eight farsakhs or more, he should shorten his prayer.

Issue No.1130- If a person who is under the control of another person while going on a journey (e.g., a son who is travelling with his father), knows that his father’s journey is eight farsakhs, he should offer qaṣr prayer. Similarly, if a person (e.g., a prisoner) is taken away by force and he knows that the distance is eight farsakhs or more, he should offer qaṣr prayer, unless there is a reasonable probability that he will become separated from them and return before reaching four farsakhs, in case of which he should offer complete prayer.

Issue No.1135- When neither the journey itself is haram, nor it is for a haram purpose, but during the journey one may commit some sins, like engaging in backbiting or consuming alcohol or oppressing people, the prayer will still be qaṣr.

Issue No.1136- If a person undergoes a journey to flee from an obligatory act, e.g., one is in debt while the creditor demands repayment and its repayment is affordable, yet he undertakes a journey to escape repayment, he should offer complete prayer. In case however, he does not have such an intention, he should shorten his prayer.

Issue No.1137- If the travel is not haram but a person travels on a usurped means of transport, or travels on a usurped land, he should, as an obligatory precaution, offer both four rak‘at and two rak‘at prayers.

Issue No.1138- If a person is travelling with an oppressor and his journey is counted as a source of help to the oppressor, his journey is haram and he should offer complete prayer. However, if he is forced to accompany him or he accompanies the oppressor for a more important purpose, like saving the life of an oppressed, in such a case, he should offer qaṣr prayer.

Issue No.1139- Travelling with the intention of recreation and refreshment is permissible and one should offer qaṣr prayer, as long as it does not involve impermissible extravagance or other haram acts.

Issue No.1140- If a person goes out for hunting to earn his livelihood or even to increase his wealth, his journey is permissible and he should offer qaṣr prayer. However, if he goes out hunting for leisure and recreation alone, his journey is haram and he should offer complete prayer.

Issue No.1141- If a person who is returning from a haram journey has repented [to Allah (swt)] he should shorten his prayer if the return journey covers eight farsakhs or more. The same ruling applies if he has not repented, yet he is not sinning anymore on his return, in this case, he should offer qaṣr prayer.

Issue No.1142- If a person who is travelling for a haram purpose abandons the idea during his journey and if the remaining distance is eight farsakhs or more, or the outward and return distance totals eight farsakhs, he should shorten his prayer. On the contrary, if a person, who has not started the journey for a haram purpose, but later he changes his mind and continues the journey with that [haram] purpose, he should offer complete prayer. However, the prayers he already has performed are valid.

Issue No.1144- If a nomad travels for ḥajj, trade or any other journey, which is not a part of his routine life, he should shorten his prayer.