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Website of the Office of Grand Ayatullah Saanei :: Prayers of a Traveler (Musafir)

Prayers of a Traveler (Musafir)

Issue 608: A traveler must reduce his/her midday, afternoon and evening prayers in the number of Rak'ats, that is, they must perform two Rak'ats instead of four provided that their journey is not shorter than eight leagues (about 45 kilometers). A legal league is about 5.6 kilometers.

Issue 609: A traveler whose journey from the place where they must offer complete prayers to their destination and back is at least a four-league journey and a four-league back (which makes eight leagues), must also reduce their Rak'ats by two.

Issue 610: One, who goes on a journey, must perform reduced prayers only when they are so far from their departure point as to not hear the sound of Adhaan from that place and not see the walls of the building of that place, and if they intend to offer their prayers before they are as far as this, they must offer complete prayers.

Issue 611: If a traveler can get to their destination through two different routes, one of which is shorter than eight leagues but the other equals or exceeds eight leagues, they must only reduce their prayers if they take the route which equals or exceeds eight leagues, and if they take the shorter route, their prayers are complete. For example, if a person leaves home for a village which has two different routes, one of which is a four-league route and the other a three-league one, and then returns home, they must reduce their prayers when being on the way to the village and also in the village if they take the four-league route, but if they take the three-league route on their outward as well as return journey, or if they take one route outward and the other homeward, whose sum will be shorter than eight leagues, their prayers will be complete and not reduced.

Issue 612: If a person frequents between two places which are less than four leagues apart, they must offer complete prayers, even if the total distance covered by him/her equals eight leagues.

Q613: Where is the departure point for a person who journeys from one city to another? Where is to be considered as journey's end such that one must reduce their prayers provided that the legal distance is covered?

A: One must consider the outskirts of the city as the departure point, and their final destination in the other city will be the journey's end. For instance, if a person intends to leave their home city to go to a hospital in another city, the hospital will be the journey's end, and if they intend to go to another city on pilgrimage or vacation, the entrance of that city will be the journey's end.

Q614: In your opinion, what is the criterion for the reduction of a traveler's prayers? Is there any difference between megalopolises and other cities or towns regarding travelers' prayers?

A: The prayers of an oft-traveler who does not stay in one place for at least ten days, are complete and their fasts are also valid, even on the journeys which are not related to the previous ones regarding one's business and affairs. However, the case of megalopolises is different; but even a city like the Great Tehran is not considered a megalopolis, and regarding this issue, there is no difference between Tehran and other cities in Iran.

Issue 615: A traveler’s prayers are also complete in the following cases:

1- When a person passes through their hometown before the eight-league journey is covered, or when they stays somewhere on the way for 10 days before they complete an eight-league journey.

2- When a person does not intend to go on an eight-league journey at first, and they cover this distance without a primary intention. For instance, when a person is looking for a lost person or thing, and they have no idea how far they have to journey.

Issue 616: A person who does not know how many leagues their journey is going to be, for example, one who is on a journey for finding a lost person or thing and does not know how far they have to journey to find that lost person or thing, must offer complete prayers; But if their way back home or back to a place where they intend to stay for ten days, is eight leagues or longer, they must reduce their prayers. Similarly, if while on the way, they decide to journey and return a distance so long as to make eight leagues at the end, their prayers must be reduced.

3- When a traveler on the way, reverses their decision to journey and changes their mind before they have covered four leagues.

Issue 617: If a traveler reverses their decision to journey when they have covered four leagues, they have to offer complete prayers provided that they intend to stay there for at least ten days, or hesitate between going back and staying.

4- One who is an oft-traveler, that is, who travels too often. Hence, a cameleer, a chauffeur, a herdsman, a sailor and the like, must offer complete prayers; however, on their first journey, they must reduce their prayers even if it lasts long.

Issue 618: One who is an oft-traveler must offer complete prayers even if they travel for a purpose other than their business, for instance, on pilgrimage; and all their journeys are treated in the same way as their business trips. For example, if a driver hires out his/her vehicle for pilgrimage, and he/she too, happens to perform pilgrimage him/herself, he/she must offer complete prayers.

Issue 619: A person who tours different cities and has not adopted a homeland to live in, must offer complete prayers.

Q620: Who is referred to as an oft-traveler? What is the case of the prayers of an oft-traveler if they stay in their homeland or elsewhere for ten days?

A: An oft-traveler is one who travels too often, i.e., who at least has to go on an eight-league trip before a ten-day stay in a place is over; If such a person stays in a place for ten days, for the first time, they have to reduce their prayers, but for the next times, they have to offer complete prayers.

Q621: Is it necessary that the purposes of the journeys of an oft-traveler be occupational ones, or is it just the frequency of traveling which is accounted as the criterion?

A: The criterion is the frequency and not the purpose.

Q622: What is the case of the prayers and fasts of those soldiers who cannot make any intention to stay in their place of service for ten days, because they have to leave the place before a ten-day stay is over and then be back to that place, and in case they know that they are not going to stay in that place for more than three months? To consider a person an oft-traveler, how many months must the frequency of their journeys be maintained?

A: In case they regularly have such an eight-league trip before a ten-day stay is over, and do not have a ten-day stay in a certain place, they are considered oft-travelers, they have to offer complete prayers and their fasts are valid, even if this is just going to be the case for three months. To account a person as an oft-traveler, a three-month such trend would suffice.

5- A person, who, at least, has one regular journey before he completes a ten-day stay in a place; For example, a student who goes to another town or city on education and returns home every Friday.

6- A person whose journey is illegal; For instance, a person whose journey causes their parents any annoyance; A person who travels to do something illegal, such as theft, must offer complete prayers; Also a person whose journey is an illegal one per se, for instance, if their journey would harm them in one way or another, or when a wife travels without the permission of her husband for a journey which is not obligatory upon her.

And so is the case if the wife's journey violates the familial dignity of her husband, or if she leaves home to object on a family problem, or when her leaving leads to the violation of the husband's legal rights which are obligatory upon her; However, if a wife goes on an obligatory journey such as Hajj, she must offer reduced prayers.

Issue 623: A person, whose journey is not illegal per se and one, who does not travel for an illegal purpose must offer complete prayers, even if they commit a sin such as back biting or drinking wine while on the trip.

Issue 624: One who has traveled for committing a sin, while being back home, if they have repented their sin, they must offer complete prayers, but if they have not repented the sin, and if their return journey is still seen as part of their sinful journey, they must offer complete prayers and as a recommended precaution they should offer both reduced and complete prayers.

Issue 625: In the following places, prayers must be complete:

1- In one's home

2- In a place where one intends to stay for at least ten days.

3- In a place where one has hesitantly stayed for thirty days, being uncertain whether they would stay or leave throughout these days; In this case, they must offer complete prayers after these thirty days are over.

Issue 626: A traveler is allowed to offer complete prayers in "Masjid-ul-Haram" (the Holy Ka'bah), "Masjid-ul-Nabi" (the Holy Mosque of the Prophet) and "Kufe Mosque", and so are a traveler's prayers in Mecca and Medina; But if they want to offer their prayers in places which were not formerly considered as parts of these mosques or cities and are extentions added to these places later, as a recommended precaution, they should offer reduced prayers, although complete prayers offered in those extensions are valid. A traveler is also allowed to offer complete prayers in the shrine, its porches, and even in the mosque attached to the shrine of His Holiness Sayyid-ul-Shuhada' (Imam-ul-Hussain) (PBUH).

Issue 627: If a traveler does not know that they must offer reduced prayers and thus offers complete prayers, their prayers are valid.

Issue 628: When a person forgets that they are a traveler, and offers complete prayers, if they remember this within the time of those prayers, they must offer reduced prayers, but if they realize this after the time of such prayers, it is not obligatory to offer the corresponding Quadha prayers.

Issue 629: If, before the time of prayers lapses, a traveler who has not yet offered their prayers arrives in their hometown or a place where they intend to stay for at least ten days, they must offer complete prayers; And if a person who is not on a journey, does not offer their prayers until they set off on a journey, they must offer reduced prayers when on the journey.

Issue 630: If the midday, afternoon, or evening prayers of a traveler, who must offer reduced prayers becomes Quadha, they must offer their Quadha prayers in reduced forms, even if they perform these Quadha prayers in their hometown or in a place where they intend to stay for ten days; And if a person, who is not on a journey makes any of the above prayers Quadha, they must offer complete Quadha prayers, even if they offer the Quadha prayers when on a journey.

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